Opinion – Page 416
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CommentInnocence abroad
Schools are out, summer is here and the mind naturally turns to jetting off (or, for the more environmentally squeamish, catching a train) to foreign climes
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Comment
Why money matters
I read this Money Week article on how British firms are running out of money and thought it may be of interest in the light of estimates I made on the money owed by and to construction firms.It's a bit on the scary side, but no less interesting for that.
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Comment
Is the sharp drop in the Nationwide house price index good or bad news?
There have always been paradoxes in the housing market. For instance, while people want the price of all other essentials items to fall homeowners want the value of their home - and by implication all homes - to rise, even if it would be to their disadvantage in cash terms ...
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Construction firms owe £30 billion to trade creditors
I am in the midst of putting together data for the Contract Journal Construction Top 100 and there were a couple of figures I thought worth sharing that have come out of some analysis on trade debt and credit.From the number crunching I am doing I have estimated that construction ...
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A 25% jump in house prices - is that scientific or finger licking bad
I can tell you the price of a house in 2020. I'll even let you into the secret of how I do it. What I do is lick my finger and stick it into the wind. Works every time, especially on those with no memory and little understanding, and I ...
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CommentBraes of Doune Wind Farm v Alfred McAlpine Business Services
The CaseThis case concerned two applications in relation to the First Award of an arbitrator, concerning an EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contract dated 4 November 2005 between Braes of Doune Wind Farm (Scotland) Ltd as Employer and Alfred McAlpine Business Services Ltd as Contractor, whereby McAlpine agreed to carry ...
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CommentA question of loyalty
State your case - An expert witness’ duty is to the court, but Barry Milton has encountered many who wouldn’t dream of contradicting their clients
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CommentLet’s get going
The select committee’s Construction Matters report is a fine piece of work, but that won’t mean much if its recommendations aren’t acted on.
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Party Wall Act: Good news for good neighbours
A recent decision on the Party Wall Act means that those who consent to a party wall notice are still protected by the act if a dispute arises
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CommentWebmaster review: Rafael Viñoly website
The website of Rafael Viñoly boasts the benefits of pure Flash, but that has drawbacks too
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Official figures show construction output dropping in second quarter
So there it is, construction output slumped sharply in the second quarter of this year, according to the first take by the national statisticians of economic activity.The statisticians put the 0.7% drop in construction activity down to the sharp drop in house building work. The 0.7% drop in construction output ...
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CommentWonders & blunders
Louis Kahn’s gallery in Yale works brilliantly with the art inside, whereas Lord Foster’s simply belittles it
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CommentMy digital life - Raymond Wong
With an eagle eye for a bargain, Raymond Wong uses the internet to seek out the cheapest deals. And like his film superhero, Jackie Chan, he always comes out on top
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CommentBuilding buys a pint … for Magyar Marsoni architects
Chosen watering hole: The Devonshire Arms, Kensington Ambience: Wealthy locals and stray American tourists Topics of conversation: Italian design, cycling, kidnapping, the London bombings Drinks drunk: 12.5 bottles of Birra Moretti, one bottle of Peroni
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CommentYou thought things were bad
This week, we paint a vision of a dystopian future – a world in which journalists are politicians, the credit crunch ends in murderous pillage and the word ‘Olympics’ may not be spoken …
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CommentBuild-your-own
I’ve always tried to see the silver lining in every cloud, but am I the only one that sees the great potential of the current downturn?
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Green carrots
It is encouraging to see the industry raising its game in delivering more sustainable buildings. However, I believe there is confusion over how their green credentials are rated.
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The Apprentices
In the article on Ucatt’s call for an apprenticeship quota on public sector projects (9 July, www.building.co.uk), you offer a skewed view on the increasingly popular Programme-Led Apprenticeship scheme.
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The copper rush
Metal thefts are once again hitting the national headlines, so much so that the UK authorities now position the problem as second only to terrorism.