Opinion – Page 422
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Comment
The wealth effect and the death of builders' tea
Each morning I walk past a large Sir Robert McAlpine site. I'm impressed by the speed of build, the cleanliness, the apparent high safety standards and a general feel of efficiency.This morning I missed breakfast so I stopped at a cafe to buy a snack to eat on the hoof.A ...
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CommentBuilding buys a pint … for the RIBA
For the final head-to-head in the presidential race, the RIBA spurned its modern-classical marble and chrome palace on Portland Place in favour of the neo-gothic stone and timber Palace of Westminster.
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CommentTake the LEED
Thank you for your recent article entitled “US to revise LEED assessment system” (16 May, page 14).
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Comment
Some confusion
In a recent issue, I was quoted as saying that LEED certification can be reached without considering energy points.
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Comment
The way to 13,500
Your leader on the industry’s ability to meet government employment targets was not accurate (13 June, page 3).
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Comment
Slowdown won't stop us
In response to the article regarding Wienerberger UK’s mothballing of factories (6 June, page 9), the slowdown in the UK building materials sector was the sharpest the industry has ever seen and was without precedent in the UK.
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CommentWebmaster review: Terry Farrell & Partners website
Terry Farrell & Partners' website shows that minimalist architecture may not work as well on websites as on buildings
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CommentMy digital life - Rob Pratt
This engineering services consultancy director enjoys a bit of Coldplay on his iTunes but online it’s all about West Ham, EastEnders and jaunts to the south of France
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CommentHansom: uncomfortable moments
Awkward questions are raised at a government press conference, Barratt’s staff decide against keeping a low profile and Murray Coleman wears pink lycra
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CommentYou're Mr Pink
Congratulations to Bovis Lend Lease chief executive Murray “Lance Armstrong” Coleman who joined 84 colleagues to ride the 54 miles from London to Brighton last weekend to raise money for the British Heart Foundation.
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Comment
When even the good news is bad news you know it's time to take cover
A massive leap in retail sales. Excellent news surely. But no. Even if you are in the shopfitting business, this is does not make comfortable reading.On figures like these the markets are pricing in interest rate rises. This reaction encouraged, do doubt, in part by the tough words by the ...
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Comment
It's simple: act now or the house building industry collapses
When asked to do this blog I had hoped to steer clear of indulging in raw comment. But, even as cynical as I have become as a journalist over twenty odd years, I had not expected to encounter such fundamental ignorance and dithering as I see within Government ahead of ...
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Comment
Prepare for massive jobs cuts, recession is upon us
Construction is heading for two years of recession says the Construction Products Association in its latest forecast.It puts output down 1.3% this year and 1.6% next year, before a sluggish recovery starts in 2010.The net result is that activity will fall by more than 5% from the where it was ...
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Comment
Consensus grows on 20% house price fall
The new parlour game for economists seems to be guessing where the bottom is for house prices. The latest consensus position seems to be coming in at about 20% judging by reports in the Guardian and the FT.But that will be an average, so get ready for stories of houses ...
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Comment
Carnage if 70,000 fewer homes built - an £8 billion hit for construction
The Observer this Sunday claimed 70,000 fewer homes would be built this year.We face the biggest post-War slump in house building it said after interviewing Barratt chief Mark Clare.Frankly that would be carnage and, if the figure proves anywhere near accurate, it would mean a cut of about £8 billion ...
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Comment
House of Lords decision: Reinwood Ltd v L Brown & Sons Ltd
This was an appeal to the House of Lords by a contractor, L Brown & Sons (“Brown”) against a Court of Appeal decision which had held that Brown had not been entitled to determine a contract (JCT Standard Form 1998 edition) between it and the respondent employer, Reinwood Limited (“Reinwood”), ...
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Comment
More gloom for US housing market
Confidence in the US housing market has been further dented by a sharp rise in foreclosure (repossessions) in May according to RealtyTrac figures.
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Comment
House prices are still up on a year ago, says FT survey
It flies in the face of other house price measures, but the FT house price survey puts prices in England and Wales up by 2.7% on a year ago, despite a 0.6% fall in May.