Buildings, design and specification
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Features
London towers – does it make more sense to build new or renew?
The twin currencies of carbon and cost have encouraged the adaptive reuse of towers, bringing the additional complexity of working within an existing building
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Features
Hinkley Point C: Building Britain’s first nuclear reactor in 30 years
Like its Finnish and French twins, Hinkley Point C has suffered from cost overuns and delays. What are the team doing to claw back the losses and what does this mean for Sizewell C?
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Features
Cost model: Evaluating the construction cost impact of the Building Safety Act
The implications of the legislation, a look at real-world applications, and a notional model for cost increases on a higher-risk building
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Features
‘We’re too self effacing’: BCO chief Richard Kauntze on why UK offices are some of the best in the world
Kauntze speaks to Tom Lowe about where the office market is heading as he prepares to step down from the body he has led since 1999
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Features
‘I think we can do a lot for young architects’ – meet Chris Williamson, the next RIBA president
Ben Flatman talks to the founder of Weston Williamson + Partners about the role RIBA has played in his career, the importance of lifelong learning, and why he wants to help the next generation of architects get a leg up in the profession
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Features
Market forecast: Materials prices and margins are both set to come under pressure
Rising materials prices could cause capacity pinch-points. And where spare capacity exists, intense competition could put margins under greater pressure. Brian Smith of Aecom reports
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Features
Does Roger De Haan’s Folkestone housing scheme deserve so much criticism?
Former Saga owner’s luxury Shoreline Crescent scheme has been completed following a string of headlines about its lack of affordable housing. Tom Lowe tours the building and is impressed by what he finds
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Features
Cost model: How construction can meet the data centre challenge
With the demand for data storage soaring, the construction industry must find ways to rise to this challenge efficiently and sustainably, against a background of land and energy scarcity
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Features
It’s M&S’s Oxford Street neighbour – and it’s being refurbished, not demolished
The former House of Fraser store is just half a mile from the M&S flagship which the retailer controversially wants to knock down and rebuild. Thomas Lane meets the team to find out how they are making the refurbishment work
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Features
Designing out the challenges in the most challenging environments
The impact that good design can have on our health and wellbeing cannot be overstated. The choice of materials used can dramatically affect our physical and mental wellbeing, improve feelings of support, the level of perceived safety and, perhaps most importantly, how valued people feel as individuals. For Philip Ross ...
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Features
Cost model: Evolving the design and build of community diagnostic centres
The rollout of these centres is intended to cut long elective care waiting lists, provide value for taxpayers and decarbonise the NHS, but achieving all three is a challenge
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Features
Market forecast: Why prices for goods and services are still set for further increases
Construction output is falling steadily as high interest rates sap demand, though repair and maintenance is propping up the sector. Despite materials costs rising less rapidly, tender prices are still on the up
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Features
Cost model: Making sports stadiums fit for purpose
Today’s sports stadiums face new challenges and require redeveloping for audiences in a diverse and sustainable way. Will Goring of Turner & Townsend Alinea and Philip Johnson of Populous outline the issues.
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Features
Building The Future Commmission: Delivering the communities the nation needs
After a year of consultation and careful consideration, the Building the Future Commission has published its final report. In this chapter, Ben Flatman explores ways in which we might close the gap between good development and the development we too often deliver
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Features
How new satellite data is changing our understanding of London’s overheating problem
A new report by Arup for the mayor of London has highlighted the worsening issue of heat risk in our city centres as summers get steadily hotter. Tom Lowe reports.
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Features
Building the Future Commission: This is how we make our buildings safer
After a year of consultation and consideration, last week the Building the Future commission published its final report. In this chapter, Carl Brown considers the implications of the Building Safety Act
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Features
Faster, better and less disruptive: the next chapter in Mace’s manufacturing journey
The contractor wants to bring DfMA discipline to high-rise residential projects for the same cost as traditional build.
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Features
Market forecast: Why firms will feel the pressure in 2024
As we head into the new year, input costs are levelling off – in terms of materials at least – but as new orders become patchier, market competition is rising
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Features
‘Nobody believes them any more’… HOK’s Daniel Hajjar considers what is wrong with UK politics and planning
After 20 years in the Middle East, Daniel Hajjar moved to the UK, where, eight years on, he finds the political ‘flakiness’ of the country has made it an infuriating place to build. Thomas Lowe reports
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Features
Cost model: Delivering sustainable hotels
Hotels are competing as somewhere to stay and as places to see and be seen. Delivering sustainable, health-conscious and imaginatively designed spaces is the challenge