All Comment articles – Page 55
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FeaturesThe free schools programme: Fancy free
Rachel Wolf, at 26, is in charge of delivering the government’s free schools programme. In the week the first of these schools open, she tells Sarah Richardson about how construction firms can get involved, and the importance (or not) of good design
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CommentProviding schools: Creative classes
We don’t have enough places for kids in the schools their parents want. A new approach is needed: adapting other public buildings for education and bringing in private help to show us how
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CommentReading the riot act
If your project suffered a loss as a result of the riots this August you may be able to claim compensation under a JCT contract or even from the police through a 125 year old statute
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CommentThe case for skyscrapers: Scaling new heights
The 9/11 attacks made us nervous about erecting tall buildings but actually we need them more than ever - after all, they offer a more sustainable solution than urban sprawl
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CommentRocky financial markets: Tread carefully
The turbulence of the financial markets will rock construction when what it most needs is stability - but with sovereign debt crises in Europe and the US, how likely is that?
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CommentPFI doesn't have to be 'poor value'
PFI is ’poor value’ say MPs but they ignore the benefits such as risk transfer, predictability and maintenance of the public sector estate
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CommentIt's all pants: Unreliable economic indicators
We keep being fed confusing, contradictory, even wrong industry figures - often based on something as haphazard as the sale of underwear. You may as well ask Mystic Meg
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CommentBeach volleyball stars distract Cameron from quelling riots
Volleyball replaced the mob in central London this week as Olympic organisers shifted tonnes of Surrey sand to Horseguards Parade
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CommentInfrastructure: A thing of beauty?
Infrastructure can be seen everywhere so it’s a shame it’s often so ugly. Let’s hope for some inspired entries in the energy department’s competition to update the UK’s pylons
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NewsWhatever happened to localism?
The draft National Planning Policy Framework may give the planning system the “teeth” developers have been looking for
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CommentWining contracts: Confidence trick
Winning contracts is no longer a matter of being a big company, or even offering the lowest price. What bidders must offer clients is a sense of security
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CommentQS mergers: Wedding's off
Up-against-it QS firms are hooking up with other companies, looking for global reach and diversification. But now really isn’t the right time to get hitched
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CommentIt is possible to help SMEs and achieve budget cuts
Big contracts and small firms poses a quandary – but there is a model that shows how it can be done
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CommentSchools PFI: we need to learn from past mistakes
We should welcome Gove’s announcement that upto 300 schools could be built using a model based on PFI, but we also need to be on our guard
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CommentProcuring a design team: The art of not getting shafted
What’s the best way to choose a design team? Rigid scoring systems need to change if clients are to get the best balance between cost and quality
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CommentJob losses threaten Green Deal
The industry needs skilled workers In order to meet the targets set out in the Green Deal
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CommentDevelopment: The cashless society
Yes, money is tight, yes, the challenges are many, but local authorities that work with others and use their assets creatively can still build great places to live
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CommentGeneration BIM: Creating the infrastructure
Yes, we’ve heard it all before - but this time BIM really is going mainstream, says Simon Rawlinson. Now, its development needs to be driven by the industry’s future leaders
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Comment(Nuclear) Reaction time
The Fukushima disaster has put pressure on Europe’s politicians to act expediently, says Alastair Stewart. But the signs are that the UK government will stick to its guns and go nuclear
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CommentThe CIC: Mission do-able
Wouldn’t it be great if there was an organisation that spoke for the whole of the construction industry instead of just individual professions? Oh wait, there is …