All Features articles – Page 280
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FeaturesCostly legal disputes: Everyone's a loser
The amount spent on legal disputes has jumped by a third in the UK over the past year. Why are construction firms still so keen to spend on litigation?
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FeaturesPension problems: Don't look now
Construction firms’ final salary pension liabilities of £33bn are set to attack their balance sheets, stop investment and hold back growth for years to come. Yet far from confronting the problem, many are simply ignoring it and hoping it will go away. Will Hurst reports
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FeaturesNottingham hosts art and design festival
Nottingham Trent University degree show features work from School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
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FeaturesCathedral Group's Martin Wood: Tales from the crypt
The decor may be morbid but Cathedral Group’s business is in rude health. Emily Wright meets managing director Martin Wood and finds out why the developer is a firm that contractors should get to know. Photography by James Royall
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FeaturesMy working day: Faithful+Gould consultant Alison Wring
The head of the Cambridge office spends her working day visiting clients all over East Anglia and London
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FeaturesRope trick: Thames cable car
An ambitious plan to build a cable car over the Thames was up against some seriously tough technical challenges, not to mention the dreaded jinx of the Greenwich peninsula. Building finds out whether they pulled it off. Photography by Tim Crocker
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FeaturesNuclear: The path to power
A year ago, the nuclear new-build programme seemed like construction’s best hope of recovery. But since then, major players have withdrawn and concerns over electricity market reform have led to growing fears of delay, or even cancellation. Vern Pitt looks at where we are now
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FeaturesThe tracker: Positive territory
Activity in civil engineering was in positive territory in April but decline in the residential and non-residential sectors is still dragging overall activity figures down, according to Experian Economics
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FeaturesA veritable refurbishment 'slide show'
When a retail and residential project in London was obliged to hold on to an existing 120-year-old facade, the bold solution was an innovative sliding and support system, as Ike Ijeh explains
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FeaturesInterview with Vinci's Paul Neto: The man from special ops
Paul Neto leads Vinci Construction UK’s crack special projects squad, which is only interested in the big stuff - major contracts and closing a mighty drop in profits. Portrait by James Bolton
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FeaturesCrowning glories: The royals and architecture
As we prepare for the Diamond Jubilee, Ike Ijeh takes a look at the influence the Queen, some of her forbears, and last, but by no means least, her eldest son, have had on British architecture
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FeaturesOlympic health and safety: Record breakers
The Olympic big build project has been a massive success for UK construction - not least from a health and safety perspective. Emily Wright looks at how those involved delivered with one of the cleanest records ever - and what lessons can be learnt for the future. Illustration by Sarah ...
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FeaturesInterview with John Lewis' head of construction: Shopping in the dark
The rise of online shopping has made it impossible to predict customer behaviour, says John Lewis’ head of construction Tony Jacob. But what he does know is that the future will involve further expansion across the UK, with more distribution hubs, call centres and ‘dark stores’. He explains all to ...
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FeaturesCountry focus: Singapore
Singapore kept GDP growth at 4.9% in 2011 and although construction demand might fall, key projects will ensure workload remains steady, writes Richard Warburton from EC Harris
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FeaturesThe state of play 03: Architects
The third of our sector-by-sector reports examines where the best opportunities - and the biggest pitfalls - lie for architects. By Will Hurst
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FeaturesCost update: Q1 2012
Despite the unexpected surge in consumer prices in March, construction inflation is continuing to slow. Peter Fordham of Davis Langdon, an Aecom company, reports
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FeaturesCrossrail: Pulling out all the stops
Crossrail - the biggest engineering project in Europe - also claims to be a driver for multimillion-pound regeneration in the capital. Ike Ijeh takes a look at three key stations along the route and asks how much Londoners will really benefit
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FeaturesThe Regs Files: Changing Building Control
Plans are afoot to make approved inspectors and the LABC more streamlined, more efficient and more effective in the fight against non-compliance. But will they work?
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FeaturesThe Regs Files: Energy perfomance in homes
With the energy performance of new homes proving far worse in practice than in theory, the government has been spurred into action - but its proposed quality assurance process for Part L compliance has not met with universal approval
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FeaturesThe Regs Files: Streamlining Parts K, M and N
The proposed streamlining of Parts K and M, and the end of N, have been broadly welcomed by the industry. But would more simplification serve to clarify or confuse?