All Features articles – Page 454
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FeaturesBond patterns in brickwork
In his second article on brick bonds, Mike Hammett focuses on their decorative potential
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FeaturesBetter yet
The Concrete Centre has welcomed a new standard covering the performance of innovative housing. Particularly so as concrete looks set to match the criteria with ease.
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Features
A building in a bag
Two students at the Royal College of Art have come up with a brilliant idea for erecting durable, lightweight housing in disaster areas using a footpump and a sackful of ‘Concrete Canvas’
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FeaturesThe space age is over
… Long live the age of the brick. At least, that’s what they’re all saying at Stonebridge Estate in north London, where ‘futuristic’ concrete slabs have been demolished in favour of liveable brick-built homes
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FeaturesAlvar Aalto on what a brick is worth
Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) expressed the coarser nature of brick on numerous projects, particularly those in Finland, such as at the Säynätsalo Town Hall (1949-52) (pictured).
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FeaturesThe £30m baby
Bison’s new Derbyshire factory contains (probably) the most advanced hollowcore flooring equipment in the world. So what’s so special about it? And why is this the right time to bring it on stream?
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FeaturesBrad’s career move leaves Jude nonplussed
Jude Law has no interest in becoming the next Brad Pitt, not in the architectural sense anyway.
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FeaturesNo regrets
Nobody knows better than Sir Martin Laing, former chairman of Laing, how a wafer-thin margin can turn into a catastrophic loss. He tells us about how a contract used to be a gentlemen’s agreement and why he wasn’t to blame for that £1 sale.
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FeaturesSpecialist costs: Stone restoration
Our series of specialist market overviews continues with a close-up look at stone restoration and conservation. David Harding of Gardiner & Theobald examines the hot topics, costs and key contractors
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FeaturesSo, would be a you be a contractor ?
Are you a ballsy go-getter or an arty sensitive type? Do you get up at the crack of dawn or prefer a leisurely start? Are you mostly inspiration, calculation or perspiration? Try our quick quiz to determine whether you’re really cut out for a career as a contractor.
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FeaturesFive ways to fight back
As a small contractor, you might be exposed to a higher risk of getting squashed. But then, small firms can change direction, rebrand and find new markets faster than major contractors can hold a board meeting. We report on the five best ways to stay in business
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Features‘once they find you, you don’t argue’
Protection rackets run by rogue security firms are holding construction sites in the North-west to ransom with threats of violence. Now the government is fighting back – but might its measures do more harm than good?
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FeaturesSport and leisure
This week, we find out how to specify gyms and nightclubs without breaking into a sweat, showcase all the latest products for your facilities and provide our always-essential suppliers list. But first, the British architect designing a breezy field of dreams in sweltering Abu Dhabi …