All Features articles – Page 653
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Features
Case study 4: 288 Bishopsgate, City of London
In 1998, HQ Global Workplaces picked up a narrow sliver of land at the corner of the huge Spitalfields development at the eastern fringe of the City of London. With a footprint only 10.5 m deep, the site did not suit a conventional speculative office development, but could accommodate serviced ...
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Features
Case study 3: Regus business centres
Regus, the British market leader of serviced offices, proudly bills itself as the McDonald’s of the sector. Standardised brand image and instant availability are its selling points, with every building entrance and reception fronted by its half-crown logo. The company offers customers serviced offices within 24 hours for periods as ...
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Features
What’s done is done
Once an adjudicator has made a decision on a case, it cannot be settled again by another adjudicator. That is, as long as the judge does not rule that they are substantially different disputes.
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Features
The Appliance of science
London's Science Museum has a new eco-friendly way of generating electricity. But instead of being hidden in a dark basement, it's on show for all to see. How does it work?
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Features
Appointments
ContractorsTaylor Woodrow has appointed Brian George non-executive director and non-executive chairman, and Denis MacDaid managing director.Weaver Construction has appointed Jeff Gale new contracts manager.The Higgins Group has appointed Gary Robins and Brian Mason construction directors.Lichfield-based construction firm Linford-Bridgeman has made Andrew Chamberlain masonry manager.Leisure contractor Multibuild has promoted Dean Johnston ...
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Features
Was it Bill or was it Ben?
If housebuilding ends up wonky, who’s to blame? The person who takes on the work, of course. But just who is that? The main contractor, the subcontractor, the builder, the architect or the surveyor?
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Features
Scrutiny on the bounty
In the first of a series of columns designed to help small businesses run more efficiently, accountant Smith & Williamson examines the role of the external audit in cutting costs and improving management processes.
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Features
Whole-life cost model
The government is set to spend £450m on new and refurbished PFI schools next year. To help firms thinking of bidding to prepare tenders, Citex details the occupancy costs of typical schools, together with case studies of new-build and refurbished institutions.
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Features
Would you win in court?
Firms trying to avoid litigation would do well to embrace early neutral evaluation, a procedure that allows a judge to tell the parties who is likely to win long before they get to court.
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Features
Culture shock
From 1 April, councils are legally obliged to procure on the basis of best value. This is great news for contractors – if councils are up to making the change. But are they?
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Features
The wow factor
Tom Wright designed a jaw-dropping hotel at Dubai's Jumeirah Beach. Now he's putting WS Atkins Architects on the map all around the world – even in the UK.
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Features
Filling the post
Superstars required. But how do you hire them? Robert Smith of recruitment consultant Hays Montrose explains.
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Features
Inspecting gadgets
Don't be scared off by microtechnology – the new portable gizmos are light, affordable and easy to use whether you're on site or in the car. So, what should be in your briefcase?
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Features
The instant office
Serviced offices no longer mean a few desks plonked in a spec office block. A new generation of purpose-designed serviced office buildings has arrived.
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Features
Pret a port-air
Fewer faults in a fraction of the time – that's the message for clients from a firm that prefabricates services, including air-conditioning, in its factory and assembles them on site.
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Features
How adapting the design saved time
Over the past three years, HBG’s North-east office has used continuous improvement processes to hand over nine cinema shells in an increasingly short time. This benchmark compares three of these schemes.In 1997, the contractor completed the shell-and-core construction of a nine-screen Virgin multiplex cinema at Boldon, near Sunderland, in 38 ...
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Features
There is no alternative
A bill to encourage electronic communication may mean clients insist on its use. And as it gives equal weight to electronic and written messages, being e-smart is a must.
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Features
Appointments
ContractorsBallast Wiltshier has promoted Alex Gaskill to managing director of its South-east business.Mervyn Butler has been promoted to director of Ashe Construction’s Southampton office.HousebuilderCharles Church has appointed David Hooper financial controller for the South Midlands and north London.ConsultantsSurveyors Greg Millsopp and Paul Brewer have joined the Leeds office of building ...
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Features
The benchmark
[Virgin multiplex cinema, Hull] A contractor uses a series of similar jobs to form a crack team of cinematic heroes out of a bunch of raw recruits. Contains scenes of partnering, lateral thinking and cost reduction. Unmissable.
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Features
Get connected
It's high time construction companies overcame technophobia and woke up to the fact that if you're not on-line, you're out of the picture. Get the message: new business starts with e-mail.