All Features articles – Page 660
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Features
Chain reaction
Supply-chain management is the industry's new buzzword, with contractors drastically cutting back on suppliers to boost profits and competitiveness.
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Features
Birmingham symphony
From Walsall to Worcester, architects are providing innovative and attractive local amenities. Here, Building showcases seven inspirational projects.
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Features
Birmingham's Mailbox: Britain's biggest building conversion
Even in a city famous for its concentration of huge commercial buildings, Birmingham's Royal Mail sorting office breaks several size records. For a start, it is the largest building in the city. With a footprint that covers two entire blocks, or 1.6 ha, it rises to five storeys and ...
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Features
What does 'best value' mean?
To improve the quality and delivery of public services, compulsory competitive tendering is to be replaced by the best value initiative. But has the new system been thought through properly?
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Features
Behaving badly
The Federation of Recruitment and Employment Services' Christine Little gives her tips for dealing with the colleague from hell.
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Features
Appointments
Contractors HBG Construction has appointed James Wimpenny construction manager in the North-east.Midas Group has promoted John Alton to Cornwall area director. Keith Hosen and Graham Hosking have joined the Cornwall team as contracts manager and commercial manager respectively.Housebuilders Persimmon Homes (North East) has promoted David Jenkinson to land ...
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Features
Clash points 2
Not exactly. Contractors aren't always angels they are businesses like any other. However, the client can solve its own problems by choosing best practice procurement routes.
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Features
Cost model update, March 1999
In its second cost model update, Davis Langdon Everest examines how the prices of four key building types – business parks, hotels, offices and supermarkets – have been affected by change
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Features
Clash points 1
If contractors can pass on their subcontractors' costs to the client, they probably will, won't they? Clients suspect this might be true, but fortunately Rudi can set their minds at rest
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Features
Welcome to the reel world
Ster-Kinekor, the South African international cinema operator, is set to invest £90m across Europe and has plans for 50 multiplex cinemas. It helps if you speak in Zulu or Afrikaans to the boss.
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Features
Just the job
An Edinburgh-based architect tells Jane Garwood about the pleasures and pains of running his own practice, and London favouritism.
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Features
Disco inferno
Burning in your own CD-ROMs is now fast, idiot-proof and completely affordable, thanks to the latest CD writing technology.
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Features
Why we must outlaw the cowboys
Cowboy builders are tarnishing the whole industry's image. Everyone from small contractors to eminent figures such as Bovis chairman Sir Frank Lampl are concerned that the association with cowboys will drive away staff and make it difficult to attract high-flying graduates. The problem is: how to ostracise the crooks and ...
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Features
Cost study: London Heathrow Marriott Hotel
The Whitbread Hotel Company s 390-bedroom London Heathrow Marriott is its first new-build hotel, procured to a tight timescale using extensive prefabrication and within a fixed budget of £56 000 a bedroom. The result is Marriott s flagship for the UK
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Features
This little company went to market
When contractor Connaught sought expansion, independence and staff motivation, a flotation was the perfect solution.
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Features
Art and power
Beset by nightmarish construction difficulties, the transformation of Bankside power station to the new Tate gallery looks set to be completed on budget and may even meet its 18 June deadline.
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Features
Appointments
Contractors Gerry Sims has been appointed engineering sales manager of Amec Construction. Lawrie Pirie has been made director and general manager of the firm's new building services mobile maintenance division. MJ Gleeson has appointed Eric Stobart non-executive director. He will be chairman of the main ...
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Features
VAT's what it's all about
The construction industry was in a spin when it thought it would have to account for VAT on money due but unpaid. Now Customs and Excise has come up with a solution that could satisfy everybody.
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Features
Hull firms set for £1bn boom
Hull wants to be one of the UK's top cities and local contractors plan to team up to make sure they land some of the building contracts.
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Features
Wealth and safety
A recent House of Lords Scottish law decision has given employers and their insurance companies reasons to be cheerful.