All Letters articles – Page 52
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Comment
High standard
The criticism of the new RIBA Standard Agreement 2007 by Ian Yule (23 November, page 59) is inaccurate and self-serving.
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CommentFight fire with sprinklers
I object to some of the comments made by Paul Timmins regarding the Local Government Association’s call for sprinklers to be fitted to all new buildings (16 November, page 36).
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Comment
Competition comment
The quote in your article “Choose Wisely” (16 November, page 72) was inaccurate – we had won the RIBA’s Brooks Road Low Rise housing competition run for Newham council.
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Comment
A problem the size of Leeds
With the emphasis on new build, it is easy to forget a vitally important and sustainable weapon in the battle to provide homes.
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CommentPoints of departure
Like many I was fascinated by the recently opened St Pancras station (19 October, page 52).
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Comment
Correction
In your article “Mini-cost model: Extra care housing” (9 November, page 62), the image of PRP’s scheme is that of Goodwin Court in the London Borough of Barnet, which is actually unrelated to the cost model in the article and is also not an example of the “extra care” model ...
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Comment
We can’t do it by ourselves
We welcome the approach taken by the UK Green Building Council to lobby for a change in the definition of zero-carbon homes (20 November, www.building.co.uk).
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CommentRoot of the matter
I was intrigued by the construction of the courtyard and buildings around the giant plane tree at the Larmenier & Sacred Heart primary school in west London (2 November, page 58).
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Comment
Not in front of the readers …
Will Alsop and Roger Madelin may well have used the words credited to them (9 November, pages 11 and 27) and we may well all work in a robust industry and hear them every day.
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Comment
Reasons to be fearful
The article “Big drop in construction orders puts housing plans at risk” (9 November, page 12) reported that an 8% fall in construction orders and 12% decline in the housing sector has cast doubt over whether Gordon Brown will hit his ambitious housebuilding targets.
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CommentWrong side of the tracks
Regarding the description of the Divis flats in Belfast (1 November, page 40), I would like to record that “building blunder” is not the key factor leading to it being (rightly) labelled as “ramshackle”.
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Comment
Fight fire with fire
The Local Government Association has called for an urgent review of building regulations, following the deaths of four fire-fighters in Warwickshire and wants to see sprinklers fitted to all new buildings.
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Comment
Spread the risk
My first thought on reading your article on the £1bn defence training academy in St Athan, south Wales, (26 October, page 15) was “never put all your eggs in one basket”.
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Comment
Hotpants
In your article about BAA being forced to remove plastic windows from listed buildings, Douglas Kent says “putting plastic double-glazed windows into an old building is like dressing your great granny up in hotpants,” and “from an energy conservation viewpoint is one of the least effective measures you can take.”
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Comment
Bad, bad, bad
The suggestion of a 10-15% reduction in the UK’s renewable energy target is bad news on many levels.
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Comment
Time for a rethink
Your story announcing the second review into the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) procurement process is a welcome step as it recognises that there is scope for improvement (21 September, page 11).