More Focus – Page 135
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FeaturesCan the government's consultant framework defy the critics?
A government framework worth £750m to construction consultants was finally re-tendered at the end of October - 10 months late. Can it be taken seriously after such a delay?
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FeaturesInterview: Kamran Moazami
Kamran Moazami is the man behind some of the most famous high-rise buildings in the world. The WSP director spoke about leaving Iran, taking on Manhattan and helping the British learn to love the skyscraper
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FeaturesInterview: Rise
Bob White, Ian Eggers and Gareth Stapleton have had some stressful moments since launching their own construction management consultancy in the midst an economic downturn. But now Rise is, well, on the up.
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FeaturesRoofing products
This week’s roofing products cover hot melt waterproofing, Tudor downpipes, roofline profiles and, to top it all off, a Cornish hotel in Nairobi
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FeaturesHS2: Obstacles ahead
What does the Labour Party’s ambivalence towards HS2 mean for those looking to work on the £43bn project?
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FeaturesStavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre roof, Athens
Athens’ vast £500m Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre is being crowned with a 10,000m2 ferrocement canopy, designed by Expedition Engineering. Why did the UK practice settled on this unusual choice of material?
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FeaturesMean streets: Cyclists' safety
Construction vehicles are responsible for a disproportionate number of cycling accidents each year - many of them fatal. What can the industry do to prevent more deaths?
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FeaturesTracker: September 2013
Indices for activity, orders and enquiries are all still in positive territory, but the growing problem of material and equipment shortages needs keeping an eye on
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FeaturesWWF HQ: 'Stringent is an understatement'
At the World Wildlife Fund’s new HQ in Surrey, Willmott Dixon has taken sustainable construction to new levels of rigour, forensically tracking the carbon content of every single element, and even building an FSC-certified workshop on site. So has the result been worth it?
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FeaturesFuel wars: Review of green charges
The prime minister surprised everyone last week when he announced his desire to ‘roll back’ green charges on energy bills. So where does this leave the government’s energy efficiency policies?
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FeaturesUphill all the way: Pre-commencement conditions
Housebuilders are up in arms about councils’ use of pre-commencement conditions, which they say are holding back schemes that have been granted planning permission
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FeaturesInterview with Munish Datta, M&S
Fresh from the success of the flagship Cheshire Oaks eco store, Munish Datta, the head of M S’ sustainability strategy, is thinking smaller…
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FeaturesMarket forecast: A confidence shift
Leading indicators highlight renewed optimism. But don’t break open the champagne just yet …
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FeaturesCladding products
Our round-up of the latest solutions includes curtain walling for guide dogs, a flagship regeneration project in suburban Surrey and a cover-up at the Scottish Crime Campus…
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Features'The Treasury still have a completely outdated view of sustainability'
How should the government kick-start its stuttering sustainability policy? Building, Ecobuild and the UKGBC held three roundtables at three party conferences - and three common themes emerged
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FeaturesGood Employer Guide 2013: Seeds of contentment
Despite the financial drought, many businesses have still found a way to nurture their best talent. We look at what the best companies are doing, and how
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FeaturesGood Employer Guide 2013: Small in size, big on ideas
SMEs may not offer the fullest range of employee benefits and they certainly can’t sustain huge HR departments, but these restrictions can in fact make them very attractive employers
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FeaturesForeign investment in housing
With London house prices rising 10% this month and alarm that more people than ever are being priced out of home ownership, pressure is growing to clamp down on foreign investors
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FeaturesCladding at Birmingham New Street
Birmingham New Street station is being transformed by a curving steel cladding system, but attaching such an instantly iconic facade to an existing frame has thrown up a variety of structural challenges
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FeaturesLead times: July - September 2013
Most works packages continue to be unmoved, but increased activity means that some rises are expected in the months ahead. Brian Moone of Mace Business School summarises the data