More Focus – Page 199
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FeaturesBack for seconds: David Nurser
David Nurser has a voracious appetite for risk-taking. First he set up the surveying firm CNP in a recession. And now he’s a year into his second venture, Paragon (more great timing)
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FeaturesCrouching tiger: Buying a business in China
Tempted to get a foothold in China by buying a business there? It’s a strategy that can pay dividends, but is strewn with hidden dangers
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FeaturesThe future looks rosy: Sheffield's Park Hill estate
Urban Splash’s refurb of a listed sixties council estate is turning one of the republic of South Yorkshire’s biggest problems into an aspirational address
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FeaturesDomestic heat pumps: So you think this will do the job, then?
Given that the government seems bent on promoting heat pump technology to help it meet its carbon reduction targets, it’s odd that evidence for its effectiveness has been so thin on the ground. Now at last a study reveals the truth…
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FeaturesSenseless acts of beauty
Foreign Office’s art college in north Greenwich is a beguiling mix of randomness, order and commercial astuteness
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FeaturesThe collapse of Connaught
The Sidmouth concrete specialist that morphed into a £600m social housing contractor was one of the greatest success stories of the past 30 years, and one of the landmarks of the industry. Andrew Hankinson reports on why it fell - and if the banks should have saved it
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FeaturesSpecialist costs: Off-site manufacture
Simon Rawlinson of Davis Langdon takes a look at how that sector can add greater value
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Features
The tracker: Coming in to land
The decline in industry activity is expected to ease in August and September and level out in October, according to latest figures from Experian Marketing Information Services
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FeaturesPracticalities of free schools: Schools for scavengers
According to the secretary of state for education, pretty much any old building can be turned into a classroom. But is that actually true? Thomas Lane did some research
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FeaturesCost of school refurbishment: case study
They might not have the glamour of new-build, but refurbishments, such as this one at Castle Hill school in Kent, have their wow factor too - nowhere more so than on price. Ike Ijeh sums it up
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FeaturesConstruction in Africa: On the rise
African construction has long stood in the shadow of its Middle Eastern neighbours. But booms in tourism and population mean UK building expertise will get a warm welcome. Emily Wright goes exploring
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FeaturesWhat does it cost to do up a school?
It’s become clear that most schools are going to have to carry on in the buildings they’ve got. Simon Rawlinson of Davis Langdon looks at what it will cost to make them function better
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FeaturesAssessing the coalition's education strategy
The coalition has been impressively quick to burn down the old regime’s cherished BSF programme, but what exactly is it planning to put in its place? Well, after six months we are in a position to reach some preliminary conclusions, so Sarah Richardson takes us through the story so far, ...
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FeaturesFirst-term report for Michael Andrew Gove
Note on the curriculumDuring his first six months with us, Michael has embarked on his major project for the year: the cancellation of Building Schools for the Future, and the replacement of it - or at least parts of it - with an alternative programme of school renewal.Accuracy of workUnfortunately, ...
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FeaturesStudents tackle death in hospitals
A hospice for advanced progressively ill children in Weimar wins Architects for Health student awards
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FeaturesHousing targets: Who’s afraid of the locals?
Most housebuilders are running like hell from the government’s plan to make them build local homes for local people. But others believe the upcoming reforms will be to their - and the locals’ - advantage
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FeaturesMaglev high-speed trains: London to manchester in 55 minutes
Magnetically levitating trains are faster and quieter than high-speed trains, use less energy and take up a lot less space. So why is this technology still waiting on the platform?
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FeaturesFuture proofing the office: iPod generation calls the shots
Ignore those iPod-toting Tweeters at your peril. They are the office users of the future. Emily Wright reports on how both commercial and residential design will have to adapt to the lifestyle of the Facebook generation
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FeaturesTrial and error
The team turning a leaky Edwardian building into a paragon of energy efficiency is in its second month on site. Robert Prewett, the project architect, looks at services and reports back after an airtightness test
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FeaturesCost update: Q2 2010
The quarterly analysis of construction industry costs and prices shows everything going up except wages and employment