More Focus – Page 248
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FeaturesCountry focus: Czech Republic
With the strengthening of the Czech koruna and increased expenditure on the part of high-income groups, will foreign investment come at a price? Miroslav Vasko of EC Harris, Prague reports
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FeaturesGloomwatch - Building's industry panel assesses the downturn
In the past few months, the construction industry has become an anxious and uncertain place. To help us make sense of it, we’ve asked a student, a subcontractor, a small builder, an architect, an entrepreneur, a forecaster and a consultant to form a panel.
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FeaturesHow bad can it be? The nineties recession vs the noughties crunch
Remember 1991? For those now starting their careers, it may have been a time of cartoon turtles and spinning hedgehogs, but for older workers it was all about a recession that left the industry on its knees. Emily Wright spoke to both old and young to find out how they’re ...
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FeaturesWhere it hurts – where is the downturn doing most damage?
Emily Wright and Muireann Bolger assess the pain region by region – with only the city of Durham showing any signs of good health
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Features10 ways the downturn is changing the construction industry
The days when clients competed to build the tallest, bendiest and greenest architecture are now over. But how will the new era of scrimping, saving and surviving change the industry, and therefore the built environment? Building makes 10 predictions.
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The tracker: Plumbing new depths
The slowdown continues to eat into firms’ workloads and order books, with the activity index for September falling to an all-time low, according to Experian Business Strategies
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FeaturesRiding it out – sectors thriving in the crunch
The world will always need GPs’ surgeries, colleges and, it seems, luxury hotels. Muireann Bolger looks at three sectors that might provide shelter from the storm
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FeaturesBoris Johnson’s redistribution of London infrastructure cash
The glad tidings are that Boris Johnson has just given Crossrail a fiscal injection. Unfortunately £3.5bn worth of other transport projects around the capital have been sacrificed to do so. Olivia Boyd looks at where that leaves the industry …
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FeaturesFirst impressions: Projects by Libeskind and Sheppard Robson
Another ’First Impression’ panellist, this time Michelle Sweeney, graduate from the School of Architecture at the University of Manchester, comments on six new projects
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FeaturesNo nimbys here: will Tory councils accept their party's housing policy?
The Conservatives want to give local councils more power to plan development for their areas. But given that so many Tories – especially in the South – are fighting proposed housing schemes, why should housebuilders believe their plans will work? By Muireann Bolger
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FeaturesRobert Stern: designing Dubya's library
Architect and academic Robert Stern is to design a library for the outgoing president of the United States. The joke going around, of course, is that it must be a fairly small building. Dan Stewart found out
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FeaturesOlympic legacy: lowering the bar again
First, the Olympic village was downsized by 1,300 homes. Now, the media centre is likely to be replaced by a ‘mixture of temporary and permanent facilities’. Whatever happened to the 2012 legacy? Joey Gardiner investigates
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FeaturesProfiled cladding
Rigidal Systems, manufacturer of metal roofing and cladding, has introduced a range of profiles designed to bring a new dimension to the use of profiled cladding
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FeaturesCurtain walling
Architectural aluminium systems specialist Technal, has launched MX Acoustic – a new design option for its MX curtain walling range, for more demanding acoustic requirements.
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FeaturesFinal stretch: on site at the Burj Dubai
At 707m, the Burj Dubai is finally nearing its summit. But how do you go about building such a giant – and how do you ensure it doesn’t topple over in a high wind or an earthquake? Thomas Lane went on site at the world’s tallest tower
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FeaturesMini cost model update: Small projects
The worsening economic climate and sustainability requirements have affected costs for small projects such as affordable housing, nursing homes and extra-care homes
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Features
What it costs: Insulated renders
Insulated render systems save energy and look good. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans sums up the variety of choices and highlights some topical issues and lifecycle costs
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FeaturesDressing the pinnacle
Putting a cladding system on a shape as eccentric as the Pinnacle tower is hard enough. But how do you give it openable windows as well? Stephen Kennett found out
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FeaturesVentilated cladding
Rainscreen cladding from Shackerley has been used to help transform Boston House, a former shoe factory in Leicester, into 44 apartments, including eight penthouses.