Opinion 鈥� Page 371
-
Comment
Global forecasts getting less dreary, but looming black cloud of government debt
With all the talk about increasing signs of economic 鈥済reen shoots鈥� in recent months, it was perhaps too easy to suddenly relax and think that the good times are just around the corner.The OECD鈥檚 Economic Outlook published this week provided a much more sober picture of recovery prospects and was ...
-
Comment
Is partnering dead?
鈥淚t took 12 years to put together and 12 weeks to dismantle.鈥� That was one of the more wry comments on BAA鈥檚 decision to turn its back on framework agreements for a good chunk of its work.The decision was taken by Steven Morgan, the man brought in by the airport ...
-
Comment
Pidgley hands over keys to kingdom if not the crown
Around eighty bankers, analysts and lawyers squashed into a meeting room at UBS this morning to hear Tony Pidgley's swansong as managing director of Berkeley.Despite speaking for 45 minutes there was still enough energy in the room for a round of applause at the end. "It's been a while ...
-
CommentHansom: Songs of love and hate
In the nice corner this week we have wine-waiting estate agents, relatively honest MPs, optimistic housebuilders and self-critical contractors 鈥� and in the nasty corner: Cliff Jones of Procure 21
-
-
Comment
A royal response
In response to your article 鈥淧rince Charles given say in major London schemes鈥� (19 June, page 9), I would like to point out that the Prince of Wales is not routinely contacted by property developers seeking his opinions or his approval on major projects in London, or elsewhere for that ...
-
Comment
What really happened...
I write with reference to your story 鈥淩ogers turned back on project role after design was scrapped鈥� (12 June). This is factually incorrect and I am writing to clarify our position
-
Comment
Material concerns
Robert Adam (12 June, page 34) makes a distinction between my reference to architectural style and the use of traditional building materials. Surely he must know the two are closely associated
-
-
Comment
Two steps backwards
One sign of greatness is being able to admit to mistakes and learn from them. It seems that construction cannot or will not learn from past failings and is about to return to single-stage tendering and confrontational relationships (12 June, page 29)
-
Comment
The unfairness of frameworks
Our prequalification questionnaire for the East Midlands (SCAPE) Framework, Minor Works 拢10,000-500,000 Derbyshire Sub-region, didn鈥檛 pass muster
-
CommentDining and designing
星空传媒s are consumed by the eye in the same way that food is consumed by the organs of digestion. And in both cases, the important thing is that they鈥檙e tasty
-
Comment星空传媒 buys a pint... for Ryder
Tonight鈥檚 jaunt happens to coincide with London鈥檚 tube strike, so just getting to the venue presents a challenge
-
CommentSelf-harming architects
If architects have any time left over after baffling their novice clients, they ought to spend it explaining that it makes sense to pay them what their work is actually worth
-
CommentConsider the Australians
Ty Goddard has been looking at schools Downunder, and he has some rather good news for everyone involved in designing new schools in this country...
-
CommentIs partnering dead?
鈥淚t took 12 years to put together and 12 weeks to dismantle.鈥� That was one of the more wry comments on BAA鈥檚 decision to turn its back on framework agreements for a good chunk of its work
-
Comment
A welcome downturn in construction deaths
In 星空传媒's health and safety channel this week we have the latest from the Health and Safety Executive, as they release statistics on the number of construction fatalities in the sector for 2008/09.As predicted by 星空传媒 just weeks ago, the number of fatalities has hit a record low, but everything ...
-
Comment
Telford buys contractor... and breathing space
When AIM-listed housebuilder Telford announced yesterday it had paid 拢6.3m for fit-out contractor Clifford Contracting, the news must have caused a few people to do a double-take at their computer screens.In a City statement, the east London developer talked a lot about loan notes, call option agreements and aggregate considerations.Behind ...
-
Comment
Average weekly earnings go up in construction
I took a quick glimpse at the Average Weekly Earnings figures out today to see if there was an obvious sign of downward pressure on those employed in construction.Well comparing the average weekly earnings over the three months to this April with the same period a year ago we get ...
-
Comment
Housing market medicine working, says CML
The latest forecast from the Council of Mortgage Lenders paints a more positive outlook for the housing market than it did when it last forecast in December.It now thinks repossessions this year will hit 65,000, 10,000 fewer than previously thought, with fewer mortgages falling into arrears and net lending shrinking ...