Opinion 鈥� Page 416
-
CommentA question of loyalty
State your case -聽An expert witness鈥� duty is to the court, but Barry Milton has encountered many who wouldn鈥檛 dream of contradicting their clients
-
CommentLet鈥檚 get going
The select committee鈥檚 Construction Matters report is a fine piece of work, but that won鈥檛 mean much if its recommendations aren鈥檛 acted on.
-
-
Comment
Party Wall Act: Good news for good neighbours
A recent decision on the Party Wall Act means that those who consent to a party wall notice are still protected by the act if a dispute arises
-
CommentWebmaster review: Rafael Vi帽oly website
The website of Rafael Vi帽oly boasts the benefits of pure Flash, but that has drawbacks too
-
Comment
Official figures show construction output dropping in second quarter
So there it is, construction output slumped sharply in the second quarter of this year, according to the first take by the national statisticians of economic activity.The statisticians put the 0.7% drop in construction activity down to the sharp drop in house building work. The 0.7% drop in construction output ...
-
CommentWonders & blunders
Louis Kahn鈥檚 gallery in Yale works brilliantly with the art inside, whereas Lord Foster鈥檚 simply belittles it
-
CommentMy digital life - Raymond Wong
With an eagle eye for a bargain, Raymond Wong uses the internet to seek out the cheapest deals. And like his film superhero, Jackie Chan, he always comes out on top
-
Comment星空传媒 buys a pint 鈥� for Magyar Marsoni architects
Chosen watering hole: The Devonshire Arms, Kensington聽Ambience: Wealthy locals and stray American tourists聽Topics of conversation: Italian design, cycling, kidnapping, the London bombings聽Drinks drunk: 12.5 bottles of Birra Moretti, one bottle of Peroni
-
CommentYou thought things were bad
This week, we paint a vision of a dystopian future 鈥� a world in which journalists are politicians, the credit crunch ends in murderous pillage and the word 鈥極lympics鈥� may not be spoken 鈥�
-
CommentBuild-your-own
I鈥檝e always tried to see the silver lining in every cloud, but am I the only one that sees the great potential of the current downturn?
-
Comment
Green carrots
It is encouraging to see the industry raising its game in delivering more sustainable buildings. However, I believe there is confusion over how their green credentials are rated.
-
Comment
The Apprentices
In the article on Ucatt鈥檚 call for an apprenticeship quota on public sector projects (9 July, www.building.co.uk), you offer a skewed view on the increasingly popular Programme-Led Apprenticeship scheme.
-
Comment
The copper rush
Metal thefts are once again hitting the national headlines, so much so that the UK authorities now position the problem as second only to terrorism.
-
-
CommentPublic madness
Not another one! That is the initial reaction to the news that the Rafael Vi帽oly-designed visual arts centre in Colchester languishes unfinished while its contractor and client squabble over the escalating budget.
-
Comment
Inflation tsunami flattens construction prospects
I recognise that I have said this time and again and probably will say it a few times more - but don't underplay the impact of rising inflation.I can already hear echoes of overexcited managment consultants suggesting to clients to take note of what is rising in the east and ...
-
Comment
Keeping it real
I received an interesting email from Ray Crotty of C3 systems some days ago now. It was in essence a challenge to look at the industry over 20 or 30 years and see if "we're seeing anything now that we haven't seen before in terms of economic adjustment at work ...
-
Comment
Fresh dip in mortgage lending spells deepening gloom for housing market
The latest figures from the British Bankers' Association make seriously grim reading. The seasonally adjusted value of loans approved in June for homes dropped to a third of what it was in the same month a year ago.The figures read: 拢3,297 million June 2008 against the already pitiful 拢4,243 million ...
-
Comment
Plunging house sales create major tax headache for Darling
If I were the Chancellor looking at the latest property transaction figures I wouldn't be worried, I'd be very worried.At 270,000 transactions for residential property in the second quarter, we are looking at a housing market about 38% less active than a year ago, when 432,000 transactions were undertaken in ...