Opinion 鈥� Page 558
-
Comment
It鈥檚 not either/or
The article on 鈥渘ew urbanism鈥� (26 November, page 41) pitted two extreme and opposing views of architects. On the one hand, we are asked to believe that a bunch of icon-obsessed egos is working in the interests of self-promotion rather than for the benefit of our towns and cities; on ...
-
Comment
CSCS is working
As the employers鈥� side of the CSCS board, 星空传媒鈥檚 news article on 3 December dismays us (鈥淯nions attack CITB over 拢5m deficit in CSCS scheme鈥�, page 9). It is worth remembering that the 鈥淨ualifying the Workforce鈥� initiative, led by employers with enthusiastic support from the unions, has resulted in more ...
-
Comment
House of cards
I read with some amusement about the power struggle between CSCS and the CITB (26 November, page 24).The views of John Smith more than adequately reflect the real world. Despite the willingness of many legitimate contractors and specialist contractors to apply the scheme, the whole thing will degenerate into even ...
-
Comment
Jobs for the boys
I always read with interest your articles bemoaning the lack of women in the industry. Like Helen Sanders (26 November, page 36), I don鈥檛 always agree with this philosophy.Setting my rather cynical opinion aside and working under the assumption that construction does need more women to help fill the skills ...
-
Comment
Costing the 鈥榖lack art鈥�
Although Chris Haley may well be right in pushing for greater QS involvement in costing services, he misses a vital point (26 November, page 38). A fundamental reason why the costing of services is so poor is that the 鈥渢rade鈥� traditionally designs a large part of the services elements in ...
-
Comment
Chiding Charlie
In your article 鈥淲hitehall gets a royal warning over fast-track housebuilding鈥� (26 November, page 16), Prince Charles is quoted as saying: 鈥淭he fast building movement will strangle the world unless we look at diversity above mass production.鈥� Whoever is supplying the prince with information about the design flexibility of homes ...
-
CommentWhat was going on there then?
Two weeks ago, we published this photo from the days when architectural models were hand-carved out of wood and nothing said steely determination quite like a well-appointed pipe. We asked you to provide as much information as you could about what was going on and such was the response that ...
-
Comment
Everyone鈥檚 a winner
The Housing Corporation has been given the power to make grants to private housebuilders 鈥� but believe it or not, housing associations stand to gain from this as well
-
-
CommentThe theory of black holes
he phrase 鈥榙efined provisional sum鈥� in the JCT98 contracts may lead employers to believe that they have price certainty. In fact, they have nothing of the sort
-
Comment
The prongs of doom
Time and again adjudications end in failure because the courts detect bias. Here鈥檚 another case where a botched job inevitably results in a load of wasted money
-
Comment
Romania revamps its image
Romania aims to join the European Union in 2007 and is trying hard to attract foreign investment 鈥� but there are few large black bats still flapping around
-
Comment
UK shares Europe鈥檚 guilt
As reported in 星空传媒 (19 November, page 15), Alan Wood has exposed the unfair practices that European governments use to exclude British companies from their public sector contracts.
-
Comment
A BTEC in boredom
Having enjoyed a reasonably successful career in construction and having a 16-year-old son with the prospect of 10 good GCSEs and no particular idea what he wants to do, I persuaded him to apply for a BTEC in construction.
-
Comment
Wonders & blunders
RIBA president-elect Jack Pringle vows that a former icon will rise again but would rather see a Holborn hotel buried without trace
-
CommentThe scrabble for cash
Four years ago, when construction was comfortably ensconced at the old Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, the government ran a scheme called Partners in Innovation.
-
CommentGetting up to speed
When we started putting together our preview of 2005, we didn鈥檛 pre-judge the issues.