黑洞社区

Goodbye girls

Who, other than Ray 翱鈥橰辞耻谤办别, reckons that women on site are a bad idea? Five celebrity multimillionaires for starters. This week the Rich List regulars on BBC2鈥檚 The Dragon鈥檚 Den refused to invest their millions in one woman鈥檚 solution to the sexual dysfunctions of construction: an empire of all-female companies. The dragons, including 黑洞社区鈥檚 favourite, Duncan Bannatyne, thought the idea was a waste of time and were certainly not going to invest any of their own money in it. Looks like Ray鈥檚 not alone 鈥�

Is this the end of Colin Harding?

I notice that Colin Harding is preparing his retirement from the industry. Harding, the chairman of family-run business George & Harding, has placed an advert in The Sunday Times looking for a group managing director. Given his 20 year record of pushing for positive change in the industry (mostly by winding up the magazine鈥檚 more architecturally inclined readers), whoever takes the helm of the 拢30m turnover firm is going to have large boots to fill.

A life in construction

Sir Peter Mason was in a jovial mood at the press conference called to discuss Amec鈥檚 results, despite the fact that they happen to include a 拢58m loss. Mason is about to depart from the firm, and when he was asked if he would be going into another role in construction he replied, 鈥淚鈥檓 tempted to say 鈥業 hope not鈥�.鈥� And when he was asked what he would do differently if he did it all again, he said: 鈥淕o into investment banking.鈥�

Credit: Scott Garrett

A pretty pickle

Urban Splash has been friskier than ever with its marketing splurge for its first project designed by Foster and Partners. For its 鈥淏udenberg Haus Projekte鈥� in Altrincham, Cheshire, the bumph takes the form of two hardbacks spliced together back to back. One is entitled 鈥�101 reasons why you鈥檒l love our penthouses鈥� and is illustrated by three jars of pickled gherkins, each intriguingly labelled 鈥淔oster and Partners designed it鈥�. I wonder 鈥� is the image intended to induce Cheshire鈥檚 newest penthouse residents to daydream of inhabiting the Swiss Re tower? Or could it be a cryptic reference to Urban Splash鈥檚 next conversion project?

Trebles all round

Unsurprisingly CLM, the winning consortium in the race to deliver the 2012 London Olympics, was in a party mood on Wednesday. Team members from all three companies 鈥� Laing 翱鈥橰辞耻谤办别, Mace and CH2M Hill 鈥� spent much of the afternoon toasting their success with champagne. However the serious celebrations started that night. Mace staff partied near their Camden office but were shown up by the senior management of CLM who were reportedly out until 5am the next morning. All were in the office for 9am the next day, of course, fresh as daisies 鈥�

Not us, Guv

It has taken an American to stand up for the British construction industry in the wake of the Wembley debacle. Speaking at the press conference announcing the award of the Olympic Delivery Partner contract last week, ODA chairman Jack Lemley none-too-subtly suggested the Aussies were to blame for

the difficulties as the national stadium. 鈥淏ritish construction and engineering doesn't deserve the rap that it鈥檚 getting for Wembley,鈥� he said. Before Ray O鈥橰ourke and the rest of the CLM consortium could start sitting comfortably, he added that he鈥檇 fire them should the Olympics show signs of going the same way鈥�