黑洞社区

Eloquent silence

The government鈥檚 launch of its Sustainable Construction Strategy got a decidedly cool reception from the industry last week. After construction minister Baroness Vadera鈥檚 upbeat introduction, John Spanswick, Bovis Lend Lease鈥檚 chairman, questioned whether the strategy would really improve public sector procurement. Then Rudi Klein, chief executive of the Specialist Engineering Contractors Group, asked what the difference was between this strategy and Egan鈥檚 report 10 years ago.

Klein鈥檚 comment got a robust rebuff from Sir Stuart Lipton, the event鈥檚 chair, who then bizarrely, asked the audience if they thought the strategy was a good thing. Lipton got through the excruciating silence that greeted this by telling the audience enthusiastically he thought the report was 鈥渏olly good鈥�.

The investigation

Word reaches me of a dramatic incident on a site in a wealthy London borough that had been fitted with an outside loo for the builders鈥� convenience. One of the well-heeled residents overlooking it phoned up the site鈥檚 owner to complain that she鈥檇 seen a builder coming out of the loo 鈥渁djusting his dress鈥�. The landlord phoned up the senior property partner of the firm running the job, who phoned up the senior construction partner, who phoned up the partner in charge of the site, who phoned up a clerk of works to demand that he launch an immediate investigation. Half an hour later the clerk of works called his boss back and assured him that the complainant must have been mistaken 鈥� none of the builders was wearing a dress.

Work and some play 鈥�

Tim Wade, boss of Hyder Consulting, is planning his next move carefully. The group, which has been expanding in the Middle East and south Asia, is weighing up where it should go in Europe. It is already established in Germany and parts east, but when asked if he planned to go into Spain, he replied 鈥渙nly on holiday鈥�.

A bit of a blow

I hear that Hamiltons鈥� design for the Strata Tower, a 43-storey residential behemoth in Elephant & Castle, has encountered some unexpected difficulties. It seems the building鈥檚 wind turbines are going to spin at such velocity that the racket would be unbearable. If there are any acoustics wizards out there who can factor supersonic waves into its calculations, you know who to contact 鈥�

If you don鈥檛 laugh, you鈥檒l cry

The inaugural Headline Property Awards last week were notable not just for 黑洞社区鈥檚 nomination for best magazine but also for its sponsor, one Barratt Developments, which I鈥檓 told had encountered a spot of bother during the week. Clearly not ones to let the small matter of a share price meltdown interfere with a good night out, Barratt鈥檚 staff and directors joined in all the evening鈥檚 fun, even laughing at jokes about their company鈥檚 future. Not quite so amused was Dan Bridgett, Barratt鈥檚 PR, who, after representing Multiplex during the construction of Wembley, is now putting out a whole new set of fires. Cheer up, Dan 鈥� we hear Max Mosley needs a new PR 鈥�