Opinion 鈥� Page 341
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CommentHansom: The meaning of life
As Monty Python so clearly showed, our worlds comprise just a few basic elements: learning, work, sex, war, recreation and wondering what on earth it鈥檚 all about anyway. And construction鈥檚 got the lot
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CommentA wiser course for busy fools
When times are desperate, there鈥檚 a temptation to grab anything that might boost our turnover. The game now should be to prepare for the upturn and increase margins
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Comment黑洞社区 buys a pint: Eckersley O鈥機allaghan
We鈥檙e in the King鈥檚 Head in Islington, north London, on the day that Britain officially declared its deepest recession since the thirties over 鈥� by a whisker
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CommentBrian Green: This is your new playground
Relying on clients to create demand won鈥檛 work any more 鈥� construction firms need new, sophisticated business models that tie their profit to places rather than one-off projects
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CommentTube PPP: Mind the gaping hole
A 拢1.75bn chasm has emerged between what Transport for London is willing to pay to upgrade the Northern line and what Tube Lines is willing to do the work for. Could this be the end of the line for the tube PPP?
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CommentGovernment burglars
As Brian Green points out in his column on drumming up work, the government has pretty much kept the industry in business during the recession
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God damn it, don鈥檛 you just feel richer...
When I see the house price indexes rising I can鈥檛 stop myself. I have to do a sum that estimates how much richer we are as a nation.Here鈥檚 how I do it. I head straight for the Blue Book (a set of the nation鈥檚 annual accounts, if you like) and ...
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Will we see the return of mobile classrooms, or can construction firms find a better solution?
In a chat yesterday it was suggested I should make a note of the rapid increase in the number of babies being born and the implications for construction, or not as the case may be.This chimed with me, as I had recently been told that they will need two more ...
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We鈥檙e still in recession says CIPS, despite official figures showing construction output growth
Here鈥檚 a question I ponder quite a bit. Why do the official figures show that construction grew in the second and third quarters of last year when to everyone else construction has remained mired in the slough of a nasty recession?Puzzling isn鈥檛 it. Even more puzzling that the estimates for ...
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Is an inaccurate measure of foreign workers messing up the construction data?
Here鈥檚 a couple of graphs for stat-spotters I thought worth placing together.For some while there has been unease about both the workforce jobs figures and the repair, maintenance and improvement (RMI) sector figures in the official construction output statistics.The two sets of data are linked and there's been some concern ...
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CommentAffairs to remember
A 拢9bn property tycoon鈥檚 brief encounter with Mace, the latest conspiracy theories over RMJM鈥檚 dalliance with Fred Goodwin and one architect鈥檚 abusive relationship with the English language
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Lessons from history
Amanda Levete says: 鈥淲hat we need is something like an architectural Supreme Court, made up of architects and advisers whose pre-eminence is undisputed, that passes binding judgment鈥� (22 January, page 22)
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CommentVive la r茅volution!
Will Foster鈥檚 first hospital, the Circle Bath, revolutionise healthcare design (15 January, page 38)?
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Up, up and away
I would like to take issue with a recent leader, which expressed the view that rising house prices are somehow a good thing
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Planning: The campaign
I totally agree with the need to oppose changes to the planning system (Developers and housebuilders to fight Tory planning proposals, 4 January, building.co.uk)
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Experts on tap
I read Paul Donnelly鈥檚 article (15 January, page 50) on expert witness testimony with interest
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Unjust deserts
I have more sympathy with bankers鈥� bonuses than with the 拢30m paid by the Learning and Skills Council to its staff
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CommentWhy can鈥檛 we have boulangeries?
The French have mastered the art of nurturing individual shops and businesses, whereas here, civilised life is leaking out of our town centres. Gus Alexander has an idea鈥�
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Wonders & Blunders with Geoff Capes
Shot-putter and budgie breeder Geoff Capes coos over Burghley House but has strong opinions about the childhood home of one Margaret Roberts
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CommentWhat鈥檚 going wrong at Skanska?
Sweden鈥檚 biggest contractor has been in the UK market for 10 years. During that time it has pulled off some remarkable jobs, but now it seems to be running into difficulties finding work