Opinion 鈥� Page 363
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A question of honour
Chris Cole, chief executive of WSP, was careful not to be drawn on the thorny subject of bad debt in the Middle East, as he announced the engineer鈥檚 half-year results this weekWhen asked about his talks with UAE developers and the possibility of fee cuts, he wisely offered a 鈥渘o ...
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CommentHansom: The butterfly effect
The law of unintended consequences demonstrates its power, as the simplest of actions dooms nasal cells, the reputation of architects, two counties and millions upon millions of aphids
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Comment
A game of risk
Housing minister John Healey says the government is looking at a different kind of housebuilding model (17 July, page 12), 鈥渓ess development-based, and almost contractual鈥�, which is designed to overcome 鈥渉ousebuilders鈥� reliance on the development land market鈥�
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Comment
Forget the umbrellas
The government would be better off not tying all educational projects up in massive, cumbersome framework packages
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CommentHelp the aged
Regarding the news that Part L may or will force historic buildings to be energy efficient (24 July, page 38), I am a director of estates for a university and therefore have to deal with the dilemmas of conserving listed buildings while complying with the burgeoning legislation from the eco-warriors ...
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Stirling pounded
The Stirling prize is an inward-looking, self-congratulatory lovefest for architects and other associated luvvies to cuddle up to each other
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Comment
Big is beautiful
The article about David Fison downsizing from Skanska to Osborne (24 July, page 30) was interesting. We have gone through a similar process over the past few years
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Comment
Money management
As a keen supporter of, and a specialist in, all things NEC, I am biased, but Rudi Klein鈥檚 article is excellent (24 July, page 45)
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CommentIt's all in the game: Adjudication
Parties in a dispute set all sorts of rules and try all manner of tactics on each other, but adjudicators need to resist the temptation to join in the game
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Comment
Don't be absurd: Challenging a contract
If the meaning of a contract term is unclear, can it be challenged? A recent House of Lords judgment said yes 鈥� but there may be conditions
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CommentJustice for all: Cost of litigation
Lord Justice Jackson is worried about cases in which the legal costs are so disproportionate that small firms are denied access to the High Court. So he鈥檚 got some suggestions
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Comment
How do I... call on a performance bond?
In the second in our series of practical tips for taking control of your legal affairs, Geraldine Laing explains how and when to call on a performance bond
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CommentWould I have been blacklisted, too?
It鈥檚 completely understandable that firms want to do a spot of 鈥榙ue diligence鈥� when hiring workers. It may also mean that they lose out 鈥� Michael Gove makes the case for selective amnesia
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CommentIs the construction industry all white, male and middle-aged?
Two reports draw attention to the fact that the construction professions are as white, male and middle-aged as they were 70 years ago. It鈥檚 not good enough
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CommentDiversity in construction: Small steps
Ensuring the workforce reflects society (and therefore its clients) is a complex long-term project that needs to be tackled at all levels
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Comment
Contractors face a 拢24 billion drop in new work
UK contractors should prepare themselves for a 拢24 billion drop in the annual cash value of new work coming through as the recession reaches its expected bottom in 2011.Shrinking volumes and plunging prices threaten to drag the cash spent on buying new construction work down from 拢70 billion in 2007 ...
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Comment
Another one for the file marked "Gloom": What do you mean you haven't got one yet?
Many thanks to Mel Budd of Leading Edge who sent me the consultancy's latest forecast. For simplicity's sake I have put the base figures for output in a graph with the other industry forecasts.What is striking is the growing consensus that things are looking horrid and there is a lot ...
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Comment
Nationwide ponders the unthinkable: A house price rise for 2009
The latest figures from Nationwide show a rise in prices for the third month on the trot, which puts the price of an average house at 1.3% more than at the start of the year.This sign of buoyancy is not isolated, we are seeing various indexes pointing to an uplift ...