Opinion – Page 407

  • Comment

    A calculated gamble

    2008-09-19T00:00:00Z

    I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but if the Homes and Communities Agency misses its 2016 target by say 500,000 homes, then we have got to build 375,000 homes a year from 2016, which would be an increase of 50% on 2007.

  • Comment

    In the detail

    2008-09-19T00:00:00Z

    Can you identify this building to win a £25 drinks voucher?

  • Comment

    Webmaster review: Constructing Excellence website

    2008-09-19T00:00:00Z

    The built environment lobby group has relaunched its website and even joined ºÚ¶´ÉçÇø in the world of Twitter

  • Comment

    My digital life — Martin Clowes

    2008-09-19T00:00:00Z

    The boss of Elementa Consulting climbs mountains, reads war tales, sails boats and owns old vinyl records, and likes any technology that fits in with these passions

  • Comment

    Eat, drink, fall overboard

    2008-09-19T00:00:00Z

    It’s Cowes again, where gentleman are free to do what gentleman do best – sail close to the wind, sink pontoons, tumble arse-first down hatches and beer-first off the back of boats

  • Comment

    In for nasty weather

    2008-09-19T00:00:00Z

    The financial storm that has been blowing through the banking world for the past year turned into a category-five tornado this week.

  • Comment

    Parallel universes

    2008-09-18T13:59:00Z

    Is it me or are you living in a different world than that described by the national statisticians?Today we are asked to accept that retail sales increased in August led by a jump in sales of shoes and clothes.What have we got here? Do we have a consumer addiction problem? ...

  • Comment

    How crisis can liberate thinking

    2008-09-18T11:12:00Z

    I was speaking earlier this morning to the head of a top 50 house builder, a man with years of experience and someone's who opinions are worthy of respect.He is as baffled as the next person about where things are going. Each week brings a whole new set of uncertainties ...

  • Comment

    Job vacancies in construction drop to decade low

    2008-09-17T12:16:00Z

    The latest jobless figures showing a leap of 81,000 people unemployed over the past quarter will come as little surprise to most people in the construction industry. They are seeing life getting tougher by the day, especially those with any links to house building.The major house builders have axed about ...

  • Comment

    What we can learn from wrong numbers

    2008-09-16T12:33:00Z

    Anecdotal evidence is useful, if a bit unreliable. But it can help to substantiate the numbers and provide a context. And sometimes it can lead you to ask questions.Here is an example. I recently moved and have a new work telephone number. Right from the off I started receiving ...

  • Comment

    A lesson from history: realise the pain early when recession looms

    2008-09-12T11:48:00Z

    I am in the midst of looking at endless numbers on house building and house builders for the annual Housing Market Intelligence report. I'll admit things are a bit slippy at moment. Trying to put meaning to the numbers is a bit like trying to pin a donkey's tail on ...

  • Comment

    My digital life - Chris Self

    2008-09-12T00:00:00Z

    The schools specialist may prefer dinner parties to Facebook and his green leather bookmark to weblinks, but he still marvels at kids’ capacity to use the latest technology

  • Comment

    Payback time

    2008-09-12T00:00:00Z

    The government’s housing rescue package is too little too late, says Michael Gove, and it has left the public to pick up the tab for past mistakes

  • Comment

    ºÚ¶´ÉçÇø buys a pint … for The Edukators

    2008-09-12T00:00:00Z

    Chosen watering hole: Five & Lime, Guildford Ambience: Bohemian student cocktail bar Topics: BSF, bonding and the blues. Drinks drunk: 4 pints of San Miguel lager, 2 pints San Miguel shandy, 2 glasses of white wine

  • Comment

    Time and space

    2008-09-12T00:00:00Z

    This week’s report from construction’s hidden world tracks down Sunand Prasad and Jarvis Cocker on route to the Arctic, takes the air in Dubai and uncovers a strange transformation in Edinburgh

  • Comment

    They’ve finally got it

    2008-09-12T00:00:00Z

    The government is certainly making political capital out of its successes, with ministers opening new schools up and down the country

  • Comment

    Construction Act: Pay up or else

    2008-09-12T00:00:00Z

    Today is the last day to respond to the draft bill amending the Construction Act. The bill tries to clarify payment procedures – but will it lead to a battle of notices?

  • Comment

    How much is a life worth?

    2008-09-12T00:00:00Z

    Companies convicted under the Corporate Manslaughter Act face fines of up to 10% of turnover, but this doesn’t necessarily amount to much, says Jan Burgess

  • Comment

    Pitt is miscast in his latest

    2008-09-12T00:00:00Z

    Forget Seven Years in Tibet, if Brad Pitt is serious about a career in architecture he’d better start thinking about seven years in the classroom, says Tarek Merlin

  • A website that’s not afraid of the empty look …
    Comment

    Webmaster review: Ian Ritchie Architects website

    2008-09-12T00:00:00Z

    Architect Ian Ritchie grabbed the headlines by pulling out of the design team for the Olympic village, but can ianritchiearchitects.co.uk make a big impression too?