Fact of the Week – 16th July 2018
There are 1,792 steps to the top of the Eiffel... View Article
A stroke of genius: Barratt London announce winners of Catford Green Card competition
Barratt London, leading housebuilder and developer behind the Catford Green scheme, has announced the winners of a new card design competition – in partnership with St Dunstan’s College. Pupils of the school were tasked with designing ‘welcome to your new... View Article
Australian practice celebrates 165th anniversary with pioneering architecture photography commission
Since its inception by Joseph Reed in Melbourne in 1853, architecture and interior design practice Bates Smart has been responsible for designing some of Australia’s most significant cultural buildings. Acknowledged as the pioneers of modernism in Australia, Bates Smart has delivered... View Article
A breath of fresh air
Eliot Warrington of Solarcrest argues that building regulations need to reflect 21st century ventilation. Building Regulations have pushed people in the UK closer and closer towards airtightness in recent years, but while this is a demonstrably good thing with regards... View Article
‘Solid foundations’ – Chichester College students rewarded for construction studies
Construction students at Chichester College are celebrating following the college’s Construction Prize Giving ceremony. The awards are held annually and aim to highlight students’ achievements in plumbing, carpentry, joinery, brickwork, painting and decorating, and electrical and construction skills. Winners are... View Article
Inspired Asset Management purchase debut co-living scheme in Wolverhampton
Inspired Asset Management has completed the purchase of Telecom House in Wolverhampton from Telereal Trillium. The six-storey former office building, vacated by BT last year, will be converted into 294 self-contained studios for private rent under Permitted Development Rights. With... View Article
The European bathroom industry agrees to adopt a single scheme for water and energy efficiency labels
During the latest meeting of the European Bathroom Forum (EBF) on 5 July in Lisbon, the majority of the principal representatives of the Bathroom Sector came to a Voluntary Agreement on a single labelling scheme. The chosen scheme will contain... View Article
Mayoral support for Croydon affordable housing
A Croydon Council-backed drive building around 2,000 homes for local people has been praised by a deputy Mayor of London during his visit to the borough. In 2016 the council established the development company Brick by Brick (BxB), which has... View Article
A quarter of private rented homes “not decent”, says new government report
More than a quarter of homes in the private rented sector (PRS) fall below decent home standards, according to an influential government housing report released today. The English Housing Survey says that 47% of PRS properties did not conform to... View Article
Construction needs clarity on post-Brexit visa rules, says FMB
Responding to the release of the Government’s Brexit White Paper, the FMB has stressed the need for certainty and stability, and called on the Government to clarify its approach to migrant workers as soon as possible. Brian Berry, Chief Executive of... View Article
Home improvements more popular than holidays as Brits stay put for the summer
School’s out for summer – but forget notions of families packing their trunks and jetting off to the sun. New AA research reveals Brits are twice as likely to be planning DIY projects at home this summer (48%) than heading... View Article
New alliance launched to increase cladding fire testing capacity and improve building product certification in the UK
A new international alliance is set to improve the facade fire-testing market in the UK, by significantly increasing both the capacity and the quality of large-scale fire testing of cladding and building systems in the UK. UL LLC, a global safety... View Article
Southern Housing Group delivers stable performance in 2017-18
Southern Housing Group, one of the largest housing associations the UK, released its Annual Report and Group Financial Statements for the year 2017-18. The Annual Report demonstrates that the Group’s consistent underlying financial performance is underpinned by a robust balance... View Article
The Roberts, not the robots, will win the day
By Brian Williamson The robots are coming. The concept of Artificial Intelligence is no longer confined to the lurid pages of science fiction. The threat is real, and the construction industry looks likely to be joining drivers and secretaries in... View Article
BSG reports 13% rise in ‘Working at Height’ safety breaches on construction sites
The Building Safety Group (BSG), has reported a 13% rise in the no. of ‘Working at Height’ safety breaches recorded on construction sites. The increase is based on 10,000 site inspections conducted during the first 6 months of 2018, comparing Q1 with... View Article
Equity release hits £1.71bn as plan sales surge
Retired homeowners released £1.71 billion of property wealth in the first six months of the year as the equity release market continued its record-breaking expansion, new data from the UK’s leading independent equity release adviser Key Retirement shows. Around £9.5 million of property... View Article
Kirkstall Forge wins first award for Housing Design and is shortlisted for International Award
CEG and Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios secured the Project Award at this week’s national Housing Design Awards where the judges commended the contemporary design of the homes. They particularly liked the unusual mews houses which use the topography of the... View Article
University of Portsmouth’s new sports hub wins planning consent
The University of Portsmouth’s new multi-million pound sports centre, with public realm by LDA Design, has been given the green light by the city’s Council. It is the first major phase in the University’s ambitious plans to reshape its central... View Article
Average rents continue to rise – tenants need landlords to remain committed to the rental sector
The HomeLet Rental Index has shown that while the average rental prices across the UK have risen during the second quarter of 2018, the demand for rental properties remains high; and experts predict this trend to continue as more people,... View Article
Katrina Kostic Samen takes over Presidency of the British Council for Offices
The British Council for Offices (BCO) has welcomed Katrina Kostic Samen as its new President. Katrina Kostic Samen, Founder and Managing Partner at KKS Strategy, formally takes over the position from Ken Shuttleworth, Founding Partner of Make Architects, at the... View Article