Buildings

Some huge projects are due to hit critical milestones in the new year, as coronavirus, social distancing and Brexit continue to dominate the delivery of construction projects in 2021. Here’s our run-down of the big ones to watch.

As part of our inaugural Decarbonising Construction virtual event, an expert panel from across the industry shared the secrets to going green, and discussed how firms would be able to speed up the process

The terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 were expected to scupper the market for high-rise buildings. “Why would you build a tall building if someone could aim a plane at it?” says Steve Kennard, director of regeneration at developer Hadley Property Group, recalling the wave of misgivings that swept the…

While the majority of construction sites in the UK are now open and operating with various measures to minimise the risks posed by COVID-19, the availability of key building materials continues to present problems for many. In April, Construction News outlined shortages affecting 11 key products and services, caused by…

Buckingham Group’s rocketing growth has been knocked off course by the coronavirus pandemic. Chief executive Mike Kempley has a plan to get it back on course.

The advice to never let a crisis go to waste, widely attributed to Winston Churchill, has often been cited during the coronavirus pandemic, typically by those hoping some good might emerge from a time of such great distress. Gillian Charlesworth, chief executive of building research and standards organisation BRE, tells…

The best temporary works are those that add value by accelerating a programme, de-risk the project or optimise return on investment. In my experience, using permanent works to do a temporary job can substantially benefit a project. In other words, the best temporary works are permanent works. Value means different…

If there is one thing that 2020 has taught me, it’s that making predictions for the future is a mug’s game. The best-laid plans based on the strongest evidence have fallen by the wayside across businesses everywhere. But these times are, as we’re constantly told, unprecedented, and while looking ahead…

Sadiq Khan is one of the few politicians who has actually worked on a construction site. The mayor of London, who was raised on a council estate in the south London suburb of Earlsfield, was a labourer over the course of several summers in his youth. Decades later, as London…

A month after the major housebuilders shut down all works, sites are starting to reopen. But experts warn that the real test of the market will be in three months' time. Major players including Persimmon, Lovell, Redrow, Taylor Wimpey and Vistry have announced the resumption of construction work in recent days, following…