The specification is the backbone of any project. Products must be researched, selected and agreed with the client, with finishes and facades requiring careful consideration and discussions with clients, planners and other stakeholders.

In this article, the process followed at AHMM, which aligns to this RIBA Plan of Work framework, is outlined. Complexities that relate to the following are covered: preparing for specification writing; providing clarity between descriptive and prescriptive specifications; and coordinating specifications with the wider set of project information.

This year’s 2020 BIM report marks the 10th year of asking the industry for their views about BIM. Read the latest on the state of BIM, reflecting the views of over 1,000 industry professionals. See how usage and views of BIM have changed since 2011. What progress have we made as an industry and what changes do we anticipate in the next decade?

Sustainability is arguably the most expansive strategy in the RIBA Plan of Work 2020. It is also a topic that is being asked about increasingly when specifiers are reaching out to NBS to know more about how our technical content can help them achieve sustainable outcomes for their projects.

The increasing frequency for as-built point cloud scans as part of the delivery of a project is a sign that clients are no longer willing to rely on design models unchecked and issued as record information. However, the approach that contractors are taking is a reactive one which fails to make use or take the full benefit of the technology.

In April 2020 Dale Sinclair, Director of Technical Practice at AECOM gave a presentation giving an overview to the RIBA Plan of Work 2020. Following the session, a number of questions were raised by attendees. These questions are addressed below by Dale and Alex Tait, Head of Technical Practice at RIBA.

As part of a recent NBS webinar on collaborative specification writing, Chris Dixon (Associate Architect at Franklin Ellis Architects) described how he had worked with Dulux Trade to develop paint systems specifications for a complex building project.

In difficult times, it is very easy to look at cutting back on what might be regarded as non-core expenditure. Training usually stops with marketing, with sales support also being seen as one of the budgets for reduction – this is usually a big mistake!

The UK Government has published their response to the ‘Building a Safer Future’ consultation. This outlines the coming changes to the regulatory system for building safety. Lee Jones, Head of Manufacturer Solutions at NBS, provides a summary of the report below.

At NBS, our vision is to be the information platform for the construction industry. Our mission is to use the power of connected data to add value and enable a safe, efficient, high-quality industry. In this article Dr Stephen Hamil, Innovation Director for NBS, takes us through the reasons behind the development our new platform NBS Source.

The move to homeworking has created new challenges for the industry that we are all adapting to. We’ve seen an increase in usage of our NBS Chorus specification platform, and many of our customers are seeing the benefits of specifying in the cloud now more than ever. In this article we outline how Chorus will make your life easier while you’re working from home.

In what seems like just a few weeks, the world has changed. We face a threat, the likes of which we have rarely seen. Governments are taking drastic actions to limit the spread of the virus to protect the vulnerable. At the same time, this risks hurting even more through economic damage. In China, GDP fell by over 20% in February and most economies are looking at similar declines.