J Foster Architects is a London-based practice founded by Jeremy Foster, that predominantly delivers small residential projects such as conversions, extensions and renovations. The practice has used the NBS Building software for many years but has recently migrated to NBS Chorus Small Works. Dr Stephen Hamil, NBS Innovation Director, caught up with Jeremy to find out more about his NBS Chorus experience.

On the 20th July 2020, the Government published the ‘Draft Building Safety Bill’: the most radical proposed overhaul of building safety regulations for decades. In the wake of recent tragedies, much work has been conducted under Dame Judith Hackitt’s leadership to make way for a better, safer future for buildings and those who occupy them.

Classification is needed in the construction industry. It was needed in a pre-BIM environment (an early example being the Swedish Samarbetskomittén för Byggnadsfrågor, SfB, which was launched in 1950), and it is needed even more in a BIM environment where the benefits of digital interoperability are likely to be huge.

Within the construction industry, there have been advances in the way we look at how we create buildings. Environmentally conscious building, also known as sustainable construction, is an innovative modern idea introducing more environmentally, socially and economically aware construction methods.

When working on basic construction projects, where the work is of a simple nature, then typically this work will be undertaken using a ‘small works’ standard form construction contract. Generally speaking, contracts for small works do not support the use of bills of quantities as pricing documents because the extra cost of preparation is not usually justified when the level of detail is not required.

Many smaller practices work on less complex construction projects. While there is no universal definition of what a ‘small works’ project is, it is generally characterized by being simple, using straightforward methods, and it is typically procured following a traditional methodology.

Based on a webinar of the same name by NBS Technical Author James Smith, this article looks at the importance of having a robust fire safety strategy and why it should be integrated into your specification.

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.