A wide range of interesting articles that help you make informed decisions and deliver the best projects for your clients authored by our team of NBS subject specialists and construction industry contributors.
Writing clear and concise specifications is crucial on construction projects. A well-structured specification is not only essential for design success but can also prevent delays, unexpected costs and disputes. Here are five essential tips to help you get it right, from our Best Practice Guide to Specification Writing.
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The programme is a studio-based interview with architect and CDM-co-ordinator Paul Bussey from Scott Brownrigg. Against the backdrop of the current Working at Height Regulations, Paul sets out the dangers and explains the delicate balance that architects must strike between giving clients what they want and ensuring that those constructing and maintaining the building do not face unreasonable levels of risk while carrying out their work.
The new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) finally came into force in England on 27 March 2012 following a high profile battle between pro-development stakeholders and environmental campaigners. This programme looks at the NPPF and its likely impact.
The Will Alsop-designed Peckham Library won the 2000 Stirling Prize, wowing the judging panel with its ‘eye-catching’ design. We revisit the library to see how it was built and to remind ourselves of the design ethos behind its Alsopesque features which include the now familiar wonky columns, cantilevered floor spaces and pods. And we ask, 12 years on, does the library continue to have that ‘wow’ factor that so impressed the 2000 Stirling Judges?
Facade retention – the removal and renewal of a building's innards, walls, columns and floors while retaining its original front or outer walls – plays an important role in preserving the architectural character and historic fabric of many city centres. It can, however, be a complex and expensive exercise. This programme takes a look at some of the technical aspects of facade retention through the outline design sequence.
A key aim of the Government's new Construction Strategy is a push for truly collaborative project procurement; however project insurance remains one of the most potentially divisive issues facing the project team. This programme examines a possible solution called Integrated Project Insurance or IPI where one policy covers the entire scheme.
Our guests – Giles Meredith from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and James Ritchie from the Association of Project Safety (APS) – discuss the role of CDM coordinators, including how and when they should be appointed, how one judges competency, and how existing risks such as lead paint should (and should not) be handled.
One of the many undoubted benefits of BIM is its inherent ability to reduce the potential for disputes arising from clashing programmes and design details. However, by highlighting a landmark case in the USA, Eversheds construction lawyer Michael Conroy Harris discusses the legal implications of what can happen when BIM-generated mistakes occur on site.
