On Thursday I had the opportunity to take a closer look at One New Change, a massive development being built in the shadow of St Paul’s Cathedral in London by Land Securities. It has been designed by Jean Nouvel, one of the world’s most innovative architects who was also recently chosen to design a branch of the Louvre to be built in Abu Dhabi, on Saadiyat Island. One New Change will provide the first major retail space in the City of London and I am sure it will have quite an impact not least because it has an atrium and roof gardens giving public access to one of the best views of St Paul’s Cathedral. This is part of rescuing Wren’s masterpiece from the blight of 60’s architecture which all but obliterated close up views. Norman Fosters ‘Blade of Light’ Millennium Bridge led the way by opening up a great view from the south side of the river. Read the rest of this entry »

It has been difficult keeping up with editing duties this week with the Olympics in full flow and Team GB having their most successful Olympic Games in a 100 years. Well done to all those taking part and to China for providing such a great spectacle. Read the rest of this entry »

With recent studies showing that 19% of global electricity is being used for lighting, this week Buildingtalk is highlighting a number of key initiatives that are set to make a significant impact on lighting. GE Consumer and Industrial are providing free lighting energy audits which include practical advice that can translate into big savings. Greenstock Lamp Company launch lighting that lasts three times longer than standard products and Energy Conservation Solutions have new ‘Save It Easy’ retrofit energy efficient fluorescent lamps and ballasts. Read the rest of this entry »

While housebuilders are suffering an unprecedented sharp slump in demand, civil engineering remains as strong as ever. The organisers of the Civils 2008, which takes place in London in November, wrote to say that GBP30 billion worth of projects are being showcased. With landmark projects like the 2012 Olympics, Crossrail and new developments in nuclear and alternative energy sources, they see no sign of a downturn in the civil engineering industry. Another positive indicator came from Glenigan who recorded a 25% jump in the value of projects starting on site during the first half of this year and they expect the flow of work to remain firm over the next twelve months. Read the rest of this entry »

There is certainly a great deal of anxiety in the industry with construction companies announcing several thousand job cuts in recent months. Industrial production is now falling too, and the service sector, which constitutes 74% of GDP, has also slowed. However, there is still a lot of business out there, particularly as buyers look to maintain margins by finding more economic options. They are now more open to new suppliers and new products and means its is a great opportunity to find new business. Read the rest of this entry »

In a week where the downturn in construction has forced Saint-Gobain to make 6,000 workers redundant, MPs have given the final approval to Crossrail, the GBP16 billion east-west rail route across London. Beginning in 2010, it will be the largest civil engineering project in Europe, with the first trains expected to start running in 2017. Crossrail is good news for jobs and economic growth and London Mayor, Boris Johnson, called it a ‘cracking good deal for the capital’. Though this comment sounded like something Wallace would have said to Gromit. Read the rest of this entry »

Construction industry worries continue to gather pace. Plimsoll Analysis reports about a further 15,000 job losses and MTW Research says the house builder market may lose more than 75% of its value over a period to 2009. However self build and renovation experts BuildStore think that the credit crunch is having less of an impact in their sector. We have a review by Peter Levchenko of Polish Subcontracting into the affects on UK building trades of recent changes in eastern European migration patterns. Read the rest of this entry »