Blog: Competency in Construction

With the construction industry in need of a widespread culture change and a chain of responsibility, who will have responsibility for delivering standards of performance throughout the lifecycle of a building? By looking at both the existing regulatory framework and... View Article

The NFB unveils its Major Contractors Group

The board of the National Federation of Builders (NFB) is pleased to announce the formation of the NFB Major Contractors Group (NFB MCG). Mark Wakeford, joint managing director of Stepnell Limited and chair of the NFB MCG, said: “We are... View Article

New partnership formed to deliver Queensway regeneration

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council and Swan Housing Association have signed contracts and formed a joint venture partnership that will work to deliver the regeneration of the Queensway estate. This follows full council approval of Swan Housing Association as preferred bidder in... View Article

80% of consumers say that the design of homes impacts their wellbeing

New research published by Eurocell plc, the UK’s leading manufacturer, distributor and recycler of PVC-U window, door, conservatory and roofline systems, has revealed that four in five consumers believe the design of their home impacts their wellbeing, demonstrating the growing demand for homes... View Article

The Difference Between a Merchant Cash Advance and a Loan

Attracting ever-greater attention in recent times, merchant cash advances (MCAs) are seemingly becoming the future as an alternative form of business finance. Although often compared to traditional bank loans, to such an extent that they may sometimes be referred to... View Article

Modular: 21st century construction, 19th century technology?

Martin wadsworth, managing director of Discrete Heat, discusses what’s really happening in the modular construction market and how it’s impacting on building product manufacturers. When you think of modular construction, what do you imagine? A sleek production line, populated with... View Article

Break out of the white box

With the demand for quality rising, it is increasingly hard to stand out as a developer. Lulu Greenhalgh-Jones of Carpenter Oak explores how housebuilders can use timber to break out of the new development ‘white box.’ The market is not... View Article

Piping hot

Underfloor heating combined with air source heat pumps can provide housebuilders and property developers with flexible and efficient heating solutions, as Paul Wakefield of grant UK explains. Evenly distributing heat upwards into a room, an underfloor heating system maintains optimum... View Article

Dementia-friendly bathroom design

With an ageing population, dementia is on the rise in the UK. Stuart Reynolds of AKW discusses how housebuilders can act on this to create bathrooms that are dementia-friendly, promoting both dignity and safety. The number of people with dementia... View Article

The joy of modular

Joymount in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland, is a 40-home social and affordable housing development under construction for Clanmil Housing Association. Raymond Millar, construction director at the project’s offsite contractor, The McAvoy Group, explains how the company is using modern methods of... View Article

Small sites will help solve the housing crisis

Through its geovation accelerator programme, which awards grants to help Ordnance Survey and HM Land Treasury make better use of their data, the Government has announced funding for 7 property and geospatial start-ups. This includes RenKap, an online marketplace working... View Article