New strategy will help STEM tide of underachievement in key disciplines
By Gerard McMahon, Esh Construction’s regional director for Scotland
IT’S clear that in the future Scotland will need many more people working in jobs linked...
Can you refuse to hire ‘unreliable’ young workers?
By Dawn Robertson, partner & accredited specialist in employment law, BTO Solicitors LLP
In the latest quarterly economic survey by Shropshire Chamber of Commerce, published...
Building a model career in construction
By Laura Closs, a BIM co-ordinator at Kier Construction
I always loved art and drawing as a child, and whenever my civil engineer dad took...
Tackling fraud in the construction sector
By Ramsay Hall, an associate at Brodies LLP, specialising in government, regulation and competition
IN August 2019, it was reported that the total value of...
Construction contracts: NEC3 v SBCC
Any conversation between an experienced project manager and a specialist construction lawyer on the choice of contracts is likely to be a lively one...
Riding the leadership learning curve
By Alan Gordon, senior partner of DM Hall LLP.
I suspect that for any new role, 33 years should be ample preparation. But taking over...
Key workers have nowhere to stay – and it’s threatening services in our communities
By Jenny Davies, associate director, Scottish Futures Trust
Key workers are an integral part of our communities – from caring for our grandparents, teaching our...
Procurement changes: double trouble or more ‘bang for our buck’?
By Claire Mills, Associate, Construction & Engineering Team, BTO Solicitors
THE procurement of public contracts in Scotland is now subject to two sets of new...
The ABCs of EPDs
By Tom O’Sullivan, technical specification advisor, NorDan UK Ltd
WHEN I joined NorDan UK as a technical specification advisor in 2020, one of the...
Funders out in force and looking for opportunities in Scotland’s commercial property sector
By Ian Woods, west of Scotland head of commercial valuation at DM Hall Chartered Surveyors
This time last year, it would have taken a large...
Do modular projects need digital twinning?
Nick Cowley, MD of windows and doors manufacturer Euramax, explores how digital twin technology could benefit the modular construction industry
A digital twin is a...
Helping local water authorities and contractors meet their social and environmental responsibilities
Maintaining or repairing water infrastructure can lead to large groundworks excavations being carried out in residential areas, close to other buildings and infrastructure. As...
Built environment must sympathetically blend our surroundings to promote wellbeing
By Alasdair Rankin, MD, Aitken Turnbull Architects
WE know that our built environment matters, however very often we downplay its importance and treat environments as...
Transition time – why the UK’s construction sector can’t afford to take its eye...
By Viv Sutherland, Strategic Development Director, Morris & Spottiswood
BREXIT may have slipped down the news agenda for the moment, but the importance of the...
Ensuring a smart energy transition: challenges and opportunities
By John Forster, chairman and founder of Forster Group
The journey towards net zero is fraught with complexities and challenges that often seem insurmountable and...
Designing knowledge cauldrons
Designing a building that will inspire the most ambitious, forward thinking people who will tackle societal and global issues, is challenging.
Showing what construction is really like can make it an attractive career choice
By Heather Holbrook, partner at Thomas & Adamson, part of Egis Group
CONSTRUCTION has never enjoyed the best reputation as a career destination. Research conducted...
The massive challenge for construction as PFI agreements come to an end
As public sector organisations prepare to inherit assets built under long-term contracts such as PFI, they face a challenge - fragmented and inconsistent maintenance...
Failing to seek permission for home improvements can be a costly mistake
By Calum Allmond, an associate and head of architectural services at DM Hall
Scotland’s housing market continues to boom with prices reaching unprecedented levels,...
Why construction must investigate alternative paths to entry to address skills shortages
By Emma Dickson, technical director at Arcadis and industry co-chair of the Scottish Construction Leadership Forum’s Skills and Workforce sub group.
Employers in the construction...
