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Wheelchair accessible bathrooms in demand

Thursday, 28th May 2020

According to the Knight Frank’s Research Consultancy team, following the significant site construction and operational disruption of Covid-19, it is predicted that the total delivery of new homes in the UK will drop by 35% in 2020. In the longer... View Article

Keepmoat Homes announces phased reopening of construction sites

Wednesday, 27th May 2020

Keepmoat Homes has announced a return to construction on 46 sites across England under a phased programme that enables sites to be reopened over the next few weeks in a safe and controlled manner. Keepmoat Homes subsidiary MCI is reopening... View Article

Anticipated drop in construction contract awards confirmed in April figures

Wednesday, 27th May 2020

The total value of construction contract awards in April 2020 was £4.4 billion based on a three-month rolling average. This is a decrease of 36.4% on March and is also 16.1% Lower than April 2019. It is also the lowest... View Article

DROM converts the monotone Soviet Azatlyk Square into a lively contemporary public space

Tuesday, 26th May 2020

Rotterdam-based firm DROM in collaboration with Strelka KB, presents its recent renovation project for the main Azatlyk Square in the city of Naberezhnye Chelny (Republic of Tatarstan, Russia) that has been transformed into a dynamic and vibrant multi-use public space. The... View Article

Still onsite: modern tech allowing modular housing developer to safely work on seven sites across the country

Tuesday, 26th May 2020

Modular housing developer ilke Homes has safely completed a housing development in Leeds and continues to work on six other sites across England, despite most traditional construction sites grinding to a halt. Because the homes are made in a factory,... View Article

Construction output sees sharpest fall on record from Covid-19

Tuesday, 26th May 2020

Total construction output in Great Britain is expected to fall by 25% during 2020, according to the Construction Products Association. The anticipated decline in output is one of three scenarios for construction output examined by the CPA. Even under this... View Article

Alan Rubenstein appointed as new NHBC Chair

Tuesday, 26th May 2020

NHBC, the leading warranty and insurance provider for new homes in the UK, has today announced the appointment of Alan Rubenstein as its new Chair from 1 June 2020. Alan, who is currently serving on NHBC’s Board as a Non-Executive... View Article

Saunders design 100% affordable homes in Perivale

Saturday, 23rd May 2020

Saunders are working on a new development for Perivale in Greater London which will provide 100% affordable homes. The site in the London Borough of Ealing is owned by housing association A2Dominion and sits on the southern side of the... View Article

Planning under fire with only one in three councils having an up-to-date local plan, according to new research by CPRE

Friday, 22nd May 2020

Fewer than one third of local planning authorities are operating under an up-to-date plan for the purposes of deciding applications for new housing development, according to new research by CPRE, the countryside charity. The charity’s ‘What’s the plan?’ research report,... View Article

Cobe to create new design center for global automaker Geely in Sweden

Friday, 22nd May 2020

Dan Stubbergaard and the rest of the architecture firm Cobe is to create a new and exclusive 14,000-m² design center for the multinational organisation Geely Design, which develops and executes new world-class designs for the Chinese automotive juggernaut Geely. The... View Article

Gyeongdo Island – a new sustainable leisure destination in South Korea with nature as its driving force

Friday, 22nd May 2020

UNStudio has designed a sustainable masterplan for Gyeongdo Island, a new 470,000 m2 leisure destination in South Korea where nature plays the leading role. The current pandemic has highlighted the importance of including green zones in urban design as a... View Article

Innovative residential research project takes home major industry award

Friday, 22nd May 2020

A unique housing development in the North East has won a major social impact award for its positive contribution to society. Gateshead Innovation Village has been named residential development of the year for the region in the Royal Institute of... View Article

Councils unlikely to cope with rise in homelessness, if the government lifts the eviction ban without protecting renters

Friday, 22nd May 2020

The government has today released new figures on homelessness in England. They show: Before the pandemic, half (51%) of households found to be homeless by their local council left the system without being helped to secure a home. This suggests... View Article

Updated planning enforcement handbook launched by RTPI

Wednesday, 20th May 2020

An updated Planning Enforcement Handbook for England has been launched in an online event organised by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). The handbook will ensure local authorities have access to the latest best practice advice in dealing effectively with... View Article

BoKlok UK appoints modular housing manufacturer, TopHat, to deliver first UK homes

Wednesday, 20th May 2020

BoKlok UK, the sustainable, quality low-cost home provider, jointly owned by Skanska and IKEA, has announced that it has appointed leading technology-driven modular housing manufacturer TopHat, to help deliver part of its first product offering in the UK. The five-year contract will see TopHat work with BoKlok... View Article

Ningbo New Library, an elegant blend of cultural functions by Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects, completes in China

Wednesday, 20th May 2020

After opening its Shanghai studio more than 12 years ago, Danish architectural firm Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects realizes its first library project in China, the 31,800-square-metre Ningbo New Library. Located 200 kilometres south of Shanghai at the centre of Ningbo,... View Article

Cut VAT for building renovations and adopt digital tech in construction for a green recovery, says think tank

Wednesday, 20th May 2020

The government should cut VAT on renovating existing buildings, in line with the VAT on new build, to help revitalise the construction sector after coronavirus, says a new report from Green Alliance, on behalf of its Tech Task Force. The... View Article

Government must maximise public interest in home improvements to green the UK housing stock, says RICS

Wednesday, 20th May 2020

A new RICS paper calls on Government to make a step-change in policies for decarbonising existing UK housing stock, as people spend more time at home due to the Coronavirus lockdown. Retrofitting to decarbonise UK existing housing stock, examines the... View Article

New technical guidance for NHBC Standards launched

Tuesday, 19th May 2020

NHBC has launched a new series of five Technical Guidance updates for the NHBC Standards to help keep the industry informed of the latest developments. NHBC’s dedicated Standards and Technical teams have issued the new guidance providing updates and advice... View Article

Coronavirus and Landlord Insolvency

Tuesday, 19th May 2020

From Adam Pike, Senior Associate Solicitor and member of the Ansons dispute resolution team. The coronavirus story is constantly changing. Now that the initial shock of the government-imposed lockdown has passed, businesses are looking towards the support offered to help... View Article