Entries by Lyn

FROM VINE TO BOARD – SUSTAINABLY

Grapevine prunings are an abundant source of agricultural crop waste that are now being turned into recycled building materials #agriculture #sustainability #particleboard #construction #research   Agriculture, one of Australia’s most important industries, produces millions of tons of plant and crop waste each year. Globally, crop waste production is approximately 3.7 billion tonnes per annum. Despite […]

Market bill could increase the risk of another Grenfell

Government’s Internal Market Bill “may weaken Scotland’s Grenfell protections” warns leading architect #architects #firesafety #buildingregulations #scotland   The Internal Market Bill seeks to remove and prevent trade barriers between the four UK nations. In doing so, it aims to legislate that goods approved for use in one part of the UK will be able to […]

Rapid Change Can Happen

Moss House, University College, Birmingham When Covid-19 struck, Glenn Howells Architects (GHA) planned for a worst-case scenario – anticipating no new wins at all in 2020 and a 50 per cent cut in its existing workload #architects #covid #brexit #mmc #urbansplash #sustainability Fortunately, six months on, the reality has proved rather less grim, with founder Glenn […]

THE RISE AND FALL OF MERCIA’S INDUSTRY

HOW PLANNING CUT DOWN THE FLOWERING OF THE MIDLANDS INDUSTRY AND DROVE THE GDP DOWN #planning #midlands #industry Back in the 1950s and 60s, the Midlands was booming. Leicester at the time had so many jobs that employers waited at the gates of other factories to poach workers, and even chased up potential recruits who […]

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HS2 – HOW RELEVANT IS IT NOW?

Work on the highly controversial HS2 officially began last week. Those in favour expect it to create 22,000 jobs in the next few years, whilst objectors claim it could actually displace almost that many jobs. #HS2 #cost #government #environment #transport #employment   In a post-Covid world, is the argument for what has ultimately been labelled […]

Croydon Council – Residents say it ‘Stinks’

The Brick by Brick building site on Auckland Rise on Friday, where very smelly, brown water was emerging from a hole in the ground Residents forced to step over and around what looks, and smells, like a stream of sewage #sewage #construction #residents #planning authority Residents in Upper Norwood have complained long and hard that […]

AFRICA’S TOXIC CONSTRUCTION

A cautionary view on recycling waste products into construction materials #recycling #miningwaste #construction #housing #africa #architects   Every year, humans move more earth, and more rock. More than what rivers carry with them as they rush to oceans and lakes. More than what is eroded by wind, or rain, or seasonal frictions. More than what […]

Reduce Vat, Support Construction

Housing minister Kevin Stewart is calling for the UK Government to reduce VAT charged on construction works to existing buildings to 5% to support the sector’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. #vatreduction #housing #construction # In a letter to chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak, Mr Stewart said that while successive Scottish ministers have made such requests […]

Recovery underway – Glenigan Report

Whilst still being down on pre-pandemic levels, the last three months have seen a marked improvement in construction starts #glenigan #constructionrecovery #pandemic #constructionstarts   The value of work starting on-site rose by 22% during the three months to August on a seasonally adjusted basis, although starts were still 32% lower than a year ago. Residential […]

The ‘Flying Bum’ Shaping up and challenging how we travel

Hydbrid Air Vehicles has revealed the production-ready design of its Airlander 10 — and said the aircraft once fondly known as “the Flying Bum” might go electric in the near future. #electricpower #environment #travel #HAV #aircraft Part plane, part airship, the Airlander 10 is the world’s largest aircraft. It went viral during its early testing […]