February 4, 2013

Commercial sector bucks downward UK construction trend

by Sara Bean • News, Property, Public Sector

Construction figs Construction business activity fell by the third month running in January, with new orders at slowest pace since October 2012 according to the latest Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI). There were some reports that snowfall had contributed to reduced output volumes, but the majority of respondents cited weak underlying client demand and a lack of new projects. However commercial activity was the only sub-sector to buck the wider downward trend in output during January with the latest data indicating unchanged volumes of commercial activity, ending five months of contraction. More →

February 4, 2013

Gulf construction and fit-out continues to boom, claims report

by Mark Eltringham • Architecture, Furniture, Knowledge, News, Property

The total value of building projects in Gulf Cooperation Council states will exceed $80 billion this year according to a new report from dmg::events* in conjunction with consultancy Ventures Middle East. The survey concludes that this year will see a near one fifth increase in the overall value of projects up from nearly $69 billion in 2012 to $81.6 billion in 2013. Meanwhile the interlinked market for interior contracting and fit-out in 2012 was valued by the report at $7.86bn – a 56 per centincrease on 2011. The UAE continues as the the region with the largest interiors spend ($2.83bn), followed by Saudi Arabia ($2.6bn) and Qatar ($1.49bn). More →

January 17, 2013

Changes to Construction and Design Regs delayed

by Sara Bean • News, Property, Workplace, Workplace design

Proposed changes to the Construction and Design Management Regulations (CDM) 2007 have been delayed. The draft changes will now only be presented to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Board for consideration in March 2013 at the very earliest. The CDM regulations, apply to all construction work in the UK, comprising construction, alteration, fitting-out, commissioning, renovation, repair, upkeep, redecoration or other maintenance, decommissioning, demolition or dismantling, underwent a review last year, with industry practice found to have a significant influence on how the regulations are implemented. More →

January 14, 2013

CPA: UK construction activity will fall in 2013

by Mark Eltringham • Knowledge, News, Property, Public Sector

The UK’s Construction Products Association (CPA) has today reported that it expects overall construction activity in the UK to fall by around 2 per cent this year, with most of the decline attributed to a greater than 5 per cent drop in commercial projects. Particularly concerning is the fact that the Government’s austerity measures with regard to public sector investment have not been offset by an increase in private sector activity. However these figures still represent an improvement on the 9 per cent fall of 2011. More →

January 10, 2013

UK construction set for growth, say surveyors

by Mark Eltringham • News, Property

Following the recent news that the UK’s construction sector had suffered a significant fall in the final quarter of 2012, better news emerges from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors with a report indicating that the UK construction market is expected to turn a corner this year as the government’s focus on infrastructure starts to generate returns. Chartered surveyors are predicting that output is set to increase in 2013 according to the latest RICS construction market survey. More →

January 6, 2013

UK construction hits new low as service sector shrinks

by Mark Eltringham • Knowledge, News, Property

The three little words nobody wanted to hear at the start of 2013 are triple dip recession. Yet even as the US managed to avoid its own fiscal cliff at the turn of the year, two reports raised fresh fears that the UK’s recovery would be postponed for a while yet. According to the Markit/CIPS Purchasing Managers’ Index, UK construction hit a six-month low as the sector dropped from an index of 49.3 in November to 48.7 in December. This is well below the index of 50 which indicates a contraction in activity. Meanwhile another report from Markit/CIPS reported an unexpected fall in the UK’s service sector. More →

November 21, 2024

Slow progress on sustainable buildings, RICS report claims

by Marvin Gort • News

The latest sustainability report from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) highlights the continued challenge of embedding sustainable practices within the built environment, despite some signs of progress. While demand for sustainable buildings and investment remains steady, particularly in regions such as Europe, significant gaps persist in terms of skills, knowledge, and financial incentives. More →

November 19, 2024

The bill for upgrading office buildings worldwide could hit £1 trillion

by Marvin Gort • News

A significant proportion of global office space is at risk of obsolescence, with up to £1 trillion required to revitalise aging office buildings, according to a new report from real estate firm JLL. The report, titled Opportunity through Obsolescence, sets out to highlight the challenges posed by outdated structures, increasingly stringent regulations, and shifting tenant preferences, but also identifies opportunities for property owners and cities to create long-term value through investment and adaptation. More →

November 6, 2024

Economic and political uncertainty continue to dampen commercial property market sentiment

by Neil Franklin • News, Property

The outlook for the European commercial property market is cautiously optimistic despite growing geopolitical uncertainty and concerns about economic growth, with London, Madrid and Paris emerging as the standout performers, according to a new report by PwC and the Urban Land Institute (ULI). The report – Emerging Trends in Real Estate Europe 2025 outlines how market players believe ‘a new normal’ is emerging as valuations have come down and interest rates regain some level of predictability in a market characterised by higher inflation and interest rates, and geopolitical and economic uncertainties. This led to more than 80 percent of survey respondents expecting business confidence and profits to stay the same or rise in 2025, with around half predicting increases in both. More →

October 9, 2024

UK’s best workplaces honoured at BCO Awards. And the winner isn’t an office

by Neil Franklin • Company news, News, Property, Workplace design

The British Council for Offices (BCO) has announced what it says are the UK’s most exceptional workplaces this year, with eight projects receiving accolades at its National Awards. The TTP Campus, a life sciences facility in Cambridgeshire, was the standout winner, claiming both the Best of the Best and Corporate Workplace awards. The awards, held at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House in London, celebrate excellence in office design, operation, sustainability, and community engagement. The event, attended by over 1,200 industry leaders and featuring guest speaker Clare Balding, highlighted the best workplaces that inspire creativity and positively impact local communities. More →

October 1, 2024

Magenta Associates becomes employee owned

by Freddie Steele • Company news

Our friends at comms specialist Magenta Associates have announced that the business is now owned by its employees. The company has set up an Employee Ownership Trust which owns the majority of the business. The trust will be led by five trustees to ensure the management team is running the business in the best interests of the employees. Magenta was set up in 2011 by Cathy Hayward, the former editor of FM World (now Facilitate) and FMJ magazine who spotted a gap in the market for a PR agency specialising specifically in facilities management. More →

September 9, 2024

Generative AI will lead to a threefold increase in greenhouse gases from data centres

by Neil Franklin • AI, Environment, News

A new report claims that data centres will generate around 2.5 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide by the end of the decade. This figure is three times higher than it would have been had the rapid rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) not occurred. The report, published by Morgan Stanley titled Global Data Centers: Sizing & Solving for CO2, suggests that the combined emissions from the construction of new facilities and their energy consumption will amount to around 2.5 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent by 2030, roughly 40 per cent of the United States’ current annual emissions More →