The slowdown in UK construction brings the sector back in line with European neighbours as predicted higher inflation takes its toll into 2024. European construction output for 2023 is expected to fall by 1.1% due to inflation, interest rate hikes and the slowing global economy. It means that recovery to
Construction works are well underway for a new £2million high-spec student accommodation scheme in Northampton town centre. Delivered by nationwide refurbishment contractor, Fortis Vision, Orient House – a purpose-built 41-bed student building on Kettering Road – will provide accommodation where there is a chronic shortage for Northampton University. Works will
LEAP® calcium aluminate-based specialty binders engineered to design lean mix mortars, able to do in one minute what used to take an hour and requiring much less product in a formulation — thus providing a giant ‘leap’ in specialty binder performance.. Doing more with less Population growth and increasing urbanisation around
Latest statistics published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show that there were one hundred and thirty-five workers killed in work-related incidents in Great Britain compared with one hundred and twenty-three last year. The annual data published by Great Britain’s workplace regulator, HSE, covers the period from April 2022
Embarking on a journey toward a career in architecture can pave the way for a rewarding and sought-after profession post-college. Architects are the builders of tomorrow, leaving a significant imprint on our surroundings. They enhance lives and contribute to making our world a more aesthetic place to live in. If
The slowdown in UK construction brings the sector back in line with European neighbours as predicted higher inflation takes its toll into 2024. European construction output for 2023 is expected to fall by 1.1% due to inflation, interest rate hikes and the slowing global economy. It means that recovery to pre-pandemic levels is now unlikely until 2025, according to the independent construction market forecasting network EUROCONSTRUCT. Construction data analyst Barbour ABI work in partnership with the UK chair Experian in the network. It found that the UK outperformed European neighbours in 2022, with 5.6% growth in construction output compared to Europe’s 3.0% average. However, a negative forecast for 2023 brings the UK into line with European neighbours. Barbour ABI Chief Economist Tom Hall commented: “There was an unexpected bump last year as energy prices stabilised and supply constraints eased. This now appears to have been a transitional period with new pressures in the shape of interest rate hikes and inflation beginning to weigh on the European construction sector. The effects of post-covid recovery are also fading, leading to a slower global economy. “The UK appears to be fairing reasonably well, sitting close to the average and measuring well against the likes of France and Germany. The UK has also avoided some of the more extreme swings in construction output forecast in countries like Sweden, Finland, Italy and Hungary. However, challenges still lie ahead, and uncertainty remains.” Challenges in the residential sector were the major factor in Europe’s negative forecast. Mortgage rates have doubled in most EU countries and tripled in Finland, Slovakia, Switzerland and the UK. Meanwhile, high-interest rates and increased costs are making financing more difficult. Figures show new European residential construction is set for a big fall this year, with the UK a relatively poor performer, with a 7.1% drop. In the most extreme cases, countries like Sweden could see a fall of more than 30%. Civil engineering is another area of interest. Long-term projects, public financing and Government led stimulus helped the sector to outperform others through the uncertainty of the last few years. The UK is up 21% on pre-pandemic levels in terms of output but this is now likely to see reduced growth as investment falls in real terms. In Europe as a whole, forecasts predict consistent increases in 2023 and 2024 whilst UK growth is expected to fall. Inflated construction prices are also a problem. Last year, last year saw double-digit growth in construction prices across Europe. That trend is expected to ease 2023-24, but the UK is predicted to suffer with an 8.1% increase in prices versus 6.5% in Europe. Hall commented: “Barbour ABI recently reported that inflation had added 23bn to the cost of UK construction in 2022. EUROCONSTRUCT’S figures show a similar impact in Europe and suggest the situation will not have improved by the end of 2023 – on the continent or in the UK. As such price inflation will continue to weigh heavily on the viability of new construction projects.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Construction works are well underway for a new £2million high-spec student accommodation scheme in Northampton town centre. Delivered by nationwide refurbishment contractor, Fortis Vision, Orient House – a purpose-built 41-bed student building on Kettering Road – will provide accommodation where there is a chronic shortage for Northampton University. Works will include the refurbishment of an existing building to provide six one-bedroom apartments, alongside the construction of an 11,500 sq. ft. new build comprising three floors of six cluster flats with a total of 35 individual en-suite bedrooms. The development will reinvigorate a previously derelict town centre building while addressing a need for purpose-built accommodation as identified by the university, and Orient House marks the beginning of Fortis Vision’s move into the new build main contractor marketplace following extensive experience in delivering multiple refurbishments for large purpose-built accommodation. The scheme commenced for client, Abington Park Investments, in December 2022 and works are due to be completed in September 2023, in time for the new university year start. The installation of the steel frame structure and roof structure finished at the end of May and brickwork, roof coverings and windows will now allow the interior fit out with drylining and mechanical and electrical works to move forward this summer. To incorporate an additional seven bedrooms, alterations were made to the initial foundation design to include over 60 piles with a steel reinforced ground beam. To overcome the challenges of the small island site, careful planning and unconventional reordering of works was necessary to operate in the location, which was limited on space for site access, material deliveries, storage and plant and crane usage. Lee Stow-Smith, project manager of Orient House at Fortis Vision, said: “We are pleased to be progressing with works for Orient House in Northampton, providing prime student residential accommodation for the university’s new September intake. “Our first foray into the new build main contractor marketplace, we hope this marks the beginning of building some great relationships with stakeholders for future new build projects.” Owner and director of Abington Park Investments, said: “Fortis Vision have excelled to date, exceeding expectations and overcoming multiple challenges and we look forward to the completion of the project.” Fortis Vision worked alongside Hawkes Group for the groundworks, Fusion Building Systems for the steel frame, Walker Modular for the bathroom pods and Whites Estates Lettings as marketing agent for the owners. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
LEAP® calcium aluminate-based specialty binders engineered to design lean mix mortars, able to do in one minute what used to take an hour and requiring much less product in a formulation — thus providing a giant ‘leap’ in specialty binder performance.. Doing more with less Population growth and increasing urbanisation around the world is creating huge and growing demand for construction and improvements to vital infrastructure. Sustainability is a catalyst for fundamental change across the industry. At the same time, the climate crisis calls for global action to dramatically reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and create a low carbon economy. In short, the industry needs to do more with less – building smarter, faster and leaner. This requires alternative building products offering greater speed and agility. It means new composite material solutions and innovative new mineral combinations enabling the production of complex building envelopes from sustainable materials. LEAP® was developed to be a very robust binder with good reactivity at low temperatures, high early strength and dimensional stability. This means there are no compromises on both early and long-term performance. Moreover, LEAP®’s efficiency has a direct impact on a building’s Life Cycle Analysis and makes an environmental contribution to the downstream value chain. “LEAP® opens up ambitious new doors for both product performance and sustainable construction, allowing manufacturers to do much more with much less. It’s the next chapter in our proud and well-established calcium aluminate story.” Laurent Torres, Marketing Director of Imerys Construction. “The first, and major, benefit of using LEAP® is Lean Mix-Design, with up to 25% less product and raw materials required in a formulation for higher performing construction material with a lower CO2 footprint. By doing more with less, LEAP® enables unparalleled performance in all kinds of building materials, from grey to engineered mortars.” Hervé Fryda, Research & Development Director for Imerys Construction. High performance, high applicability Available as a ready-to-use powder with a long shelf life, LEAP®’s versatility allows manufacturers to tailor-make all applicative properties. “From repair mortars, precision grouts, screeds, tile adhesives… To mineral foams for boards & precast, LEAP® is THE technology to power Sustainable Construction in all applications,” adds Jérôme Grolleau, EMEA Sales Director for Imerys Building Solutions. Moreover, LEAP®’s light white colour gives it a visual appeal, meaning it can be leveraged for aesthetic purposes. With the various grades already available, the LEAP® technology platform opens the way for many new exciting formulations and potential for construction materials. When leveraged with Imerys’ technical expertise and network, the possibilities for tailor-made solutions are almost limitless. Key technical and sustainability benefits: To know more: https://www.imerys.com/product-ranges/leap Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Latest statistics published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show that there were one hundred and thirty-five workers killed in work-related incidents in Great Britain compared with one hundred and twenty-three last year. The annual data published by Great Britain’s workplace regulator, HSE, covers the period from April 2022 to March 2023. The industry with the highest number of workplace fatalities was construction which accounted for 45% of deaths. The three most common causes of fatal injuries from across all business sectors were reported as falls from height (40), being struck by a moving object (29), and being struck by a moving vehicle (20). The statistics have been published only weeks after the government indicated its intention to abandon plans to scrap thousands of EU-era laws which were due to expire at the end of the year. These included Working at Height Regulations (WAHR). Robert Candy, Chief Executive, Scaffolding Association said; “There is no doubt that since WAHR were introduced, they have helped to improve safety and reduce fatalities within the workplace. These latest statistics emphasise their importance and whilst common sense prevailed in May when the government sighted their intention to keep them, one workplace fatality is one too many so there is much work to do”. You can see the HSE statistics and statement in full here: Work-related fatality figures published | HSE Media Centre Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Embarking on a journey toward a career in architecture can pave the way for a rewarding and sought-after profession post-college. Architects are the builders of tomorrow, leaving a significant imprint on our surroundings. They enhance lives and contribute to making our world a more aesthetic place to live in. If you decide to study architecture or are already an architecture student, there will be many obstacles in your way. There will be hours of lectures, tedious academic papers, and loads of other college issues that you have to take care of. However, these aren’t the main points of studying architecture in college. The main point is to earn the knowledge and skills that will help you become a professional architect in the future. To do this, you might have to find a trusted paper writing service to occasionally ask someone to write my college essay for you as you focus all your time and effort on professional growth. And in the 21st century, this means mastering the right technology. In this guide, we will tell you about the best software tools that every architecture student should master! 1. AutoCAD AutoCAD takes a deserved place in pretty much every rating of the best architecture software. This tool was released back in 1982 and still remains one of the most irreplaceable ones. The company that developed it—Autodesk, is a proven leader in software designed for architects, engineers, manufacturers, builders, designers, and production teams. So it’s definitely a must-have. With AutoCAD, you can turn your line drawings into 2D or 3D projects. The tool might be somewhat tricky to master. However, once you learn all its tricks and shortcuts, you will be able to create precise models and drawings like a pro. 2. Adobe Photoshop We bet you all know this tool. But does it have anything to do with architecture, you may wonder? Although Photoshop isn’t specifically an architecture software, it really comes in handy in this niche. Adobe Photoshop offers a plethora of creative possibilities, such as melding sketches with real-world images or infusing more texture into your illustrations. It’s no surprise then that proficiency in Photoshop is often a prerequisite in job postings, underscoring the need for students to master this skill during their college years. 3. Rhinoceros The next one on our list is one of the best-known 3D software tools out there. Rhinoceros (or Rhino 3D) was founded in 1978. For decades, it has been widely used by 3D artists, engineers, and, of course, architects. So it’s another software you must master as an architecture student. With the help of Rhino 3D, architects can freeform parametric facades, roofs, versatile shapes, and even complex structures. Once you explore this tool to the fullest, it will really come in handy in your personal projects and future career. Another thing worth noting about this program is that it is compatible with many different file formats. That is, whatever tool you use to create your 2D work, Rhino will always let you translate it into a 3D model and add more texture and visualization elements to it. 4. Adobe InDesign This program is a popular publishing and page layout design tool. It was introduced by Adobe Inc. in 1999 and has always been widely used by artists, graphic designers, marketers, and publishers. As you can easily tell, this software isn’t meant specifically for architects. Still, it is another tool that you can use to your benefit. Most commonly, architects use InDesign for portfolio organization purposes. With this tool, you will learn how to lay out your work in a cohesive and appealing way. It will help you craft an attention-grabbing portfolio that will set you aside from the competition and help you land an excellent job after you graduate. So don’t hesitate to start mastering it ASAP. Give up on boring essay writing and other homework, and devote some time to start building your winning portfolio for future success. 5. SketchUp SketchUp is another 3D modeling software on our list. It was released in 2000. The tool has plenty of design and drawing applications, including in architecture. With its help, you can add details and precision to your 2D drawings and complete a wealth of important tasks. Earlier, we mentioned the importance of learning Rhino 3D. Although SketchUp is a similar-purpose software, it also should be in every architecture student’s arsenal. Unlike other similar tools, SketchUp is known for its simplicity and user-friendliness. It is incredibly easy to master, which is why it really makes 3D modeling for everyone. Thus, it can be a perfect program to get started in 3D. Besides, it can be a great tool for performing quick and simple modeling tasks in your projects. 6. DoMyEssay Architecture is certainly a creative career that, however, requires a lot of precision. Due to this reason, one thing every architecture student must focus on while in college is acquiring hands-on experience. Working on academic and personal architecture projects must be your number one priority. But what should you do with the rest of the boring and time-consuming college tasks like essay writing? In order to keep your grades high and, at the same time, have enough time for your projects, you can enlist the help of the best essay writing services. DoMyEssay is an excellent option. This service can write, rewrite, edit, or proofread any academic assignment for you. Thus, though it’s not architecture software, this is something every architecture student needs to succeed in school. The Bottom Line In the contemporary landscape, technology is intrinsic to the field of architecture. Architects of the modern era leverage a variety of gadgets and software to streamline their work. Thus, mastery of these tools is paramount for budding professionals. The good news is you now have a clear direction to follow. Each tool highlighted in this article is an essential asset for architecture students, poised to enhance your professional desirability and simplify academic responsibilities. So, make sure to incorporate these tools into
