Browser does not support script. Contact us Michael Maser PRIBA – portrait by Desmond O’Neill RIBA Immediate Past President Stephen Hodder said: “I am very sorry to hear about Michael Manser’s sad death. Michael designed some of the most breathtaking and inspiring one-off houses of the late twentieth century, built in his pure, modernist style. He championed well-designed housing throughout his career, encouraging the public to demand and mass house builders to supply better designed homes – for many years the RIBA presented an annual housing prize in his name, the Manser Medal. Michael’s work is an inspiration to so many and he will be greatly missed. I for one will miss his wonderful anecdotes, his wise counsel and warm smile.” Tony Chapman FRIBA, former RIBA Head of Awards said: “The sad death of Michael Manser marks an end point in British modernism as applied to domestic architecture. The best of his houses from the 60s, 70s and 80s with their rational plans and brave use of generous near-frameless glazing showed him to be the English heir to Mies. Michael continued to be as excited by new ideas in architecture as he was angered by bad ideas and bad buildings. He took the subject seriously, never more so than when judging houses for the prize on his name. He was generous and encouraging to younger architects, particularly those on whom he detected some sign of the same spark that drove his own young projects. For all that his modernism was rooted in the past, in the classicism of the eighteenth an early nineteenth centuries. Those of us who spent much time on his company – and what a pleasure that was – heard his views on the primacy of proportion in Regency architecture hundreds of times. But equally he admired those who pushed against the rules, particularly when laid down by planners. His other bete noir was the British Housebuilder and he saw at one of the major tasks of his later life to reward examples of the work good architects who set higher benchmarks for all housing. “We will probably not see his like again.” ENDS The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and our members www.architecture.com   Follow us on Twitter for regular RIBA updates www.twitter.com/RIBA   Posted on Wednesday 8th June 2016 Source link

4 August 2016 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal The Home Office contract with Yarl’s Wood Immigration Centre for women in Bedfordshire is “over-engineered and creates large theoretical financial credits for even trivial deviations”, according to a new National Audit Office report.  The Home Office is responsible for all aspects of Yarl’s Wood except healthcare, which is now the responsibility of NHS England. The report into the management arrangements of the new contracts between the Home Office and Serco, and NHS England’s deal with G4S, was published last month. The report highlights the following example of ‘over-engineering’: If the Yarl’s Wood gym is opened five minutes later than agreed, this could generate a service credit. But if the gym is kept open for an extra five minutes at the end of the day, this would be “acceptable mitigation and the service credit would not be imposed”. The Home Office has imposed £56,000 of such service credits out of a total of £585,600 credits generated, because it considered that there were mitigating circumstances for the vast majority of them. The Home Office, says the report, is now in the process of reducing the number of performance indicators from 120 to around 30, “so that it can focus on any serious problems rather than requiring Serco to report every technical deviation from the contract and the mitigations it put in place”. It also states that G4S has been “slow to meet its contractual obligations for training”, noting that the contract was required to provide training to all staff at Yarl’s Wood on mental health issues. Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office, said: “It is important that services for vulnerable people, like those at Yarl’s Wood, are delivered ‘right first time’ and this did not happen at Yarl’s Wood. We do though give credit for the work that is now taking place to address the problems.” Serco was re-awarded the Yarl’s Wood contract in 2014 after emerging as the preferred contractor “following a comprehensive re-tendering process”. A report on an unannounced inspection of the Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) for women, published last year, stated that the running of the centre was “improving, although significant concerns remained”. Source link

The Hotel Collection, represented jointly by Savills and Rothschild, has brought to market a portfolio of 10 regional UK hotels known as Project Solstice for a guide price in excess of £130 million. The properties, which feature 1,433 bedrooms and 111 meeting rooms plus numerous restaurants, gyms and health spas, produced a total revenue of £48 million in 2015.  In England, the portfolio includes: The Majestic Hotel, Harrogate; The Old Ship Hotel, Brighton; The Redworth Hall Hotel, County Durham; The Imperial Hotel, Torquay; The Billesley Manor Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon; The Imperial Hotel, Blackpool and The Shrigley Hall Hotel, Golf and Country Club, Macclesfield.  In Scotland and Wales, it encompasses The Stirling Highland Hotel, Stirling; The Aberdeen Altens Hotel, Aberdeen and The Angel Hotel, Cardiff. Martin Rogers, head of UK hotel transactions at Savills, comments: “We are pleased to be bringing this significant collection of hotels to market.  The distinctive heritage and character of each property has been maintained while generating a robust collective income.  The portfolio also offers numerous value-add and asset management opportunities to further enhance the long term revenue.” Source link

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has today (Thursday 3 September 2015) announced the shortlist for the RIBA Client of the Year award. The annual award, supported by The Bloxham Charitable Trust, recognises the key role that a good client plays in the creation of fine architecture. The 2015 shortlist is: Countryside Properties – nominated by Proctor and Matthews for the 2015 RIBA National Award-winning housing development Abode at Great Kneighton, Cambridge, as well as the 2008 RIBA Stirling Prize-winning Accordia by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, Maccreanor Lavington and Alison Brooks Architects. The National Theatre, London – nominated by architects Haworth Tompkins for the 2015 RIBA National Award-winning transformation of Denys Lasdun’s Grade I-listed theatre by Haworth Tompkins and Stanton Williams. The Prince’s Regeneration Trust – nominated by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios for the 2015 RIBA National Award-winning Middleport Pottery, Stoke-on-Trent. The winner of the 2015 RIBA Client of the Year Award will be announced at the RIBA Stirling Prize party on Thursday 15 October at RIBA in central London. The RIBA Client of the Year Award is supported by The Bloxham Charitable Trust. The Architects’ Journal is media partner for the RIBA awards, including RIBA Client of the Year, and professional media partner for the RIBA Stirling Prize. The RIBA Stirling Prize is sponsored by Almacantar. ENDS Notes to editors: 1. For further press information please contact Callum Reilly in the RIBA Press Office callum.reilly@riba.org or 020 7307 3757 2. Previous winners of the RIBA Client of the Year Award include Hammerson (2010), The Royal Shakespeare Company (2011), Olympic Delivery Authority (2012), the National Trust (2013) and Manchester Metropolitan University (2014). 3. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and our members. Visit www.architecture.com or follow @RIBA on Twitter for regular RIBA updates www.twitter.com/RIBA 4. Almacantar is a property investment and development company specialising in large-scale, complex investments in Central London, with the potential to create long-term value through development, repositioning or active asset management. Since launching in 2010, Almacantar has acquired a number of prime assets with untapped potential in the heart of London, including: Centre Point, Marble Arch Tower, CAA House, 125 Shaftesbury Avenue and One and Two South Bank Place. www.almacantar.com For further information please contact: Finsbury +44 (0)20 7251 3801 Faeth Birch 5. For more information on The Architects’ Journal visit www.architectsjournal.co.uk 6. The shortlist details including nomination citations follow: Countryside Properties Nominated by Proctor and Matthews for this year’s RIBA National Award-winning Abode, Great Kneighton, Cambridge, as well as the Stirling Prize winning Accordia (2008) by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, Maccreanor Lavington and Alison Brooks Architects. Stephen Proctor and Andrew Matthews, Proctor and Matthews Architects, said: “Countryside Properties is one of the UK’s leading house builders, repeatedly demonstrating a commitment to design quality in the creation of exemplary residential neighbourhoods. At a time when Housing has again become central to the political debate, they have retained a position as industry leaders, setting the bench-mark for well-considered, innovative domestic architecture. “They have continued to build on the legacy of the late founder Alan Cherry (a member of the Urban Task Force alongside Richard Rogers in 1998) whose desire to see Countryside Properties develop inclusive mixed-tenure neighbourhoods with a clear identity and sense of place has led the company to appoint some of the country’s leading architects, working across the full range of its portfolio – not just on niche sites in inner London. “The result is an impressive list of award winning projects including Newhall, Harlow – winner of a National RIBA Award in 2005 and the 2008 Stirling Prize winner, Accordia in Cambridge. They continue to be part of the team behind the ground breaking Greenwich Millennium Village and most recently are the developers of Abode at Great Kneighton, Cambridge, the recipient of this year’s RIBA Eastern Region Building of the Year, and a 2015 National RIBA Award together with this year’s Civic Trust National Panel Special Award and Supreme Winner at the 2014 Housing Design Awards. “The success of these projects is undoubtedly due to their focus on design quality with a desire to explore new and innovative responses to changing lifestyles and social patterns. With this in mind, they have demonstrated a determined commitment to design continuity with the retention of its architects through all stages of these award winning developments. It is this approach which has undoubtedly helped to position Countryside Properties at the forefront of residential design and development within the UK.” The National Theatre, London Nominated by Haworth Tompkins for this year’s RIBA National Award-winning work on the transformation of Denys Lasdun’s Grade I-listed theatre by Haworth Tomkins and Stanton Williams. Steve Tompkins, Project Director at Haworth Tompkins, said: “The NT Future team have been a superb client throughout this long and fiendishly complicated project. From the outset Nick Starr, who led the conceptual phases of the process, established an atmosphere of shared creative endeavour, intelligent dialogue and unflappable positive thinking, while Lisa Burger, who led the construction phases, was equally calm under great pressure and endlessly resourceful in negotiating the various twists and turns of this multi-phased, technically daunting build. Nick and Lisa were supported by a chorus of soloists, each an expert in their field, which made the day to day trajectory of the project both demanding and rewarding. “Being in the business of conceiving and delivering ambitious theatre productions, the NT understood better than most the imperatives of hitting deadlines and budgets, but they also knew that the best results would emerge in an atmosphere of shared risk, creative collaboration and constant re-evaluation. But what was most impressive was their refusal to fall back on a conventional, construction industry consumer/supplier relationship when the going occasionally got tough. Rather, they had the sophistication and confidence to protect the creative space in which the right solutions could be found and the probity of the work maintained. The resulting project is a tribute to the

Buoyancy for bathroom market in 2016 Published:  29 September, 2016 A new report on the UK bathroom market from MTW Research indicates that sales have remained resilient for most bathroom products in 2016, with consumer spending remaining strong, despite a ‘Brexit blip’ during the summer months. Forward ordering of currencies and clear strategic planning has offset the impact of a weakening Sterling for most bathroom suppliers so far in 2016, according to the report, though MTW indicates that average prices are now exhibiting some upward momentum. However, the research found that the uplift in prices is related to healthy demand in the higher value bathroom sector as well as the low value of Sterling across low to mid value price points. Total bathroom market sales have increased by more than £230 million in the last six years, according to MTW, reportedly boosted by rising average spending on bathroom renovations and supported by housing transactions increasing by some 15% per annum. Mark Waddy, director of MTW, said: “Growth in the number of ensuites, cloakrooms, WCs under stairs and smaller family bathrooms represents an ongoing stimulus for bathroom suppliers, with UK consumers renovating some 830,000 bathrooms in 2016.” The report identifies a number of current trends in the bathroom market in 2016 with wall hung vanity units and sanitaryware, digital showers and Internet of Things integration currently on trend and providing sales growth. “Bathroom product sales are set to increase by some £170 million in the next four years, despite some sectors experiencing price erosion, indicating a positive future for bathroom suppliers who have clear market positions”, said Mr Waddy. “Technological and aesthetic product development will support sales growth, though the recent MMC ruling on internet distribution policies will prompt suppliers to closely examine their distribution strategies, and implement more rigorous controls in terms of brand protection.” The general tone of MTW’s 2016 report is positive for the bathroom market, though there is a clear polarisation between the lower value end of the market which is more reliant on volume demand whilst rising average prices support higher value bathroom sales. Source link

Construction union Ucatt is claiming what it calls ‘a highly significant victory’ against an umbrella company that was ruled to have deducted wages of a client unlawfully. Above: Ucatt has been waging a long-running campaign against umbrella companies A Ucatt member based in the northwest took umbrella company Paystream My Max Ltd to an employment tribunal. The tribunal judge found in the union’s favour and said that Paystream My Max was ‘not open and transparent’. The plaintiff was awarded nearly £4,000 for unlawful deductions as the judge assessed that he had never agreed to deductions to be made for the employer’s national insurance contributions, the employer’s pension contributions or ‘a margin payment’ (the umbrella company’s charge). Holiday pay was also rolled up into the rate. Ucatt acting general secretary Brian Rye said: “This was a highly significant victory as it demonstrated that there is an opportunity to challenge the fairness of the practices of umbrella companies in tribunals. I would like to praise the courage of our member in taking the case and the hard work of the regional officials in supporting him throughout the process. “Whenever Ucatt has the clear opportunity to legally challenge the legality of umbrella companies we will not hesitate in doing so.” Mr Rye added: “Although this was a significant victory, this case is far from a magic bullet in the fight against umbrella companies. There is a multi-million pound industry which seeks to legitimise umbrella companies and false self-employment in construction. The problem of umbrella companies will continue until they are outlawed from the industry.”     This article was published on 12 Nov 2015 (last updated on 12 Nov 2015). Source link

©Bloomberg Norway’s $900bn oil fund has underlined its ethical credentials by adding US utility Duke Energy to a list of companies it is barred from investing in due to the risk of “severe environmental damage”.  The world’s largest sovereign wealth fund put Duke on its list of more than 110 companies that it will not buy shares in, which includes Airbus, Boeing, Philip Morris, Rio Tinto and Wal Mart.  More On this topic IN Utilities The oil fund backed a recommendation from Norway’s council of ethics — an independent body that reviews corporate behaviour — that Duke had “repeatedly discharged harmful substances from a large number of ash basins at coal-fired power plants in North Carolina”.  The Norwegian fund is one of the most influential investors in the world, owning on average 1.3 per cent of every listed company globally, and its decisions on which businesses to exclude are often followed by other shareholders.  The fund owned a 0.62 per cent stake in Duke — worth $304m — at the end of last year but sold all its shares before announcing the utility’s exclusion from its investment universe, as it typically does.  Duke had been lobbying the fund to avoid being banned under Norway’s attempts to exclude any company deriving more than 30 per cent of its business from coal, according to local press reports from the US.  But the council of ethics instead centred in on the ash basins.It said in April it was recommending the fund exclude Duke Energy and three subsidiaries “due to the unacceptable risk of these companies being responsible for severe environmental damage”. “For many years, these companies have among other things repeatedly discharged environmentally harmful substances from a large number of ash basins at coal-fired power plants in North Carolina,” it added. Several court rulings have ordered Duke and the subsidiaries to remove or seal the ash basins, but the measures would not be completely carried out for 10 to 15 years, said the council. Norway’s oil fund was among the first state-backed investors to name publicly the companies it was excluding. It started more than a decade ago, focusing initially on the makers of arms such as anti-personnel landmines, cluster munitions and nuclear weapons. The oil fund added tobacco producers in 2009 and coal companies this year.  Duke said: “It is unfortunate that [the oil fund] did not consider Duke Energy’s proactive actions to enhance our environmental stewardship and close ash basins across our jurisdictions.” Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2016. You may share using our article tools. Please don’t cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web. Source link

14 October 2016 | Jamie Harris The Cabinet Office says 159 councils are joining the next phase of the government’s One Public Estate programme.  Half of all councils in England are now part of the programme, run by the Cabinet Office Government Property Unit and the Local Government Association (LGA), which brings together local and central government departments to make the use of the public sector estate more efficient. It was launched in 2013 to encourage public sector partners to share buildings, reduce running costs and transform the services they provide, support joint working across central and local government to release surplus land and property, and integrate public services. Over five years, One Public Estate is expected to save £56 million in running costs, raise £138 million in land and property sales, and create 36,000 jobs. The news follows the programme’s extension last year, announced in the 2015 Autumn Statement, in which a further £31 million in funding was provided from government. The scheme’s expansion sees a total of £7.5 million in funding awarded to 37 partnerships, comprised of the participating councils and public sector bodies, to support property efficiency initiatives. Ben Gummer, minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, said: “This funding will create important initiatives that integrate public services, boost local economies and deliver cost savings for local councils and taxpayers.” Lord Porter, chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “The extra money being made available for even more councils to join the programme will bring us closer to achieving our ambition to have all councils signed up by 2018, driving growth in their areas through the strong local leadership that we’ve already seen in the early phases of the programme.” A full list of the local authorities currently taking part in the scheme, as well as a breakdown of the 2016/17 funding allocated to the partnerships, can be found here. Source link