The RIBA Future Trends Workload Index increased significantly in November, rising to +27 (up from +18 in October); this suggests that confidence levels within the profession have stabilised towards the end of the year. All nations and regions in the UK returned positive balance figures. Large practices (51+ staff) remain the most positive about future prospects (balance figure +100), compared with medium-sized (11–50 staff, balance figure +32) and small practices (1–10 staff, balance figure +24). By far the most robust of the sector forecasts throughout 2015, the private housing sector forecast was unchanged in November (+25). The public sector and community sector workload forecasts were also unchanged (balance figures –3 and +3 respectively); the commercial sector workload forecast increased to +14 in November (from +7 in October). The RIBA Future Trends Staffing Index also recovered lost ground, rising to +14 in November (up from +9 in October). Only 2% of practices expect to have fewer staff at the end of the next quarter. Large practices continue to be more confident about increasing staff numbers (balance figure of +50) compared with either small (+10) or medium-sized practices (+33). RIBA Executive Director Members Adrian Dobson said: “Commentary from our participating practices is generally upbeat as we look ahead to 2016. We have seen further evidence of increases in fee levels, as well as confirmation that practices are finding it is taking more time to recruit new staff with appropriate skills while the employment market continues to improve. A few practices sound a note of caution that increases in construction tender prices are leading some clients to question the viability of projects moving into the construction phase.” ENDS Notes to editors: 1. For further press information contact Callum Reilly in the RIBA press office: callum.reilly@riba.org 020 7307 3757 2. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and our members. Architecture.com Follow @RIBA on Twitter for regular updates www.twitter.com/RIBA 3. Completed by a mix of small, medium and large firms based on a geographically representative sample, the RIBA Future Trends Survey was launched in January 2009 to monitor business and employment trends affecting the architects’ profession. 4. The Future Trends Survey is carried out by the RIBA in partnership with the Fees Bureau. Results of the survey, including a full graphical analysis, are published each month at: http://www.architecture.com/RIBA/Professionalsupport/FutureTrendsSurvey.aspx 5. To participate in the RIBA Future Trends Survey, please contact the RIBA Practice Department on 020 7307 3749 or email practice@riba.org. The survey takes approximately five minutes to complete each month, and all returns are independently processed in strict confidence 6. The definition for the workload balance figure is the difference between those expecting more work and those expecting less. A negative figure means more respondents expect less work than those expecting more work. This figure is used to represent the RIBA Future Trends Workload Index, which for November 2015 was +27 7. The definition for the staffing balance figure is the difference between those expecting to employ more permanent staff in the next three months and those expecting to employ fewer. A negative figure means more respondents expect to employ fewer permanent staff. This figure is used to represent the RIBA Future Trends Staffing Index, which for November 2015 was +14   Posted on Monday 21st December 2015 Source link

©Bloomberg One of the flagship schemes for keeping Britain’s lights on this winter has been cancelled at the last moment due to a lack of demand, illustrating the difficulties policymakers are having in balancing the UK’s electricity supplies. National Grid had promised to pay organisations that were willing to turn off or turn down equipment this winter if there was a spike in demand or a drop in supply. The scheme proved vital last year when several power plants unexpectedly shut down — heavy electricity users such as businesses, hospitals and factories took 40MW of demand off the system in response. More On this topic IN UK Business & Economy But this year National Grid has cancelled the scheme, known as the “demand-side balancing reserve”, after too few users said they were willing to put themselves on standby. The move could cost the grid millions of pounds, which it expected to receive from the energy regulator to implement the policy. The grid’s decision, which was announced in a letter to the few organisations who did apply, shows how difficult the company is finding it to keep supply and demand balanced with large old power stations rapidly reaching the end of their lives. National Grid has said it expects the margin between supply and demand at peak hours during this winter to be the lowest ever. The letter said: “Despite National Grid amending the DSBR service via a consultation in September 2015 to encourage participation over the peak, it is clear this has not been successful. “Following tender close on 9th June and subsequent validation of data, it has been determined that minimal volume would be available across this period.” One reason for the move is that many organisations already avoid using power at peak times and so would find it hard to reduce their usage any further. But some critics say National Grid has not given enough incentive for users to sign up, while at the same time overpaying highly polluting coal-power stations to remain on the system as back-up. Last year, the company agreed to pay old coal-power stations to remain in reserve in case of another unexpected outage at a rate of up to £88,000 per MW of capacity. If they are called into action they are guaranteed to be paid up to £14,000 per MW-hour of use. Those costs will eventually be paid by electricity customers across the country, and compare with a wholesale price of about £40 per MW/h. Plant operators say they need the higher payments because they are so seldom called into action. One industry executive said: “They paid so much to the companies running coal-power stations that there is not enough available for those who are willing to reduce their demand. Not only is this bad for consumers, who will pay for all of this, but it is also bad for the environment.” Last week, Ofgem, the energy regulator, said it would pay the grid £4.5m to implement reserve schemes such as the DSBR — there is now a chance some of that money will be cancelled. Ofgem said: “We are consulting on this and will set out our final decision after the consultation closes in October.” National Grid said it remains committed to paying companies to reduce their demand, although through different mechanisms. 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

The renowned Irish architects Sheila O’Donnell and John Tuomey have today (Tuesday 3 February) received the 2015 Royal Gold Medal, the world’s most prestigious architecture award. Given in recognition of a lifetime’s work, the Royal Gold Medal is approved personally by Her Majesty The Queen and is given to a person or group of people who have had a significant influence “either directly or indirectly on the advancement of architecture”. Awarded since 1848, previous Royal Gold Medallists include Frank Gehry (2000), Sir Norman Foster (1983), Frank Lloyd Wright (1941) and Sir George Gilbert Scott (1859). A tour de force in contemporary Irish and British architecture, Sheila O’Donnell and John Tuomey co-founded their practice O’Donnell and Tuomey in Dublin during 1988, having previously worked together for internationally renowned architects Stirling Wilford Associates and Colquhoun & Miller in London. Their new practice coupled Sheila’s quiet, studied ‘rationalism’ alongside John’s fluent, rhetorical ‘constructivism’ and through their buildings, publications, exhibitions and teaching they have forged a confident new identity for Irish architecture.  In the early 1990s, O’Donnell and Tuomey were part of the ‘Group 91 Architects’ group whose collective skill in masterplanning spearheaded the regeneration of Dublin’s neglected Temple Bar. It was the pair’s first permanent building, the Irish Film Institute (1991) that brought them profile and acclaim for its dynamic contribution to the revitalised Dublin quarter. Their early work, from a private home in Navan to schools, public housing and community buildings, provided the canvas for them to experiment and evolve their unconventional creative approach and celebrated style. More recent projects include the modest but brilliant Photographers’ Gallery in Soho and the exceptional 2014 RIBA Stirling Prize-shortlisted Saw Swee Hock Student Centre at the London School of Economics.     Speaking when it was announced they would receive architecture’s highest honor, Sheila O’Donnell and John Tuomey said: “We’re delighted to have been chosen for this unexpected honour. We’re humbled to find ourselves in such a company of heroes, architects whose work we have studied and from whose example we continue to learn. We believe in the social value and the poetic purpose of architecture and the gold medal encourages us to prevail in this most privileged and complicated career.” RIBA President Stephen Hodder said: “O’Donnell + Tuomey’s work is always inventive – striking yet so well considered, particular to its place and brief, beautifully crafted –  and ever developing. It is an absolute joy and inspiration to hear them describe their work, and always a delight to experience one of their buildings. Sheila and John are at the vanguard of contemporary Irish architecture and I am delighted they are to receive this lifetime honour.” O’Donnell + Tuomey have been shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize a record five times, in 1999 for Ranelagh Multi-Denominational School (Dublin, Ireland), 2005 for the Lewis Glucksman Gallery (Cork, Ireland), 2011 for An Gaeláras Irish Language Arts and Cultural Centre (Derry, Northern Ireland) and 2012 for Lyric Theatre (Belfast, Northern Ireland) and in 2014 for the London School of Economics Saw Swee Hock Students’ Centre (London, UK).   They have exhibited three times at the Venice Architecture Biennale and are both alumni of the School of Architecture at University College Dublin where they continue to teach and inspire the next generation of architects.   Sheila O’Donnell and John Tuomey will be presented with the 2015 Royal Gold Medal tonight at a special event at the RIBA at 66 Portland Place, London W1.   ENDS Notes to editors For further press information contact Howard Crosskey in the RIBA Press Office: 020 7307 3761 howard.crosskey@riba.org Portrait images of Sheila O’Donnell and John Tuomey with a selection of their projects are available here: https://app.box.com/s/itnyt08ptjku2qqmqz09 They will be the third husband and wife team to receive the Royal Gold Medal following on from Charles and Ray Eames in 1979 and Michael and Patricia Hopkins in 1994. Sheila O’Donnell and John Tuomey are the third and fourth Irish citizens to have been awarded the Royal Gold Medal following the engineer Peter Rice in 1992 and architect Michael Scott in 1975.    The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and our members. Visit www.architecture.com and follow us on Twitter. The 2014 RIBA Honours Committee who selected O’Donnell + Tuomey was chaired by RIBA President Stephen Hodder. Citation for Sheila O’Donnell and John Tuomey by Joseph Rykwert and Níall McLaughlin: In presenting the Royal Gold Medal to Sheila O’Donnell and John Tuomey, I am conscious that they are among the youngest recipients of the Medal, and moreover that it is forty years since it had been awarded to an Irish practice. In the meanwhile Irish architecture has flourished – particularly in their generation – with a commitment to the art and the craft of building which is the envy of our more populous island. What marks Sheila O’Donnell and John Tuomey’s achievement is that very commitment. They are, of course builders first of all: but they are writers and teachers as well as professionals, active through the Architectural Association of Ireland in whose recent revival they were instrumental, so that their presence on the Irish scene is a powerful one, and their influence as teachers and writers has been extremely important. Their connection to London and the London scene began when they worked for Stirling and Wilford and then for Colquhoun and Miller; but their first contribution in their own right was the modest but brilliant Photographers’ Gallery in Soho, and it was later asserted much more visibly by the – now celebrated – Saw Swee Hock Student Centre for the London School of Economics, a work of unique architectural distinction for that august institution, and a commission which they won against very stiff competition. The LSE Student House is visible from Kingsway and Lincoln’s Inn Fields – which makes it a very public building indeed. Its formal brilliance is enhanced by the skilful use of brick which sets up a dialogue

Average housing rents in Abu Dhabi have fallen for the first time in three years, driven by thousands of job cuts and an increase in the cost of living. The first signs of long expected falls in housing rents in Abu Dhabi started to appear in the second quarter, according to new reports from property brokers JLL and CBRE. Residential property rents in Abu Dhabi have fallen for the first time in three years at a time when jobs are being cut and the cost of living is increasing. The average rental price of a prime two bedroom apartment fell by 2% in the second quarter of 2016 compared with the first quarter, according to the latest report from real estate services firm JLL. The latest report from property firm CBRE also shows that there was a 2% fall in apartment rents in the second quarter of the year while it adds that villa rents fell by an average of 1%. ‘While supply remains stable, the reduction in demand has now started to cause vacancy rates to nudge upwards, indicating we have now reached a tipping point with rents declining for the first time in three years,’ said David Dudley, head of JLL’s Abu Dhabi office. The firm believes that plans by the state owned oil company Adnoc to cut 5,000 jobs by the end of the year, and staff cuts at other government companies, means fewer people are attracted to the emirate and apartments are left empty. JLL is forecasting that rents will fall further this year as more expats and their families are expected to leave as their tenancies expire at the end of the academic year.  ‘We expect the impact of these job cuts and reduced incomes to become more pronounced over the summer, as some people look to either leave or downsize. This will push vacancy rates up further and cause rents to decline,’ explained Dudley. The CBRE report also points to a drop in incomes as being behind demand falling for rental apartments with tenants looking for cheaper lets due to a combination of falling wages, a reduction in allowances and benefits, the removal of fuel and water subsidies and a new 3% municipality fee on Abu Dhabi expat rentals. ‘With economic challenges expected to continue in the short term, we anticipate further deflation of high end luxury rates as reduced corporate demand creates a more tenant led market,’ said Matthew Green, head of research in CBRE’s office. He believes that with just 14,500 new homes expected to come to the market over the next two and a half years, around 5% of the current housing stock most of which will be aimed at the upper end of the market, rents for more afford¬able homes are likely to remain fairly flat. ‘With limited stock against current requirements, rental rates for affordable units have remained steady with minimal fluctuation recorded against the general slowdown observed in the upper segments,’ he added. But Dudley does not think there will be a sharp decline in rents, rather a soft correction due to economic factors. However, he warned that while the Abu Dhabi government’s prudent approach to re-prioritising spending in the current period of low oil prices if it continues the market could enter a more damaging downward spiral. ‘The extent to which a down turn can be mitigated depends on the return of domestic government spending in spite of a reduction in oil revenues,’ he added. Source link

Browser does not support script. Contact us Prime Minister David Cameron has announced that some of the country’s most run-down housing estates will be replaced with attractive and safe homes. country’s worst housing estates to be removed and replaced with safe and attractive homes for residents comprehensive approach to estate regeneration to be created new £140 million fund to jump-start regeneration projects Prime Minister: Time to end ‘decades of neglect’ to aid social reform RIBA President Jane Duncan said: “We welcome the Government’s decision to look at improving the built environment in the most deprived communities in our country. We believe passionately that everyone has a right to enjoy and benefit from well-designed architecture. These community improvements, however, can’t come at the expense of existing residents and see further reductions in the number of social rented homes at a time where there is already a desperate shortage.” ENDS   Posted on Monday 11th January 2016 Source link

24 June 2016 | Jamie Harris A number of environmental associations are calling for the industry to come together to ensure that the green agenda continues to be a priority in the wake of the UK’s decision to leave the European Union (EU). Julie Hirigoyen, CEO of the UK Green Building Council (UK GBC), said: “Both economic and political uncertainty will have some people asking whether the green agenda needs to be de-prioritised while business goes into firefighting mode. This must and need not happen.  “The incentives remain strong for business to address climate change and other urgent sustainability challenges. Arguably now more than ever we need to minimise future risk, reduce costs, add value for clients, generate new commercial opportunities and ensure we have the best people working as productively as possible. A sustainable built environment is fundamental to these objectives.” The UK GBC said it would explore more deeply the commercial drivers for sustainability, while encouraging an unprecedented collaboration between progressive businesses, green groups and other trade bodies. “We will take the argument to government that a low-carbon, sustainable built environment is good for UK plc, and that this requires a clear and consistent policy landscape – in or out of the EU.” Melanie Kendall-Reid, compliance director at Carbon 2018, said the UK now needed to decide if it is to remain a part of the European Economic Area (EEA) or to cut all ties with Europe. She said that a total withdrawal from the EU and the EEA could bring an “erosion of environmental policy”, citing non-EU members of the EEA such as Norway and Iceland as examples of how countries can continue to follow EU climate policy. Kendall-Reid said: “European environmental policies provide business opportunities to UK firms to become market leaders in the development of new technologies. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) suggested that green business accounted for 8 per cent of GDP, a third of UK growth in 2011-2012 and could add a further £20 billion to the UK economy.” Steve Lee, CEO of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM), said: “As far as this institution is concerned, there has never been a more important time for our industry to work together and to use our body of knowledge and expertise to help influence and deliver a new environmental vision for our country. “There is no hiding from the fact that EU membership has been a strong positive force for the quality of our environment and the associated benefits for our health, wellbeing, jobs, skills, growth and general sustainability.” Source link

©Bloomberg China stands to waste Rmb900bn ($134.6bn) of capital expenditure on power plants that have been given the green light despite adding to over-capacity, Greenpeace warned in its latest report tracking the country’s coal fired plants. An economic slowdown combined with intensive investment in coal, hydro wind and solar power capacity in the past few years has depressed utilisation rates in China, especially for coal-fired power plants and wind farms. More On this topic IN Energy New targets for renewable energy and nuclear power as well as plans for further development of large coal deposits in the north and northwest mean that power generators face even greater competition in the future. According to Greenpeace, the environmental activists, plants either approved or already under construction suggest an additional coal-fired power plant per week will come on stream for at least the next four years. Overcapacity is dogging swathes of Chinese industry, including steel and petrochemicals, stifling profitability and damaging the environment. “That’s going the wrong direction in terms of economic and financial reform,” said Lauri Myllyvirta, Beijing-based coal campaigner for Greenpeace. The glut will likely worsen competition between provinces, which will all fight to keep their own plants running. Many of China’s plans for expanded power generation are in Xinjiang and southwestern China, designed to serve industrial centres and cities along the more prosperous coast. Some of their generation capacity is expected to be retired to meet air quality standards as well as China’s commitments on reining in its emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Local media have also reported that Beijing could halt all new power plant approvals. Unusually public lobbying by China’s wind industry has already succeeded in a rare victory in the form of higher mandated use of wind power a development that could further stress thermal generators and lead to new, behind-the-scenes struggles for preferential policies. In addition to power generators competing with each other, China’s growing excess of power could lead to water strains and ultimately, more tensions with ethnic groups along the frontier. In Inner Mongolia, where large coal developments are planned for the Ordos and Xilingol basins, there has been a marked rise in protests and other disputes with displaced Mongolian herders. Xinjiang, targeted for extensive coal development, is also home to the Uighur people, a Muslim ethnic group that already chafes under Chinese rule. Water use there is dominated by Han Chinese paramilitary settlements dating to the 1950s. “The western coal bases are also among the most water-stressed areas in the country,” Greenpeace wrote in its report. Twitter: @HornbyLucy 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