Long reads

Building to Passivhaus standards makes more sense than ever, whatever the building type. But it requires next-level attention to detail. By Kristina Smith

Construction News explores how a string of high-profile insolvencies have made it harder for contractors to obtain bonds. But hope could be on the horizon.

How are contractors meeting the challenges of designing life sciences buildings that are fit for the future? In south London, a small modular building sits below the ribcage-like shell of what was until recently Europe’s largest electronic music venue, Printworks. Clad with Siberian larch battens, the building’s generous roof terraces…

After rapid expansion, signs of a slowdown raise questions about future opportunities in the sector When it emerged that AstraZeneca was planning a £450m expansion of its nasal flu vaccine plant in Speke, near Liverpool, in January 2024, a spokesperson for the Conservative government declared that the UK was “cementing…

SHARE SCHEME 28 per cent of construction workers have considered quitting as a result of mental health issues, according to research from St John Ambulance. Lisa Sharman, its head of education and commercial training, said: “Opening up about a mental health problem is the first step towards getting vital help.…

Spanning the River Tyne since 1928, the Tyne Bridge is more than a crossing. It is the defining symbol of Tyneside. Opened by King George V to cheering crowds and a royal carriage procession, it was the world’s longest-span bridge at the time, and a triumph of early 20th-century engineering.…

Professional indemnity insurance premiums have only just started falling after their post-Grenfell peak. But some fear new building safety laws could spark another insurer backlash In the years after June 2017’s Grenfell Tower fire, many contractors found professional indemnity (PI) insurance difficult to obtain, or watched their premiums soar in…

With a mountain of cladding remediation work to get through, CN asks how contractors can ensure their work avoids contributing to fire risks A fire at an East London residential block last August was a grim echo of the Grenfell Tower blaze, which killed 72 people seven years earlier. Thankfully,…

The football season may be drawing to a close for Manchester City Football Club, but inside the Etihad Stadium, a new challenge is on the horizon. Since 2023, contractor John Sisk has been building a new North Stand, adding 6,000 seats to increase the total capacity to 61,000 – making…

 FEMALE APPRENTICES The increase in the number of women completing construction apprenticeships since 2018 has increased by 67 per cent, according to the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), with a 2023/24 total of 2,420. Lucie Wright, head of careers strategy at the CITB, said: “We need more women in construction.…