Voice of the Industry

Sally-Anne Balmer, Architect and Technical Team Lead at NBS, took the typical route to qualify as an Architect in the UK via a combination of academic studies at Manchester School of Architecture and two years’ experience in the industry before final qualification. Being a member of the RIBA and subscriber to the NBS for several years, she was interested in gaining a different perspective of the construction industry. Joining NBS has allowed her to develop her research and technical authoring skills within the emerging digital environment and offer suggestions for tool improvement from a subscriber’s viewpoint.

‘People make places’. This is the driving force for a growing number of developers who are putting people, and particularly community, at the heart of what they do. Factors such as good design or a convenient location alone are no longer enough, leading to a growing trend in mixed-use developments. Mixed-use developments combine both commercial and residential aspects. In short, they allow people to live, work and play in a concentrated area, writes Founder of Blackswan Property, Marcus Hawley.

The UK construction sector has not traditionally been a bastion of equal rights for women. However, that situation is changing, argues Gillian Thomson, Branch Manager at cladding specialist MSP (Scotland), part of the Vivalda Group.

Changes to Building Regulations, Brexit uncertainty and shifting purchasing decisions are just some of the issues affecting the construction sector and its suppliers. Stuart Bell, Managing Director of Polyfoam XPS, explains the impact on the insulation industry and what lies ahead in 2020.

Did you know that one million people are exposed to hearing-damaging noise at work? If you work in construction, you’re most likely aware that the industry is a noisy business. But did you also know that the sector has the second-highest rate of people developing occupational deafness?

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Future Constructor & Architect is a specification platform for architects and building contractors, which focuses on top-end domestic and commercial developments.

As well as timely industry comment and legislation updates, the magazine covers recent projects and reviews the latest sustainable building products on the market. Subscribe here.

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