Europe – SpecNews

Problem contracts slash margins at Mace | Construction Enquirer

Stephen Pyecroft said new work over the year included a major data centre in Ireland for the construction team
Problem contracts and rising costs saw margins at Mace’s UK and Europe division crash from 1.7% to less than 0.5%.
Overall the group operating margin including construction, consultancy and FM activities around the world halved to 1.1% over the year.
Announcing Mace results for last year, executive chairman Stephen Pyecroft said: “2015 saw some challenges for our construction business.
“The sector delivered £1.42bn in turnover, an 18% increase on 2014.
However a number of difficult projects did impact on the margin level delivered to the business.
“But we lived up to our long-standing reputation of being a trusted partner able to deliver large, complex and iconic projects.”

He added: “Mace continues to go from strength to strength and while challenges remain in the UK and global economies, we have an enviable pipeline of work stretching well

into 2016 and beyond.”

Mace’s group pre-tax profits were actually up 4.5% on last year to £36.2m, supported by almost £18m profit from a major property disposal, thought to by its London student accommodation development Assam Place.

Tesla windscreen factory in Peru features coloured glass fittings

A strip of double insulated U-glass brings natural light into the production hall from the south, while protecting it from summer sun exposure.
Black glass walls enclose a showroom where a movement-activated system plays atmospheric music when someone enters the space.
“The white walls, floor and ceiling polarise the dark entry funnel.”
Tinted and textured glass delineate areas inside this office and factory completed by V.oid Architecture for the Lima-based company that manufactures car windscreens for Tesla (+ slideshow).
The production offices are suspended over the vast machinery hall, giving employees clear views of the production line.

Tributes after leading architect Gareth Hoskins dies aged 48

TRIBUTES have been paid to the Scottish architect Gareth Hoskins, who died at the weekend aged 48.
Scottish architecture is much the lesser with his parting.”
Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs, said: “Gareth Hoskins was an outstanding architect.
She tweeted: “Very sad to hear of the death of Gareth Hoskins, one of Scotland’s finest architects.
Hoskins trained as an architect at the Glasgow School of Art and at Florence University.
Hoskins Architects issued a statement confirming his death, adding: “It is with great sadness that we confirm that Gareth Hoskins OBE, the founder and Managing Director of Hoskins Architects, has died.
“Gareth, who was 48, took ill at an event in Edinburgh on Sunday 3rd January and, despite receiving the best care possible in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, he passed away on Saturday.

“Everyone at Hoskins Architects is deeply shocked and saddened by this untimely loss.

London has most expensive construction costs in Europe, second in the world

The International Construction Costs Index published by Arcadis, analyses the relative costs of construction across 44 major cities, and also shows a crucial imbalance in London’s expensive construction market.
London is the most expensive city in Europe and the second most expensive city worldwide in which to build, according to an index from a global design and consultancy business.
At the other end the least expensive cities for construction are Taipei, Bangalore, Bangkok, Kula Lumpur, Ho Chi Min, Bucharest, Prague, Sarajevo, Sofia and Jakarta.
Overall the top city is New York, with Hong Kong in third place followed by Geneva and Macau.
Cost premiums in the top cities range from 40% to 60% in comparison with other European counterparts.

SSAB to Initiate Negotiations to Reduce Workforce in Finland

SSAB is to initiate employer-employee negotiations regarding a potential reduction in the workforce at SSAB Europe division’s production site in Raahe and in the Ruukki Construction division.
SSAB Europe has responsibility for strip, plate and tubular products in Europe, and global profit responsibility for the Automotive segment.
The negotiations will affect around 2,900 employees in Finland and there is a need to reduce the workforce by a maximum of 295 persons.
The negotiations at the Raahe site affect the entire personnel, 2,455 persons: all employees in production and support functions at SSAB Europe, SSAB Special Steels and group functions.
The negotiations at Ruukki Construction aim to reduce costs by a total of at least SEK 200 million on a permanent annual basis.

NTE Energy Closes Financing for 475 MW PJM Project in Ohio

NTE Energy, a power developer and energy services provider, announced today that its affiliate NTE Ohio, LLC (“NTE”), has successfully closed $645 million in project financing for construction and operation of its Middletown Energy Center.
NTE Energy, through its affiliates, develops and acquires strategically located electric generation and transmission facilities within North America.
Capital Dynamics’ CEI team holds extensive expertise in investing, financing, owning and operating conventional and clean energy businesses globally.
NTE Energy, through its affiliates, is actively developing three projects located in West Texas, Southwest Ohio, and North Carolina as well as pursuing early-stage opportunities in several other locations.
The team executes all aspects of project development, from initial market and site evaluations and permitting to financing, construction and operation.

Should Britain’s ‘worst building’ be demolished?

That view of 20 Fenchurch Street that brought you to tears is the exact opposite of what he wanted.
Either 20 Fenchurch Street is there as long as it endures, or we do something about it.
After a day in Paris at Frank Gehry’s exhilarating fish-like, wave-like I found myself on the South Bank almost weeping at the view of 20 Fenchurch Street.
I still find it very hard to accept that Centre Point, a building that once personified hit-and-run property development, should now be a listed building.
Or even Sant’Elia, although buildings like 20 Fenchurch Street do seem to exploit modern engineering to create futurist dreams that would be a lot better left on paper.

Can Design Change Society? Symposium and Exhibition in Berlin

Can Design Change Society? pop-up exhibition will run from 2 – 20 September in Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin.
Can Design Change Society? It is, indeed, the big question that has plagued the design profession right from the beginning.
The pop-up exhibition will present prototypical projects, both historical and contemporary, that have tried to use design for social change.
By what means can we approach design change and the future in a new way today?
Starting with the high aspirations of Bauhaus to use rational, humanist design to transform every aspect of life, the spectre of social change continues to haunt design.

Discover the building information modeling market that will be worth $8,646.47 million by 2020, at a CAGR of 16.72%

The building information modeling market is expected to grow from a market share of $2640.12 million in 2013 to $8646.47 million by 2020 at a CAGR of 16.72%.
Players involved in the development of building information modeling market include Archidata Inc.(Canada), Asite Solutions Pvt.
This growth is expected due to the growing industrial sector for the building information modeling market.
Browse 111 market data tables and 80 figures spread through 230 pages and in-depth TOC on “Building Information Modeling Market – Analysis and Forecast 2013 – 2020”.
The quality of building information modeling process is determined by reducing costs, saving time, and improving speed of the process.