What you see is what you get...
We are all guilty of saying "they don't build like they used to" and it is true that many of the old-style craftsman skills are seen far less frequently on building sites today. more
Platform soul
New Street station and other travel hubs must be safer, cleaner, more convenient and more pleasant places, argues architect Ian Saunders as he puts the boot in on behalf of downtrodden commuters... more
Beyond the Bullring
Birmingham reached a key milestone in its renaissance when the first green shoots of the revitalised Eastside began to appear. more
Urban eye-opener
First impressions of England's Second City are about to change - thanks to the development of Fort Dunlop, Birmingham's latest landmark. more
Feeling clad all over
Skills shortages, labour costs, clients with tough timeframes - they are all putting pressure on construction companies to complete jobs in the fastest possible. more
Too little land - too much delay
A short supply of land, combined with the slow planning process, has increased competition among house builders to acquire the right site. more
We must meet sustainability challenge
Housebuilders cannot ignore mounting concerns about a wide range of environmental, social and economic issues, warns Jeremy King, partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers in the Midlands... more
Shining examples
The drive for sustainability in construction is evident in some of the techniques used in the most unlikely places - a £60 million extension of Birmingham Prison, for instance. more
Building workforce of the future
First the facts: Around 76,000 new recruits are needed, every year for the next three years, in order to meet the demand on our construction industry and to replace those leaving the industry. more
Young help to close skills gaps
The region's construction industry is benefiting from the number of young people entering its apprenticeship and trainee schemes, according to a new survey conducted by Willmott Dixon Construction in Birmingham. more
Practice makes perfect
Builder Bob Hall has strong views on the quality of training within the UK construction industry and is not afraid to lead by example. more
Designs on a city
Urban Design was founded three years ago as a design maintenance organisation within Birmingham City Council. more
The heart of the matter
Any partnership can bring benefits as well as difficulties and, therefore, the selection of the right partners with a similar mindset and culture was essential in creating a team that can work together over the long term. more
Award winners
Birmingham City Council recently won a Constructing Excellence Construction Best Practice Award, one of only two in its category in the UK. more
Building a bright future for Brum
Today sees the launch of the Birmingham Construction Partnership by leader of the council, Coun Sir Albert Bore - an innovative new relationship between the city council and the construction industry. more
Tradition merged with 'techno-how'
A fast-expanding Midlands construction firm is aiming to build itself into a £50 million business within the next three years. more
Wake-up call for employers
The biggest threat to the construction sector is not the rising cost of materials. Nor is it the increasingly lean margins that firms are forced to work with. more
Women on top
Ask project manager Claire Charman to explain why she chose construction as a career and you get a clear insight into what makes her tick. more
Property - it's the new rock'n' roll, considered to be one of the safest investment bets since the stockmarket nosedived and the share prices with it. more
Inside out
Can new ideas find solutions to old problems? Innovative architect Bob Ghosh talks to Richard McComb... more
