Opinion

Ahead of Homes for Scotland's Annual Lunch 2023 this week, chief executive Jane Wood discusses the need to build more homes. Everyone should have a place to call home and as I mark my first year as chief executive at Homes for Scotland, I have been pondering what ‘home’ means.

There is no doubt that launching a Passivhaus equivalent for Scotland will drive up the operational efficiency of homes, but as Mike Stevenson, senior manager strategic markets at NorDan UK argues, we also can’t be passive about embodied carbon. There is no doubt that a proposed Scottish equiv

In light of the upcoming Homes for Scotland awards, architect George Buchanan explores the ways in which demand for architecture has changed in recent years and the importance of designing homes with the resident in mind. The UK has always had a fascination with homes, but in a post-Covid world, our

Fraser Lynes explains why Cruden Homes' age-exclusive development is a new example of a low-carbon-footprint community. When it comes to finding the perfect home, everyone has their own list of essentials, whether that’s a home office, proximity to transport links, space for family get-togethe

Immigration experts Jamie Kerr and Alex McLean provide some practical information on how the construction sector can benefit from the expansion of the Shortage Occupation List. In an attempt to address skills and labour shortages in the construction sector, a new report has recommended a number of c

Brian Gallacher, FCIOB, is the chairman and business development director at Pacific Building, a construction and fit-out business operating across Scotland. He has been a CIOB member for more than 30 years, and a Fellow for more than 20 of them, and says his FCIOB status gives his clients confidenc

Scottish Land Commissioner Sally Reynolds explores the importance of realising community benefits when setting out the relationship between nature finance and communities in Scotland's just transition to net zero. To achieve our net zero ambitions, the way we’re using land in Scotland is chang

The Spring Budget included an announcement of real potential benefit to the UK construction industry for the recruitment of overseas skilled workers. Mark Templeton, director at law firm Anderson Strathern, unpacks what it means for businesses. In his Spring statement, chancellor Jeremy Hunt announc

New Clyde Gateway chief executive Martin McKay outlines his future vision for the area, particularly in relation to achieving net zero, and reveals how the green transition also presents an opportunity for job creation, economic growth, and sustainable development, whilst addressing climate cha

Chris Dougray, executive director at CBRE Scotland, provides his take on whether rent controls are a good or bad thing for the housing market. Over the last four decades, the number of homes in Scotland has increased by 34% to 2.65m (in 2020). Within the Scottish housing market, 15% of househol

To mark Stress Awareness Month 2023, accredited employment law specialist Laura Salmond considers the duty of employers and offers tips on identifying and managing work-related stress. Saturday 1st April marked the beginning of Stress Awareness Month 2023. An estimated

BDP architect and principal Christoph Ackermann explores the impact Scottish architecture has on global design. The proud architecture of Scotland has always reflected social movements, imitated prevailing ideas and influenced design trends across the world. Today, Scottish architecture has to work

Neil Kirk discusses the unintended consequences of rent freezes in Scotland, which have negatively impacted tenants, caused a shortage of rental properties, and deterred investment in the residential property sector. During a cost-of-living crisis, it might be difficult to feel sympathy for landlord

For the monthly SCN column from the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), Emma McKay shares information about the organisation’s CIOB Assist programme.

Jo Gilroy, group sustainability director at Balfour Beatty, shares an update on the company’s ongoing journey towards the Zero Carbon Construction Site of the future at the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh. We have some exciting news to share. For the first time on a live Balfour Beatty site, w