Opinion

There may be no place like it but what, exactly, makes a home? Developers and planners seek to answer this question in an increasingly sophisticated residential sector, one which continues to diversify to meet evolving occupier needs. As a result, sub-sets of housing beyond the traditional owner and

A BBC article published at the end of last month highlighted a recommendation made by lobbyist group Greenpeace to introduce a national agency to enforce building standards in Scotland. The organisation believes that a centralised compliance system is required to ensure building standards are met by

Kevin Reid, chief executive of the Cruden Group, reflects on the theme of this year's Scottish Housing Day, "Housing as a Human Right". This year’s theme of Housing as a Human Right for Scottish Housing Day is an important and powerful one. Homes should absolutely be a place to provide safety

Matthew Benson, director of development services at Rettie & Co, reflects on the Harbour Gateway development in Leith. Last week a Scottish Government ministerial visit took place at Harbour Gateway in Leith, recognised by industry commentators as both the largest and best example of mid-rent ho

MacRoberts head of construction Neil Kelly looks at the implications of the Scottish Appeal Court's decision in relation to last year's decision on collateral warranties in the context of time bar of a defects claim. At the end of last year a judge in the Court of Session reached what many regarded

In the lead up to Scottish Housing Day next week, Ed Monaghan, group CEO at Mactaggart & Mickel, highlights the importance of creating communities in its work. Mactaggart & Mickel is an award-winning, family-run housebuilder and developer. We build quality homes for private sale across the c

Hart Builders MD Andy Mallice on the approach the housebuilder is taking regarding the growing market for private flats. With the political and economic uncertainty around Brexit, you could forgive the construction industry for being apprehensive about committing to investing in growth areas over th

RSM VAT partner Philip Munn on the raft of VAT changes coming into force in October. Unless HMRC responds to calls from the construction industry and RSM, on 1 October 2019 the industry faces a perfect storm of VAT issues.

DM Hall’s Mark O’Neill on how Energy Performance Certificates can still prove their worth after 10 years. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.

Fraser Mitchell, planning partner at law firm Shoosmiths in Edinburgh, warns that the Scottish Government must act on new legislation or an opportunity might disappear into the sunset. The Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 has arrived following the most recent review of the Scottish planning system. In a

Dave Forrester of SELECT discusses recent thunder and lightning storms that have been affecting Edinburgh and the Lothians and gives tips on how to protect your gadgets at home and at work that could be affected by surges. Lightning is frightening. The crashing firestorm in the skies used to be

Halliday Fraser Munro’s Stephen Barker argues the role of masterplanning is as relevant and important today than ever before.

BDP principal Christoph Ackermann discusses the architectural process for designing buildings for knowledge exchange, or 'knowledge cauldrons'. Designing a building that will inspire the most ambitious, forward-thinking people who will tackle societal and global issues, is challenging. Yet the archi

The Scottish Government’s head of building standards Stephen Garvin shares the latest work of the Building Standards Division.  Everyone benefits from well-designed, safe and sustainable buildings, spaces and places. Our built environment contributes a great deal to our quality of life an

Accountant Alex Nicholson warns Scottish construction firms to act now in preparation for the VAT domestic reverse charge. From 1 October 2019, there will be a significant change to how suppliers in the construction industry supply chain account for VAT. The changes will apply to businesses making o