Opinion

Following the tragedy at Grenfell Tower on 14 June 2017, the Grenfell Inquiry’s Final Report (also called the Phase 2 Report), was published in September. It paints a bleak picture of years of failures by government and others in the construction industry and calls for far-reaching reform

On the eve of the Housing & Social Care Accessibility Summit, Dougie Herd from headline sponsor Campion Homes says housebuilders are ready to build more accessible homes if the government provides the necessary support. Scotland is at a pivotal moment in addressing the need for accessible housin

Scott Brewster, managing director of Brewster Brothers, explains how important it is to include the carbon footprint of the materials we use in the construction of our built environment, as well as the carbon footprint of its operational life. Almost 20 years after the first Scottish Government repo

Heather Holbrook looks at how the shift to online retail has led to high vacancy rates in UK retail properties, necessitating the repurposing of these spaces. Even a short walk up most of Scotland’s high streets will tell you a lot about the transformation they have undergone in recent years.

The theme for Scotland's Climate Week 2024 is ‘Stories for Change’. In this article, Jamie Goth, associate director at the Scottish Futures Trust, looks at the success of the Net Zero Public Sector Buildings Standard so far. The Scottish Government launched the Net Zero Public Sector Bui

Matthew Jackson, associate director at Scottish Futures Trust, highlights why the right location is crucial for EV chargers to be effective. When you picture the perfect holiday, what comes to mind? For me, it usually involves a road trip through rural Scotland with my family using our electric car.

Dr Joel Callow from Beyond Carbon channels his inner car showroom salesman to explain why Scotland needs absolute targets for energy in housing. “The fuel economy? Yes I have very good news on that front madam, you won’t be disappointed with your purchase. This car has been benchmarked a

Holmes Miller associate Ruaridh Nicol explores some of the key challenges currently facing the industry when it comes to sustainable design, and how these can be overcome. As the climate crisis continues to drive one of the biggest calls for change across the globe, sustainability has become front a

Ahead of tomorrow's Scottish Housing Day, Muir Group CEO Martin Smith looks at some changes on the horizon, particularly from the Programme for Government, and how we can overcome today's challenges to give the people of Scotland the homes and communities that they deserve. The shortage of home

Gary Gray from Muir Timber Systems outlines the benefits of timber frame builds and how they could play a key role in fixing the current housing crisis. The housing crisis in Scotland is becoming ever more acute. More than 110,000 more homes are needed to alleviate what even the Scottish Government

On the back of the recent announcement by the Scottish Government to cut £700,000 from the cladding remediation programme set up by the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Act 2024, Anamore director Anthony Marley expresses his disappointment and caution at the decision. In recent years,

Alasdair Steele discusses the decline in institutional investment in Scottish commercial property over the past decade and how the recent pooling of local authority pension funds may serve as a catalyst to reverse this trend. It is no secret that UK institutional investors have cooled on Scotland in

Now that the Scottish Passivhaus equivalent consultation is live, Stefan Huber, managing director at PAUL Heat Recovery Scotland, explains how MVHR works and why it is needed in Scotland. The Scottish Government is currently undertaking a consultation on a policy to introduce a Scottish Pa

Creating meaningful social value is at the heart of every project we deliver, but after attending recent events, the industry can do better when it comes to articulating how the construction phase of a project can build wealth and create lasting legacies for communities, writes Chris Boyle, framewor

Rob Bewick, senior construction safety consultant at Thomas & Adamson, part of Egis Group, highlights some simple strategies that can prevent people from losing their lives on construction sites. The latest Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics on work-related fatal injuries don’t p