The Architecture and Construction News Roundup

The latest news and data from the architecture and construction industry

In Data:

Architecture and Construction News in Numbers

-2.5%

The minimum amount the UK construction industry is expected to contract in 2020, according to research by GlobalData. The company also projects growth of just 1% in the Irish construction industry, compared to 5.9% growth in 2019.

151,020

The number of new housebuilding projects started in the UK in 2019, according to data published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. This represents a 10% decrease from the previous year, indicating construction was already declining prior to the coronavirus pandemic.

20%

The rate of increase in enquiries about extensions in the UK in the first week following the UK government’s announcement that all non-essential workers should work from home, according to modular housebuilder Built & Spaces. The company reports that many of the inquiries come from parents facing months of home schooling.

4,000

The number of beds that will eventually be in NHS Nightingale, the coronavirus field hospital built in the ExCeL Exhibition Centre in London, the UK. Developed by BDP, the scheme saw 500 beds come online at the 115,000m² centre within the first nine days of work.

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84%

The percentage of UK building firms still waiting to hear back about their applications to the government-backed Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, according to the Federation of Master Builders. 10% of those who have applied for a loan have already been rejected.

The Key Architecture News This Month

Michael Sorkin, 1948-2020

US architect, critic and urbanist Michael Sorkin has died after contracting the coronavirus. The head of Michael Sorkin Studio and president of non-profit research group Terreform, Sorkin was known for his sharp views on urban space. His work includes several urban masterplan projects in New York, and a host of urban planning projects in China.

Source: Architects’ Journal

RIBA president Steps Down

In a move that has come as a shock to the architecture world, Alan Jones, president of the RIBA, has stepped down. The move is said to be temporary, and to be for at least four to six weeks, but the reason for it is not known. Honorary secretary Kerr Robertson will cover for Jones, who took the position seven months ago.

Source: Building Design

UK planning committee meetings made virtual

The passing of the Coronavirus Act 2020 has for the first time enabled planning committee meetings to be held virtually. This will allow individuals to attend, speak and vote in local authority meetings, including planning meetings without being physically present in the same place, using tools such and videoconferencing software.

Source: The Planner

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