Insight

Gordon Nelson, Scotland director of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), reflects on the past 30 years as the trade federation looks forward to the 30th Anniversary of FMB Scotland. Whilst the FMB was established in 1941 and has had members based in Scotland since the 1970s (at least as far as I

Graduate architect Quita Hynd shares her final year project which considered whether to retrofit the recently demolished 219-245 Blackness Road tenements in Dundee. One module available for final year 5th year Architecture students, entitled Macro Micro, explored ‘deep retrofit&

Following National Grid's announcement of the largest grid overhaul in generations, Forster Group chair John Forster shares his own commentary on the news. Last week, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reported strong headwinds in favour of investment in renewable energy technologies across the g

Brown & Brown has completed a new low energy home in a conservation area of Aberdeen, turning an open plot into a private, leafy retreat that foregrounds craftsmanship and design.

As PMP enters its fourth decade in business, managing director Stewart Rutherford speaks to Margaret Taylor for SCN's Construction Leaders feature about his time in charge of the company and its future plans. Edinburgh-headquartered construction consultancy firm PMP has come a long way sin

Scott Hogan discusses the recent changes to Scotland's business rates regime, with a focus on the devolution of power to alter empty property relief to local authorities, and the varied impact of these changes on commercial property owners and occupiers across different regions. April brought in a w

In the May SCN column from the CIOB, Jocelyne Fleming follows last week’s roundtable in Holyrood which focused on how to retrofit Scotland's homes. The 2019 Scottish House Condition Survey found that just over half of homes in Scotland have disrepair to critical elements. The widesca

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

SCN's Construction Leader for May, Janice Russell, tells Margaret Taylor about her pride in being trusted with becoming the managing director of McTaggart Construction. Ayrshire-headquartered McTaggart Construction has changed significantly from the business that was formed by brothers Geo

Dale Taylor, co-founder and technical director at Compliance LEV, takes on SCN's Just A Minute feature. How did you get started in the industry? I worked for a Kilmarnock-based blue chip engine component manufacturer, and dealt with ventilation issues for risky materials. As part of my duties I, sta

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