Opinion

The Scottish Government declared a housing emergency in May 2024, acknowledging that Scotland lacked sufficient housing supply to meet demand. This was partly self-inflicted, with the government cutting its affordable housing building supply programme and imposing rent controls without exemption, wh

Jamie Gregory, associate director and certified Passivhaus designer at AHR, shares insights from the architecture and building consultancy practice’s recent Passivhaus projects for Scotland's upcoming Passivhaus Equivalent policy. The Scottish Government’s Passivhaus Equivalent policy is

Susan Jackson, joint managing director of Campion Homes, discusses the important role that SME housebuilders will play in tackling the housing crisis. The housing emergency has rightly returned to the heart of Scotland’s political conversation. With the appointment of Màiri McAllan as c

Paul Hilton looks at how the property market is evolving into a hybrid model, combining the efficiency of digital tools with the invaluable reassurance and personalised guidance of face-to-face expert advice. Over the past decade, the property market has been transformed by digital innovation. From

Gary Ferris, business development director, Scotland & Northern Ireland at Close Brothers, explores how rent control policies are undermining investor confidence, stalling new housing supply, and deepening Scotland’s housing crisis. Scotland’s housebuilding industry stands at a criti

Ahead of the Scottish Construction Summit in Glasgow on Wednesday, Ian Hughes, engagement director, Scotland for event sponsor the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), shares his thoughts on one of the Summit's four key themes: Recruitment & Retention. There are big opportunities in both

Eleni Diamantopoulou and Calum Raine from Womble Bond Dickinson delve into Scotland's ambitious plans to enhance energy performance standards in housebuilding, aiming to create a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future.

Hazel Davies, sales and marketing director for Cruden, and Female Leaders in Construction (FLIC) advisory board member, shares why gender balanced leadership matters in construction. As a mother of two school-aged daughters, I often think about the example I set for them. It’s too early to tel

Liam McKay, a senior solicitor from Anderson Strathern's Contentious Construction team, provides a deep dive into a new ruling concerning the operation of time bar related to collateral warranties, and potential implications for buyers/tenants of commercial properties, and those involved in the cons

Recent proposals from the Scottish Government for Home Energy Efficiency Technical Suitability Assessments, or HEETSAs, while promising, once again underscore the importance of joined-up thinking in achieving retrofit goals, writes Jocelyne Fleming, policy lead – Scotland at the CIOB.  I

Drawing on data from Dundashill Platform 3 in Glasgow, Emily Ong, Passivhaus designer and architect at Collective Architecture, reveals why investing in Passivhaus brings long-term savings. It is estimated that 34% of households in Scotland are currently living in fuel poverty and 19.4% of household

Francesca Macmillan and Andrew McNaughton from Womble Bond Dickinson delve into the implications of the Building Safety Act on Scotland, highlighting four significant changes of particular relevance. Watching from Scotland, we have seen significant changes to building safety in England under the Bui

As the Tall Ships flotilla disappears over the horizon, Felicity Forbes-Davidson says the Aberdeen property market is hoping for a fair wind.  When the Tall Ships sailed from Aberdeen in a flurry of white canvas last month there was a positive atmosphere around the city which was refreshing and

Sheriff Reid's determination in the fatal accident inquiry into the death of Shea Ryan has been published and makes various recommendations to the HSE that may have an impact on the construction industry going forward should these be implemented. DAC Beachcroft partner Karen Railton highlights the k

Lynsay Bell Manson, managing director at Studio LBA, outlines how good design doesn't need to come at the cost of profitability and shares why subtle changes in early design can make a big difference to the final outcome. The future of Masterplanning in Scotland is undergoing a transformative shift,