April 2014 Issue

Shigeru Ban, architect of Christchurch’s Transitional (“Cardboard”) Cathedral, has won the Pritzker Prize. Mr Ban is a world-class architect and expert in disaster-zone building. The […]

The evidence is conclusive: large dams in a vast majority of cases are not economically viable. Instead of obtaining hoped-for riches, emerging economies risk drowning […]

Auckland’s NZI Centre has been awarded a 5-star “market leading” base building Certified Rating for energy use under NABERSNZ, the office building energy rating scheme. […]

The latest residential building consent figures show demand for new housing continuing to strengthen. The trend for new home consents is at its highest level […]

The Cement & Concrete Association of New Zealand (CCANZ) has developed a Concrete Construction Course designed for those responsible for supervising the receipt and placement […]

With its new $5 million silo capacity project at Lyttelton nearing completion, Holcim (New Zealand) Ltd is moving to the next stage of the $100 […]

A leading firm in the construction industry is warning that changes to home insurance policies are leaving up to 93% of home owners underinsured to […]

New Zealand is on the brink of the biggest construction boom in 40 years, according to a joint industry and government report released recently. The […]

Last month I mentioned I would fill you in on some scary, maybe unwelcome or possibly head in the sand, don’t want to think about […]

20 years ago: • An average of nearly $60 million more was spent on construction work every month in the year ended January 1994, than […]

With scientific and social change occurring at an ever increasing rate, it’s surprising what technology has failed to produce — and what has never materialised. […]

The Building Practitioners Board is a quasi-judicial body that hears complaints made against Licensed Building Practitioners. BPB Complaint No C1011 In this decision concerning an […]

The construction industry is still woefully short of building apprentices despite a massive 55% increase in new apprenticeship sign-ups in 2013, according to the Building […]

Sometimes even a worthy project needs a champion to carry it forward and rally support. In 2010, a regional bid team in the Waikato dreamed […]

As the construction industry shows definite signs of growth, Kiwi carpentry apprentices are being encouraged to step up and show they have what it takes […]

Jonathan Lewis of J Lewis Building Ltd in Nelson says taking out the PlaceMakers New Homes $250,000 – $350,000 award at the Registered Master Builders […]

Clive Barrington of Clive Barrington Construction was “stoked” to win the Carters New Homes $1 million – $2 million award at the Registered Master Builders […]

The economic outlook for New Zealand in the short to medium term seems to be constantly improving. We have decade-high migration figures, good commodity prices […]

I was speaking at a luncheon recently on numerous topics, and one question that came up (and always tends to get raised) was housing affordability. […]