News

Listen. Let’s Talk

A weekly show hosted by urbanist Donald Hyslop in conversation with the Project Compass Directors, architect, writer and planner Walter Menteth and architect, Cultural and Public Art consultant Bridget Sawyers. Broadcast on Resonance FM “The best radio station in the world” episode: 07:00, Wednesday 2nd June 2021. Through a variety of jobs in the creative…

Procurement and Tendering Processes

Project Compass Director Walter Menteth will be delivering a series of six RIBA Core CPD webinars on “Procurement & Tendering Processes” between now and November 2021.

‘Transforming public procurement’

In Dec 2020 Gov. published its Green Paper on ‘Transforming Public Procurement’. This is intended to shape the future of public procurement for many years to come. They propose to comprehensively streamline and simplify the complex regulatory framework. The parallel rules in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, the Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016, the Concession Contracts…

Call to Project Compass website users

Project Compass CIC are moving towards the publication of an extensive body of new and unique UK procurement research, and various other outputs. We are also gearing up to address the Post Brexit Government Green Paper on Public Procurement (BEIS) which is anticipated within the next few months (on top of everything…). As someone who…

Covid-19: PPN 01/20

On 19 March 2020 the Government issued Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 01/20 responding to COVID-19. “In these exceptional circumstances, authorities may need to procure goods, services and works with extreme urgency. Authorities are permitted to do this using regulation 32(2)(c) under the Public Contract Regulations 2015.” Regulation 32 (2)(c) states the following: – 32.— (2) The…

Portsmouth Phoenix: Housing Futures

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Open Competitive Call for young architects + planners Programme Dates 14:30, 4th March – 19:00, 6th March, 2020 Architect mentors: Bell Phillips Architects Mikhail Riches Architects Proctor Matthews Architects RCKa architects Ruth Butler Two Portsmouth council city centre residential towers have had their cladding stripped and been evacuated, post-Grenfell. Following survey investigations the towers are…

Architectural Design Competitions

A Key Policy Tool to Ensure Quality in the Built Environment Full Press Release transcript from the Conference on International Design Competitions organised by the International Union of Architects (UIA) and the Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE), 25 October 2019. UNESCO Headquarters, Paris. Declaration Architectural design competitions (ADCs) are among the most effective ways to…

Tax is outdated making refurbishing old buildings to reduce emissions and the delivery of better quality construction too expensive

Abstract The construction of new buildings in the UK emits 48 megatonnes of CO₂ each year – equavalent to Scotland’s entire net emissions. The materials, transportation and construction processes for new buildings are all carbon intensive. Existing buildings already embody significant CO₂ emissions which makes it all the more important to upgrade and refurbish – rather than…

TheFulcrum.eu – Expanded and Relaunched

TheFulcrum.eu the first international portal for architecture commissions covering all European countries has now been relaunched. It remains free to all but with its new and expanded form it now covers thirty-nine European Countries. TheFulcrum.eu offers greater access and insights into public procurement and competition culture in Europe, contributing to improving construction culture across the…

VAT reform would promote CO2 emissions reductions, more sustainable building & cost nothing – so why the delay?

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A Project Compass response to the Climate and Biodiversity Emergency objectives defined in Architects Declare. Revised & updated from a Walter Menteth article 1st published in AJ: Sustainability in Practice. 28th February 2014) [i] Government for too long has been missing an enormous opportunity to incentivise investment in sustainable construction: VAT reform. This means redressing…