Posts by Richard Davies

  • Payment down the chain

    Cash-flow management remains one of the main problem areas in construction and engineering projects. Issues in getting paid, serious enough on their own, are often an early warning sign for a project heading into wider difficulties. There can of course be a number of culprits for cash-flow difficulties. A few weeks’ ago, my colleague, Yousef … Continue reading Payment down the chain

  • When design competitions go bad

    Some of the world’s most iconic buildings were conceived as a result of architectural competitions. You may be surprised how often such competitions result in controversy. Jorn Utzon submitted his winning concept for the new opera house in Sydney in the mid-1950s. He walked away from the project 11 years later (7 years before its … Continue reading When design competitions go bad