The Nest, Chichester Festival Theatre, Chichester

/ Case Studies

At Chichester Festival Theatre, a new kind of performance space has taken shape among the trees. The Nest is a 120-capacity demountable studio theatre, providing a flexible home for emerging artists, local creatives and community activity. It was built on a JCT Intermediate Building Contract with contractor’s design. Opened in summer 2025, The Nest hosts fringe theatre, comedy, live music, family performances, open-mic events and other experimental work, while also supporting Chichester Festival Theatre’s Future Theatre Makers programme. The single-storey building sits between the Festival…

JCT Explains…Interim Payments

/ Contractual Issues

JCT Explains…Interim Payments In this feature for JCT News, we break down some of the key sections and clauses within the JCT contract to explain and provide more information about how these elements function in practice. The issue looks in more detail at the process of interim payments. Interim payment procedure under the JCT Standard Building Contract 2024 Generally, the provisions relating to valuation, certificates, notices and payment (interim and final) are the same or similar for many of the JCT main and sub-contracts. In…

YPG Member Spotlight Questionnaire: Alexander de Caires

/ JCT Young Professionals Group

Professional Spotlight My background, current position, and why I chose a career in construction My journey began on-site as a labourer, working alongside my father, uncles and cousins, before progressing to independent work as a painter, decorator, and carpenter. This foundational experience provided me with an invaluable on-site perspective of the industry, particularly regarding the logistical challenges contractors face in managing materials, workloads, and site dynamics. Now a qualified architect, I have a diverse international portfolio that bridges technical precision with artistic creativity. My experience…

New Course Added to JCT Training Range

/ Education, Skills and Students, JCT Product Updates

‘Administering JCT 2024 Contracts’ is the latest course to be added to the JCT Training portfolio. It will be introduced as part of the Autumn 2026 series of JCT Training, and it will take place as a full-day, in-person course. ‘Administering JCT 2024 Contracts’ Using the unamended JCT Design and Build Contract 2024 as its reference, this practical course provides a commercial understanding of the key provisions, enabling you to administer the contract accurately and effectively. Delivered from both the Contractor’s and Employer’s perspectives, the…

Risk of Being Caught Out by JCT Contract Transition

/ JCT 2016 Edition, JCT 2024 Edition

Blog Author: PHIL CATON – PARTNER, AARON & PARTNERS   KEY POINTS The JCT confirmed its 2016 suite will remain available until the end of 2026. Organisations that postpone reviewing contracts, amendment schedules and internal procedures risk a more complex and costly transition later on. JCT 2024 introduces changes reflecting major industry developments. Many firms are likely to find themselves administering projects under both JCT 2016 and JCT 2024 simultaneously. Early planning, staff training and a review of existing contractual documentation will help businesses minimise…

The Swannery, Bristol

/ Case Studies

Blog Author: Barefoot Architects   Youth-led design and the JCT Minor Works Building Contract in action A former pub in Bristol’s Barton Hill has been transformed into a vibrant youth-led community hub, demonstrating how collaborative design and the JCT Minor Works Building Contract with contractor’s design (MWD) can successfully deliver socially impactful, flexible projects. The Swannery, completed in October 2024, is a retrofit of The Swan—a disused public house that has been reimagined as a thriving youth club. Designed by Barefoot Architects for Wellspring Settlement,…

Retention Reform and the Future of Construction Payment Practices

/ Legislation

Blog Author: Chiara Pieri – Senior Associate, CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP  “There must be a ‘cash flow’ in the building trade. It is the very lifeblood of the enterprise.” So observed Lord Denning MR over fifty years ago in Dawnays Ltd v F.G. Minter Ltd [1971] 1 WLR 1205 – words as pertinent today as then. It is precisely the issue of cash flow and its systematic disruption by late payment practices that the Government’s reforms now seek to address. In March 2026, the Government…

Autumn 2026 Series of JCT Training Dates Announced

/ Education, Skills and Students

JCT has announced its course dates for the autumn 2026 series of JCT Training. The series includes a range of full-day in-person courses and 3-hour online webinar courses. Scheduled to take place in October and November, the courses will focus on contract families from the JCT 2024 Edition of Contracts, as well as continuing our latest course, ‘Working with JCT Contracts 2024 (The Legal Aspects)’, an interactive session introducing the legal framework that underpins JCT contracts. The sessions to take place and the dates are…

JCT Young Professionals Group – Founder Member Leaders…Bailey Ellis

/ JCT Young Professionals Group

In this series we find out more about some of the key people who give their time to support the JCT Young Professionals Group (JCT YPG). We will look at our interviewees’ background and how they got into the industry, the importance of their contribution to JCT YPG specifically, and gain their views on JCT’s wider role within the industry. Name: Bailey Ellis Job Title: assistant building surveyor Company: JLL Short Bio: Working within JLL’s central London building surveying team for occupier clients throughout the office relocation process, providing end-to-end services, including dilapidations, technical due…

YPG Member Spotlight Questionnaire: Zoë Deckker

/ Interviews, JCT Young Professionals Group

Title or occupation: Solicitor How long have you been a YPG member: Two years   Professional Spotlight 1. Tell us a bit about your background; what is your current role, and why did you decide on a career in the construction industry? I am a Solicitor in the Construction team at Edwin Coe LLP. Coming from a family of Architects and Architectural Historians, I have always been very interested in the built environment – which I realise is a hugely broad term! From the very…