Chance to retrofit offices is going begging, report claims

Chance to retrofit offices is going begging, report claims

significant opportunities are being missed by office investors, owners, and occupiers who do not have clear strategies to retrofit offices in placeThe UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has launched new guidance on retrofitting large office buildings. Setting out the most cost- and carbon-effective retrofit measures in the immediate and longer term, the guidance reframes retrofit as an iterative process rather than a standalone project. UKGBC has found that significant opportunities are being missed by office investors, owners, and occupiers who do not have clear strategies to retrofit offices in place. Firstly, through missing the “easy wins” –low cost, low disruption measures that reduce energy consumption – and secondly, through missing key “trigger points” in lease and maintenance cycles that facilitate easier, more efficient retrofit. More →

Landlords and occupiers don’t see eye to eye on the decarbonisation of real estate

Landlords and occupiers don’t see eye to eye on the decarbonisation of real estate

Progress on the decarbonisation of real estate portfolios is being held back by a lack of understanding and collaboration between property owners and occupiersProgress on the decarbonisation of real estate portfolios is being held back by a lack of understanding and collaboration between property owners and occupiers, according to a new report from the Urban Land Institute C Change programme. If better alignment between the two parties is not prioritised, it has the potential to increase total emissions from the built environment over the medium to long-term as real estate decisions are often medium to long-term commitments, according to the authors. More →

Salford’s record breaking sustainable office building reaches completion

Salford’s record breaking sustainable office building reaches completion

The City of Salford is now home to Eden, one of the UK’s most sustainable office buildings, containing Europe’s largest living wall. From the site of a derelict surface car park with no benefits to the people of Salford, English Cities Fund (ECF) has created a 115,000 sq ft development that will transform this neglected urban area into a diverse mixed-use destination and form a key part of ECF’s £1bn regeneration of the Salford Central area. More →

London’s office market is reshaping the city and the way people experience the workplace

London’s office market is reshaping the city and the way people experience the workplace

2024: The year of connectivity, collaboration, and culture for workplace trends and changes in London's office marketLondon’s office market continues to adapt to evolving workforce demands. The normalisation of hybrid and flexible working since the pandemic remains the biggest cultural shift that the office sector has witnessed in decades. In addition to the rise in demand for quality-as-a-must in 2023, collaboration, culture, and connectivity will lead the charge for office space trends in the year ahead. More →

Only a quarter of firms say that staff will need to work full time from an office in future

Only a quarter of firms say that staff will need to work full time from an office in future

New research by the British Chambers of Commerce Insights Unit and technology firm Cisco, shows less than 30 percent of firms expect their workforce to be fully in person over the next five years. The survey of over 1,000 businesses, of which 96 percent were SMEs, found just 27 percent of respondents predict their staff will be fully in-person over the next five years. 47 percent anticipate their staff to be mostly in-person, 16 percent expect mostly remote and 8 percent fully remote. More →

Government brings forward plans to relocate 22,000 jobs away from London

Government brings forward plans to relocate 22,000 jobs away from London

The UK Government is bringing forward its target to relocate 22,000 roles out of LondonThe UK Government is bringing forward its target to relocate 22,000 civil service roles out of London. It comes as new figures today show that 16,061 roles have already been moved out of London, exceeding the commitment to relocate 15,000 roles by 2025 as part of the Places for Growth programme. Under the newly announced plans, Aberdeen, Darlington and Greater Manchester are to host second headquarters for major departments. Darlington is already the Treasury’s second headquarters.

Workplace and property firms must wake up to the new era of networked businesses

Workplace and property firms must wake up to the new era of networked businesses

the networked workplaceWhile millions of words have been dedicated to the expected changes in post-Covid workstyles – how will people work, where will they work, how will they be supported – very little has been said about their employers: companies and corporations. Yet the anticipated changes to work and the workplace raise questions about the role of the company. Is it one just half of a transaction between employer and employee? Or is it something more? Indeed, what is the role of the company in the modern economy? Is the nature of the company likely to change? The answers could have a greater impact on workstyles than the pandemic. More →

Cost and a lack of awareness are barely holding back surge in demand for green real estate

Cost and a lack of awareness are barely holding back surge in demand for green real estate

There is growing demand for green real estate in the APAC region, despite ongoing challenges in raising awareness and the higher costs involvedThe new RICS Global Sustainability Report for 2023 claims that there is growing demand for green real estate in the APAC region, despite ongoing challenges in raising awareness and the higher costs involved. The publication sets out to outlines the state of the world’s green and sustainable real estate and investor interest in acquiring and developing it. More →

Flexible workspace market will be worth up to $50bn by end of decade

Flexible workspace market will be worth up to $50bn by end of decade

The worldwide flexible workspace market could exceed between 35 and 50 billion US dollars by 2030, reflecting the growing demand for flexible and agile work environmentsAccording to a new market intelligence report, the worldwide flexible workspace market could exceed between 35 and 50 billion US dollars by 2030, reflecting the growing demand for flexible and agile work environments. The report claims that the escalating demand for flexible workspaces is on the rise, propelled by a heightened desire for convenience and comfort in prime locations such as offices and auditoriums. More →

Creating the epicentre: unlocking the untold benefits of next-generation office spaces 

Creating the epicentre: unlocking the untold benefits of next-generation office spaces 

Many associate the notion of futuristic office spaces, filled with equipment like sleep pods and beer taps, with companies that have a young workforce or challenger brand identityMany associate the notion of futuristic office spaces, filled with equipment like sleep pods and beer taps, with companies that have a young workforce or challenger brand identity. The association is often linked to tech giants like Google, which created quite a stir when it originally revealed its indoor slides. Whilst the inclusion of playground furniture in the office is not right for every business, the assumption that unconventional workspaces should be limited to unconventional companies simply isn’t true.  More →

Demand for sustainable buildings and tight regulations drive business case for investment

Demand for sustainable buildings and tight regulations drive business case for investment

The current economic environment is creating challenges for investors and occupiers to make the case for investing in retrofitting and futureproofing their real estate. JLL’s new The Commercial Case for Making Buildings More Sustainable report outlines three key factors that should be prioritized in occupiers’ and owners’ decision-making to create a more resilient and sustainable built environment. More →

Unpicking the retrofit enigma

Unpicking the retrofit enigma

We explore many of the issues around the crucial subject of retrofit in this supplement produced in partnership with BVNEarlier this year, a report from building consultancy Mace advocated for a retrofit first principle for buildings. The report highlighted how non-domestic buildings in the UK make up about an eighth of the country’s building stock but account for around a quarter of the country’s carbon emissions. The solution argued for in the report was to look at how best to retrofit around 3.5 million such buildings over the next ten years. We explore many of the issues around this crucial subject in this supplement produced in partnership with BVN. It represents both a snapshot of the current conversations about retrofit while pointing a way ahead. This one will run and run, but we need to get it right. More →