January 31, 2013

A Field Guide to Workplace Terminology

by Simon Heath • Comment, Facilities management, News, Property, Technology, Workplace design

As the ecosystem around the workplace industry grows ever more complex, so too does the language we use to describe it. In an attempt to bring order to chaos, guest writer Simon Heath presents here a glossary of terms, acronyms and abbreviations to help you navigate these linguistic waters. (For example Business Intelligence – A commonly used oxymoron.) For more of Simon’s worldly, wise and witty writing on all things work and workplace related, visit his blog at https://workmusing.wordpress.com.

January 31, 2013

Lights off as France announces new energy saving law

by Mark Eltringham • Environment, Legal news, Lighting, News, Workplace design

The French Environment Ministry has announced that a new law will come into effect in July that requires non-residential buildings to turn off interior and window display lights each night. Under the new legislation lights in shop windows will need to be turned off at 1am and lights in office and other commercial buildings switched off an hour after the last employee leaves. The new law is planned to save around 250,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year as well as enough energy to power 750,000 French households. The ministry believes the law will change attitudes and help the country become a pioneer in reducing light pollution and energy use.

January 31, 2013

Better Buildings challenge for sustainable innovation

by Sara Bean • Architecture, Environment, News, Property, Technology, Workplace design

BPP

A competition to find green solutions that help to improve the performance of commercial buildings has been launched by the Institute for Sustainability, in partnership with the Climate Knowledge and Innovation Community (Climate-KIC) and the Better Buildings Partnership (BBP) – a collaboration of leading London commercial property owners and investors. Because energy efficiency improvement works have focused primarily on mechanical and electrical control upgrades and plant replacement, the competition focuses on innovations which could help improve the environmental performance of the building envelope. More →

January 31, 2013

Apple achieves trademark for store designs

by Mark Eltringham • Legal news, News, Technology, Workplace design

It has long been a complaint of designers and marketers that courts do not understand design. For the most part this has made it difficult for them to trademark things like packaging designs and colours leaving them open to copycat designs which can seriously undermine a brand and make merchandising more difficult than it need be. Now Apple – who else? – has taken things to a whole new level by officially trademarking its distinctive shopping centre store design in the US.

January 30, 2013

Survey reveals world’s speediest and highest lifts

by Mark Eltringham • Architecture, News, Workplace design

Building information database provider Emporis has unveiled what it believes to be the world’s speediest lifts in a new survey. The company found that the fastest in the world were those in the Taipei 101 tower (above) manufactured by Toshiba. A Mitsubishi lift in Japan’s Yokahama Landmark Tower was named as the second-fastest, while the Otis manufactured lifts in Dubai’s 828m-high Burj Khalifa share third place with three other buildings. The results are inevitably clustered given the limitations of the human body to withstand rapid ascents and descents. More →

January 30, 2013

Guide argues positive green message for sustainable gains

by Sara Bean • Architecture, Environment, Knowledge, News, Technology, Workplace, Workplace design

sustainia-world

Fear, despair and resignation do not motivate people to change their practices; they should instead be inspired by the positive messages of sustainable living. In Guide to Sustainia international sustainability initiative Sustainia argues innovation has made such impressive leaps over the last decade it’s now possible to break with the perception of a sustainable society as one of limitations. With cities and developers already assembling the nuts, bolts and designs of a more sustainable future, the guide presents a compilation of real initiatives and technologies from around the world, in a blueprint for a sustainable future. More →

January 29, 2013

Plans to convert offices may undermine innovation and growth

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Legal news, Property, Public Sector, Workplace design

Whatever they might think, Governments don’t have a natural propensity for joined up thinking. Nor do they have a natural affinity with small businesses, especially those that emerge in non-traditional sectors. Governments may like to claim they can display both of these noble values, but experience tells us different. One thing they are prone to, however, is a frequent ability to fall victim to unfortunate juxtapositions of complex events that throw their inherent weaknesses into sharp relief.

January 28, 2013

A train that symbolises the clash of old and new ways of work

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Technology, Workplace, Workplace design

Today we’ll all be hearing a lot more about the plans for HS2, the Government’s flagship construction project and all-round Keynesian boot in the pants for the UK economy. Most of what will pass for debate will involve some light class warfare about the route through Tory constituencies, seasoned with a dash of NIMBYism, some chest beating from Labour who started the whole thing but can’t be seen to support it fully and various other bits of pointless to-ing and fro-ing. But what is most remarkable about the scheme as far as Insight is concerned, is how its business case completely and deliberately ignores the way we work. More →

January 26, 2013

Tech and media firms drive demand for London offices

by Mark Eltringham • News, Property, Technology, Workplace design

The UK’s thriving technology and media sectors are driving demand for office space in London, creating hotspots of businesses and talent according to a new report published yesterday by property services provider Colliers International. However a shortage of supply means that not only are tech and media firms driving up rents and supplanting traditional businesses, many are adopting more ‘institutional-style’ office spaces then using design and refurbishment to put their own stamp on them.

January 25, 2013

Deadline to nominate Northern Ireland building design prowess

by Sara Bean • Architecture, Environment, News, Property, Public Sector, Workplace design

belfast_thumb edited

Today (25 January) is the deadline to nominate Northern Ireland’s most remarkable developments in land, property and construction. The RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) Northern Ireland Awards will present accolades for Community Benefit, Building Conservation, Regeneration, and Design and Innovation at an awards ceremony in Riddel Hall, Queen’s University Belfast on 10 May. The scheme is open to anyone working within the property profession, and will celebrate the talents of surveyors, developers, engineers, planners, architects and others.

January 25, 2013

Architects appointed for new Canary Wharf projects

by Mark Eltringham • Architecture, News, Property, Workplace design

A new development by Canary Wharf plc in London has appointed three architects to design its first six buildings. Allies and Morrison will create two new office buildings at Wood Wharf, Herzog &de Meuron have been commissioned to design a new residential tower and Stanton Williams will be responsible for the creation of three new residential blocks and a central courtyard. The overall mixed use scheme has been masterplanned by Terry Farrell and Partners.

January 24, 2013

Yes, very nice, but who do you think is going to clean it?

by Mark Eltringham • Architecture, Comment, Facilities management, Workplace design

If you want to, you can see the difference between design and facilities management as the difference between sex and parenthood. One is an act of creation, the other of care. So while an architect or designer might look at the honeycomb structures and shiny surfaces of the interior of the 40,000 capacity Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi with admiration, the person who is actually responsible for looking after it might well be more likely to think ‘well, that’s just great’.