October 21, 2020
October 21, 2020
Commercial rental prices fall in the UK as pandemic continues to bite
by Jayne Smith • Business, News, Property
Commercial real estate rental prices are continuing to drop in all the UK’s main business centres according to the latest quarterly figures by national office agent FreeOfficeFinder.com. Office rental prices and those for coworking spaces at the UK’s major cities are all feeling the long-term effects of the Covid-19 pandemic with predictions that they will slump even further as a result of the new lockdown measures announced by the government. More →
October 20, 2020
BCO London Region Awards winners announced
by Neil Franklin • Company news, News, Property, Workplace design
Five businesses have been recognised in London at the annual British Council for Offices’ (BCO) regional awards. This year, the prestigious event was held virtually as part of the BCO’s Festival Awards Week, which recognises the highest quality developments in the UK and sets the standard for excellence in the regional and national office sector. More →
September 25, 2020
Office space costs fall for only the second time
by Jayne Smith • News, Property
Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) has published the results of its annual Total Office Costs Survey (TOCS), claiming that the average outlay of occupying office space in the UK fell by 1.3 percent over the 12 months to June 2020 for new build accommodation and 1.6 percent for 20-year old buildings. This is only the second time costs have fallen in the survey since the global financial crisis in 2008 and contrasts sharply with the 3.6 percent increase in costs in 2019. More →
September 22, 2020
New demand for office space indicates mass `return to work`
by Jayne Smith • Facilities management, News, Property, Working lives
Water cooler chats and the buzz of office life is set to remain on hold until at least the New Year as businesses look to restructure their office needs from January. A government drive to see more office employees return to work in the workplace has seen a rise in commuters to more than 60 percent according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics. More →
September 21, 2020
Commercial property market in Oxford-Cambridge Arc proving resilient
by Neil Franklin • News, Property
Take-up of office and laboratory space in the Oxford-Cambridge Arc has remained resilient during the first half of 2020, according to a new report from property consultants Bidwells. The firm claims that 117,600 sq ft was taken in Oxford between January and July, reaching 85 per cent of the city’s ten-year average despite the Covid-19 pandemic. More →
September 16, 2020
Get used to the idea of work as an experience rather than a place
by Tim Oldman • Comment, Flexible working, Property, Workplace design
Suck it up. The role of property in supporting organisational performance has changed forever. The obsession with bricks and mortar has to shift to the employee-as-consumer experience. If we understand that user experience, then organisations can make the right decisions. The problem is, experience is now scattered across millions of homes worldwide. More →
September 8, 2020
Majority of businesses plan to move to smaller but more focused offices in future
by Neil Franklin • News, Property
According to a new independent survey of over 500 senior business decision-makers, nearly three quarters believe COVID-19 will result in more UK businesses downsizing to smaller office spaces in the coming 12 months. Most also say they value the office and will be more focused on its strengths as part of the shift. The data from property developers Accumulate Capital claims to show how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected UK businesses and their commercial property needs. More →
September 4, 2020
UK business leaders predict office downsizing in the coming year
by Jayne Smith • News, Property
A new independent survey by Accumulate Capital suggests how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected UK businesses and their commercial property needs. The property development firm commissioned an independent survey of more than 500 senior decision-makers from businesses all over the UK and the majority believe there will be a need for downsizing to smaller office spaces in the future. More →
August 12, 2020
The death of the office? Wait a minute
by John Williams • Comment, Property, Workplace design
I have observed with some disbelief the numerous articles that have heralded the “death of the office” and other click-bait driven headlines. It makes for a fun read but fails to really understand exactly what the office is for and how the modern workspace is actually used. The best way to take a view of this is to understand why we will be desperate to return to the office and why organisations should be doing everything they can to ensure it does. More →
August 10, 2020
Central London office leases fall by over half in second quarter of 2020
by Neil Franklin • News, Property
According to research from DeVono Cresa, the second quarter of 2020 saw 1.2 million sq. ft of office space leased across central London – a drop of 57 percent on the previous quarter. With the market feeling the full effects of the COVID-19 lockdown, demand, availability and rents in central London all trended as predicted, but with the pace somewhat subdued. Q1 2009, at the time of the Global Financial Crisis (921,000 sq. ft leased), remains the lowest quarter of take-up. More →
November 5, 2020
Leadership in a new age of virtuality
by Andrew Mawson • Comment, Facilities management, Property, Technology, Workplace design
We are living through a fundamental transformation in the way we work. The pandemic has forced organisations to go virtual. New government guidelines, including a tiered alert system, suggest that this will be the norm for the foreseeable future. But step back from the noise and it is easy to see how the current crisis is simply accelerating the inevitable. A confluence of forces, including advancements in technology and infrastructure, increasing globalisation, shifting demographics and COVID-19, has enabled greater connectivity and mobility, making obvious to organisations, their leadership and individuals the wisdom of adopting flexible work models. More →