Search Results for: real estate

September 29, 2016

Worldwide progress in creating sustainable building regulations is slow ⁰

by Sara Bean • Cities, Environment, Facilities management, News, Property

The level of transparency in the reporting of the environmental performance of commercial real estate is growing across the world, but the pace of new sustainable building regulations remains slow. That is the key finding of JLL’s Real Estate Environmental Sustainability Index, which measures the availability of a range of environmental transparency tools in 37 countries. Whilst 17 countries have improved their overall scores since the last survey two years ago, 13 have remained static and three have declined. Half of all country index improvements have been driven by the introduction of voluntary minimum energy efficiency standards for existing buildings. This year France topped the Index for the first time, thanks to the consistent roll-out of mandates to transition to a low carbon economy. Japan has moved up from the transparent group to join France, Australia and the UK in the highly transparent group.

September 27, 2016

Businesses failing to look at workplace effectiveness in the right way ⁰

by Tim Oldman • Comment, Facilities management, Property, Workplace design

This month, the director-general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), Carolyn Fairbairn, suggested that productivity growth across all parts of the UK economy should be the number one priority for business and government. And the CBI isn’t alone in emphasising the importance of honing in on and tackling the ongoing productivity problem. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) economic forecast summary, published earlier this summer, productivity has been exceptionally weak since 2007 and doesn’t show much sign of abating nearly ten years later. Labour productivity per employee has failed to markedly rise since the global downturn and the UK is still miles behind the G7 average – that’s according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) quarterly figures and CBI data. So, to echo Fairbairn, reviving British productivity is essential to sustain growth and living standards.

September 27, 2016

Boost predicted for commercial property transactions across the UK ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News, Property

The next five years will see demand for commercial property in the South East of England expand at a faster rate than in London according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Annual Occupiers Survey 2016. The survey, conducted in association with EY and Savills found that a fifth (20 per cent) of UK property decision-makers expect to increase rather than decrease the amount of space they own or rent in the South East. In total, a net balance (percentage expecting to expand minus percentage expecting to downsize) of 13 per cent more respondents in the South East expect to increase, rather than decrease their portfolio, nearly double the figure for London at seven per cent. The net balance figures showed the lowest indication of growth was in the South West, at four per cent. The survey also revealed that 41 per cent of UK firms expect to expand the amount of UK property they own or rent over the next five years while only 8 per cent expect to downsize.

September 25, 2016

Flexible productivity myth + Women’s wear + Millennial motivators ⁰

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, Flexible working, Newsletter, Property

In this week’s Newsletter; Colin Watson points out that we sometimes forget just how young the Internet is; Paul Carter ponders working off the radar and the rise of co-working hubs and agile working; Mark Eltringham argues we’ve known for some time what makes people happy and productive at work; and says flexible working has developed a reputation as something of a silver bullet. Women’s choice of office attire is subject to unfair criticism by bosses; contrary to popular belief Millennials want the same from the workplace as everyone else; and evidence that sensory inputs can significantly improve productivity and cognitive performance. A new report suggests how technology will impact on real estate; and reasons for the boom in co-working spaces in London are revealed. Download our new Briefing, produced in partnership with Boss Design on the link between culture and workplace strategy and design; visit our new events page, follow us on Twitter and join our LinkedIn Group to discuss these and other stories.

September 12, 2016

CoreNet Global 2016 summit to convene in Amsterdam this week ⁰

by Sara Bean • Company news, Events, Facilities management, Property, Wellbeing, Workplace, Workplace design

The Bigger Picture: Geopolitics, Economics and the Environment is the theme of this year’s CoreNet Global 2016 Summit – EMEA, (14-16 September). It will include sessions focusing on issues as diverse as Brexit, terrorism, disruptive technologies in real estate, the impact of geopolitics and economics on occupiers, sustainable buildings, the war for talent, and how the latest findings from neuroscience are contributing to workplace design. The summit, which is being held in Amsterdam, will host more than 500 registered delegates from 25 countries. Confirmed keynote speakers during the three day event include Mujtaba Rahman of the Eurasia Group, who will explore the current political and economic state of the EMEA region, and writer, businessman and futurologist Mark Stevenson, who will address the importance of agility and disruption. This year’s programme will also include a guided site tour of the Overhoeks mixed use development project. Registration details are available from the website.

September 6, 2016

Post Brexit business confidence returns but overall uncertainty remains ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Cities, Legal news, News, Property

Blink and you’ll miss some news item on Brexit, so here’s just some of the stuff we’ve picked up on the last few days. It’s hard to imagine that any of these stories might be woven into some sort of coherent narrative, especially when the Prime Minister has yet to announce any details or timescales for the UK’s mooted withdrawal from the EU, if not the Single Market. Some of the ifs and buts are laid out in this excellent blog, but the reality is that nobody really knows what will happen and, as the writer suggests, the UK may not have the expertise to deliver a coherent withdrawal anyway. In the meantime, there appears to be some sense that business is returning to normal. The key CIPS/Markit survey of business confidence has bounced back both quickly and strongly and there are other signs that not all is doom and gloom. That said, there are clear signs that overseas partners are spooked amid the uncertainty even though the still low Sterling exchange rate continues to make the UK attractive.

August 15, 2016

UK commercial property prices fall during first full month after Brexit ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Company news, News, Property

The first full month of market activity in the UK’s commercial property sector since the Brexit vote, saw its value fall by just under three percent, according to the latest data from real estate researchers MSCI in their monthly IPD real estate index. The value of the nationwide market fell by 2.8 percent over the month. Central London was particularly badly hit with values falling by 4.1 percent. The monthly report is sponsored by a number of the major players in the commercial property sector and is based on an analysis of every building in the MSCI database including currently occupied buildings and those in development and being refurbished. A report published earlier this month by Investment Property Forum found that while the overall value of the UK’s commercial property had hit record levels, the uncertainty surrounding the consequences of Brexit was of major concern for investors and occupiers.

July 14, 2016

Google and LinkedIn reach agreement on enormous office swap ⁰

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

In March, we reported on the stumbling blocks faced by Google in its plans to create a vast new home for itself in Silicon Valley, not least resistance from local authorities in California and the problems associated with neighbouring land owned by LinkedIn. Now, according to a report in the Silicon Valley Business Journal, it appears the noisy neighbours have come to a deal to swap large chunks of real estate. According to the report, Google will acquire all of LinkedIn’s existing land in the Mountain View area, which consists of LinkedIn’s existing 370,000-square-feet headquarters and eight acres of land LinkedIn had set aside for turning into new office space. LinkedIn will now relocate its headquarters to four office buildings in the area currently owned by Google to create a new 750,000 sq. ft. portfolio. The deal represents a win-win for both parties with LinkedIn doubling its existing space without the costly need to build new offices, while Google finally gets the chance to realise its dream of building the quirky campus designed by Heatherwick Studio and Bjarke Ingels.

July 1, 2016

Increase in workplace technology spend will help make offices ‘more human’ ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News, Technology, Workplace design

Spending on workplace technology has doubled in the past five years as artificial intelligence is used to redefine how we connect in the workplace. That is the central claim of a new report from design firm Unispace based on interviews with CEOs and Heads of Real Estate at some 100 blue chip firms worldwide including KPMG, Cisco, Adidas, GE, Accenture, Boston Consulting Group, Regus, Deloitte, UBS, Chevron, CitiGroup, and Ashurst, Respondents were asked to assess how they expect to use office space in 2020. According to the report, respondents indicated that they will continue increasing technology spend, irrevocably changing the traditional office space as we know it. Over the last five years, the average company spent 10 percent of its workplace budgets on technology with 30 percent going on services, partitioning and furniture. The trend has now reversed with technology spend outstripping other spend as companies strive to improve efficiency, collaboration, creativity, engagement and recruitment.

June 29, 2016

Brexit; a round-up of latest thoughts from the property and workplace sectors ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Architecture, Cities, News, Property

Whatever your opinions on Brexit, there’s no doubt that it has created a range of frequently turbulent knock on effects in the workplace, commercial property, design and architecture sectors. We’ve shared some of the latest views on the next page to go with the initial reactions delivered by a still shell-shocked world that we published last Friday. One thing seems pretty clear is that for most firms, including those in the commercial property sector, there is no rush to judgement and most are prepared to continue business as usual while so much remains undecided. For the same reasons, the FT is reporting that some developers are putting projects on ice until they have more certainty and a report from researchers Green Street suggests that the eventual decision to leave the EU will result in a substantial fall in real estate values. Meanwhile, CIBSE is the latest organisation to calm fears about the impact of the UK leaving the EU.

June 24, 2016

Property and workplace experts have their say on the Brexit outcome ⁰

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

Well, the results are in and the UK’s electorate has voted by a narrow margin for the country to leave the EU. There are likely to be other developments but whatever you make of the UK’s decision to vote to leave the EU – and I think it’s fair to say most independent people think it’s inexplicable – there’s no doubt that it will have a profound impact on the UK’s economy, relationship with the world, culture, working conditions and markets. What it will mean in practice won’t be apparent for months or years, of course, but that hasn’t stopped experts who work in the property, workplace, design, legal, HR and architecture sectors having their say on its potential implications. We’ll look at these specific issues in more detail going forward but for now, here’s a round-up of those we have so far, which we’ll keep updated throughout the day as the dust settles on what will prove to be a momentous decision for the UK, Europe and rest of the world.

June 15, 2016

New workplace technology will automatically adapt offices to needs of staff ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Case studies, Facilities management, News, Technology, Workplace design

A new generation of workplace technology that allows the working environment to adapt to the needs of individuals will attract people to work in offices and contribute to their productivity, wellbeing and happiness. That is the key finding of a new report from US office furniture giant Haworth. According to the white paper Enabling the Organic Workspace: Emerging Technologies that Focus on People, Not Just Space a new generation of sensors will measure how offices are used and allow them to adapt on a day to day basis by changing temperature and lighting levels and responding to employees’ needs and influencing their behaviour in other ways. The white paper suggests this will be a development of existing technologies in the way it adapts the immediate working environment to the specific needs of an individual or group. This might even entail using biometrics to assess their psychological and emotional needs, according to the report.