January 12, 2015
Availability of office space in Central London has fallen by half since 2009
The amount of available office space in Central London has fallen by almost half since 2009, new figures reveal. The latest end of year research by Deloitte Real Estate show that the availability of office space has fallen 14 per cent over the last 12 months, and warned that rents will probably rise by around six to over eight per cent as a result. In an analysis of the submarkets across the West End, Deloitte reports that Victoria has seen the greatest decline in available office space, falling 46 per cent in just 12 months. While the City of London market has not seen as dramatic a decline in available space, hovering around five million sq ft throughout 2014, it still remains at its lowest level for seven years. This is despite over 3 million sq ft of new office space completing construction during 2014 – a new high.
December 3, 2014
Focus on the wellbeing of the occupants of the office, not that of the building
by Maciej Markowski • Comment, Facilities management, Wellbeing, Workplace
If you ask a typical corporation about their real estate strategy you will most probably hear a lot about rationalisation, minimising cost and synergy. Real estate strategy should include all these but a cost-cutting approach can be very short-sighted. Staff costs usually account to about 90 per cent of the business operating cost, while any improvement in staff’s productivity will have a stronger and more positive outcome than any cost saving on a building. The recently released World Green Building Council (WGBC) report Health, Wellbeing & Productivity in Offices developed with the support of JLL, Lend Lease and Skanska, clearly shows that the design of an office has a strong impact on the health, wellbeing and productivity of its occupants. It describes the impact of acoustics, interior layout, look & feel, amenities, air quality, thermal comfort, location, daylight and user control on occupants. But it doesn’t stop there.
More →