Search Results for: commercial

October 19, 2017

Plans announced for Digital City on Toronto waterfront

Sidewalk Labs, owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet, is to build a ‘digital city’ in Toronto to showcase smart city technology and a range of other cutting edge innovations and examples of best practice. The aim is to turn the Eastern waterfront area of the city into a working laboratory for a range of technologies such as fast wi-fi, millions of smart city sensors, sustainable energy and autonomous cars. The over 3 million s. ft. mixed-use development in Toronto will also be built using cutting edge innovations in construction. Google is already set to become the first major tenant in the development with an office for 300 employees of its Canadian HQ. Sidewalk Labs and the local authorities hope to turn the area into a “place for tens of thousands of people to live, work, learn and play – and to create and advance new ideas that improve city life”.

(more…)

October 17, 2017

Record demand for London West End offices boosted by tech and media firms

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, News, Property, Technology

Take up of new commercial offices in London’s West End in September 2017 hit the highest quarterly total on record – with tech and media firms, along with serviced office schemes being the most active, according to figures from real estate advisor Savills. The take-up was 857,259 sq ft (79,639 sq m) – bringing total take-up by the third quarter to 1.62 million sq ft (150,498 sq m). Leasing activity in the third quarter of 2017 brings total take-up year to date, to 3.99 million sq ft (370,671 sq m), which already surpasses 2016’s total annual take-up (3.97 million sq ft) and places the West End in a strong position to exceed the record 4.3 million sq ft (399,470 sq m) amassed in 2015. Key deals that helped elevate the market included: Aegis pre-letting the entire 310,000 sq ft (28,799 sq m) at British Land’s 1 Triton Square; The Boston Consulting Group pre-letting 123,500 sq ft (11,473 sq m) at 80 Charlotte Street and Spotify acquiring 104,133 sq ft (9,674 sq m) at The Adelphi.

(more…)

October 13, 2017

Government sets out its vision for a low carbon UK

by Mark Eltringham • Environment, Facilities management, News

A strategy setting out how the UK plans to lead the world in cutting carbon emissions to combat climate change while driving economic growth, has been published by the Government. The Clean Growth Strategy: Leading the way to a low carbon future builds on the UK’s progress to date. Carbon emissions in the UK have fallen and national income risen faster than any other nation in the G7 since 1990, according to the report, with emissions down by 42 percent while the economy has grown by 67 percent.

(more…)

October 12, 2017

Working conditions and office design shown to impact on employee performance

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, News, Wellbeing, Workplace, Workplace design

New evidence of a strong correlation between productivity, creativity and even profitability with employee working conditions, such as: light, air, noise, health, culture, design, movement and the quality of furniture have been established in a new report. The syndicated research project, Wellness Together, carried out by Sapio Research, of 1000 UK based office workers and 50 Facilities Management experts, suggests a strong link between people feeling catered and cared for by their workplace/employers and how this impacts business performance. Wellness at work is a dominant theme in any discussion about the workplace. But this is not just a discussion about happiness, it is about creating cultures and environments that are conducive to commercial success. The study identifies that in order to achieve true ‘Wellness’ attention to every single component that can impact mental and physical health needs to be considered, from building structures and company cultures through to the physical furniture and fittings that employees require to work efficiently and effectively.

(more…)

October 11, 2017

UK businesses continue to stifle personal creativity at work

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

UK businesses are failing to support a culture of innovation despite employees believing that their companies would benefit from fresh ideas and innovative ways of working, new research claims. The study of 1,000 workplaces conducted by RADA in Business (the commercial subsidiary of the Royal Academy of Dramatic) found that 81 percent of workplaces had failed to create a culture of creativity at work that encourages new ideas and experimentation, according to their staff. Many employees feel that businesses are suffering as a result, with just under a quarter (24 percent) saying that their workplace is desperately in need of new ideas and fresh thinking to overcome current problems.

(more…)

October 4, 2017

Top UK workplaces honoured at BCO national awards ceremony

by Mark Eltringham • News, Property, Workplace design

London workplaces dominated at this year’s annual British Council for Offices National Awards dinner last night as a record six awards went to offices in the capital. London’s Sky Central was awarded the Best of the Best workplace at the British Council for Offices’ (BCO) annual National Awards in London last night. The office was also recognised as the Best Corporate Workplace in the UK, joining a list of six other award winners recognised for excellence in office space. Sky Central was praised by judges for bringing 3,500 of Sky’s workforce under one roof at their landscaped campus near Heathrow, West London. The judges were impressed by the building’s eighteen 200-person workspace neighbourhoods, arranged around six cores that resurrect ‘Büro Landschaft’ inspired planning rules. Judges also commended the vast array of services and amenities on offer, including six restaurants and cafes, a 200-seat state of the art cinema, 200-person event space and a technology ‘lounge’. We know all about Sky Central and a full write up from Sky’s then Workplace Director Neil Usher can be seen here.

(more…)

October 4, 2017

VodafoneZiggo workplace in Rotterdam sets out to redefine call centre design

by Mark Eltringham • Case studies, Features, Wellbeing, Workplace design

When you think of a call centre you probably picture a line of people seated in row upon row of desks in a featureless room. But call centre design is changing. As companies recognise their growing importance, the boiler room approach is disappearing and call centres are beginning to morph into a corporate centrepiece. Dutch telecoms company Ziggo is a case in point. The company merged with Vodafone in 2017 and today offers broadband and mobile services to both residential and commercial customers across the Netherlands. It has a large call centre and like many companies invests significant resources in training call centre employees in both technology and interpersonal skills. VodafoneZiggo’s call centre in Rotterdam, designed by Evolution Design is spread over several large open plan areas, which were converted into series of smaller work spaces, using low cost solutions such as simple wooden frames, acoustic panelling or a change of flooring to demarcate different zones. Staff can now choose to work in areas as diverse as a plant covered ‘greenhouse’, open plan spaces with bright yellow accents and colourful floor tiles or in a more urban-style zone that uses reclaimed wooden pallets to divide and decorate. Throughout the centre, desks are height adjustable so employees can choose whether to sit or stand. There is also a central reception area with meeting and training rooms and a colourful break out space with comfortable sofas, a café and a games zone complete with table football and video games.

(more…)

September 26, 2017

European businesses could save $243 billion by reducing wasted space in office buildings

by Sara Bean • Environment, Facilities management, Lighting, News, Technology, Workplace design

The Edge building in Amsterdam Research published to mark the beginning of World Green Building Week suggests that businesses in Europe could realise savings of up to $243 billion in reduced rental costs alone if their office buildings were refurbished to the most efficient standards. The analysis from Philips Lighting, claims the impact that could be made on rents across the world’s offices if business owners replicated the efficient usage of space achieved in a leading green building. The research suggests that in addition to reducing their carbon footprint, office tenants could see vast financial savings if their buildings were renovated in a way that uses space more effectively, particularly in buildings with a high number of empty spaces. The report calls for a doubling of the renovation rate of offices in developed countries to reach 3 percent per year, which it says will be a key factor in reducing emissions and offsetting increased global demand for energy from population growth and urbanisation.

(more…)

September 26, 2017

Growing concerns about staff wellbeing will transform real estate over coming years, claims study

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

The UK commercial property market will be transformed over the next few years as a growing number of firms use their workplaces to address the physical and mental wellbeing of staff, claims a new report from law firm CMS. The report, Smart Healthy Agile, is based around the findings of a survey of 1,000 office workers and 350 real estate firms. It claims that the most common problems associated with office life and sedentary lifestyles, such as weight gain, stress, depression and musculoskeletal disorders are encouraging employers to adopt a different approach to working culture and office design.

(more…)

September 26, 2017

Lack of cultural inclusiveness means staff reluctant to share personal issues at work

by Sara Bean • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

UK workers are still uncomfortable about having honest conversations at work, with nearly two thirds (61 percent) feel they keep an aspect of their lives hidden in the workplace. The research from Inclusive Employers found family difficulties (46 percent) was the most likely hidden issue at work, followed by mental health (31 percent). One in five also admitted they would hide their sexual orientation while at work. It also found a generational divide, with 67 percent of employees aged between 18 -24 years old keeping something secret compared to 55 percent of those over aged 55 years or over. The data, released to mark National Inclusion Week 2017, found this lack of openness can have negative impacts on workers and employers, with over a quarter of workers (26 percent) admitting they would feel less connected to their workplace if they hid an aspect of themselves and 18 percent saying their performance would suffer.

(more…)

September 25, 2017

People who work in coworking spaces believe they are more productive

by Mark Eltringham • Coworking, Flexible working, News

People who work in so-called coworking spaces claim they are more motivated and have more positive interactions with others, according to a new report. The report by Staples Solutions, called Collaboration Generation: The Rise of Millennials in the Workplace, details the trend in collaborative working, in addition to what attracts the millennial generation to business. Since 2010, co-working spaces worldwide have increased by 5,519 percent as the average office space per employee has decreased by 2.9 percent, the research reveals, with London seeing a reduction in traditional office space by 8.8 percent.

(more…)

September 21, 2017

Women struggle to make their voices heard in the workplace, claims RADA report

by Neil Franklin • News

Working women in the UK feel they face a number of challenges to make their voice heard in business environments, according to new research. The study, conducted by RADA in Business, the commercial subsidiary of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art which provides communication skills training for corporate individuals, found that just 8 percent of women find it easy to make their voice heard at work. In comparison, 15 percent of men reported being able to express themselves with ease within a work environment. The research also claims that women are 68 percent more likely than men to say they never feel comfortable when expressing themselves in a work environment (3.7 percent of women compared to 2.2 percent of men). This gap was widest in specific sectors, most notably IT, professional services (such as law and accountancy), retail and education.