Search Results for: london

Google completes search for London HQ site

US based technology giant Google has completed the long expected £1bn property deal for a brownfield site in the King’s Cross Regeneration Area in London. The 2.4 acre site is located between King’s Cross and St Pancras rail stations and will be used for the development of an up to 11 storey complex which is due to be complete during 2016. Google will rationalise its two existing London locations into the new office and workplace design aficionados will be expecting great things from a firm that is renowned for its original approach, most recently at its Covent Garden offices designed by Penson.

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City of London grants planning permission for ‘The Scalpel’

No new building ever really deserves to be called ‘landmark’ unless it has acquired a nickname while still on the drawing board. That is why we can be assured that we will be hearing a lot more about the Kohn Pedersen Fox designed 38 storey HQ for US insurer WS Berkeley which has just been granted planning consent and already rejoices in the moniker ‘The Scalpel’. The new facility will provide over 500,000 sq ft of commercial space over 35 floors in Lime Street, East London. (more…)

Chance to visit London landmark The Crystal

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The Crystal, which was built by Siemens to showcase sustainable design and construction, is the venue for a couple of major events in February.  Achieving BREEAM Outstanding, the Crystal opened at Royal Victoria Docks in London last September to provide a hub for discussions and dialogues about how to create a sustainable urban future. The Crystal will also be home to the Workplace Futures 2013 conference, organised by i-fm.net on the 12 February, and will include an opportunity for delegates to attend the building’s interactive sustainable exhibition prior to an evening networking session. (more…)

London companies heading off to the East

…East London that is. According to property consultants Cushman & Wakefield we are seeing a net migration of companies away from their West End heartland towards the supposedly more creative and tech-focussed districts of Clerkenwell, Shoreditch and King’s Cross.  The firm reports that the take-up of West End office space fell by around a quarter to 2.5m sq ft in 2012.

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Refined, height and future-proof flexibility in office lighting

Refined, height and future-proof flexibility in office lighting

On Wimbledon’s high street, a new multi-level installation needed office lighting that looked refined on day one and could adapt gracefully for years to come. The client asked for high visual comfort, minimal visible containment to keep ceilings feeling taller, and an infrastructure that would let floors be subdivided later without tearing into the fabric. At 247 Wimbledon The Broadway, a new multi-level office required lighting that is elegant today and adaptable tomorrow. Zumtobel’s scheme combines TECTON track with suspended LIGHT FIELDS III and ONDARIA pendants to preserve clean ceiling lines and high visual comfort, while VIVO II provides precise vertical illumination. LITECOM integrates daylight and presence control, enabling easy future reconfiguration and energy-efficient operation. (more…)

Reimagining inclusive washrooms for the modern workplace

Reimagining inclusive washrooms for the modern workplace

As businesses continue to encourage employees back to the office, Fitzroy of London is urging organisations to rethink one of the most overlooked yet impactful areas of workplace design: the commercial washroomAs businesses continue to encourage employees back to the office, Fitzroy of London is urging organisations to rethink one of the most overlooked yet impactful areas of workplace design: the commercial washroom. Long treated as purely functional and often clinical in appearance, washrooms present a powerful opportunity to create inclusive, uplifting spaces that support everyone who uses them. In many commercial environments, inclsuive washrooms have historically prioritised compliance over experience, resulting in spaces that feel cold, uninspiring and disconnected from the rest of the interior design. Fitzroy of London believes this approach no longer reflects the values of modern workplaces, where inclusivity, wellbeing and design quality are key to attracting and retaining talent. (more…)

New digital issue of Works magazine is available for you to read online. If you don’t get the print edition, you’re missing out

New digital issue of Works magazine is available for you to read online. If you don’t get the print edition, you’re missing out

The new issue of Works magazine is now available for you to read online free. 2026 promises to be yet another revolutionary year for work and workplaces and we'll be with you at every step along the waThe new issue of Works magazine is now available for you to read online free. 2026 promises to be yet another revolutionary year for work and workplaces and we’ll be with you at every step along the way. In this issue: you’ll find three case studies and a round up of projects highlighting new thinking and best practice in workplace design; we consider how Canary Wharf and other business districts are in rude health in spite of the obituaries we may have read about them in recent years; there’s commentary from Adam Scott, Su Lim and Stephanie Fitzgerald; we have reports from two round tables in London as well as a look back on Design Mumbai; the latest news on products, materials and events. Plus there are loads more features, including our podcast series with Shaw Contract exploring the different facets of comfort. (more…)

Government office closures deliver over £17 million in annual savings

Government office closures deliver over £17 million in annual savings

The UK government says it has secured more than £17 million in annual savings over the past six months by closing three central London office buildingsThe UK government says it has secured more than £17 million in annual savings over the past six months by closing three central London office buildings and relocating staff into existing space within the public estate. The most recent closure is 10 Victoria Street, which ministers say will generate around £8.8 million a year in rental savings alone. The building has been vacated as part of a wider programme to reduce reliance on leased properties and consolidate departments into what officials describe as better used government offices. (more…)

Inspiring Makers 2026: Shaping the future of British craft and design

Inspiring Makers 2026: Shaping the future of British craft and design

Building upon past success and now going into its fifth year, Inspiring Makers is being held at Bath’s historic Guildhall on Wednesday 13th May 2026.Building upon past success and now going into its fifth year, Inspiring Makers is being held at Bath’s historic Guildhall on Wednesday 13th May 2026. The day-long event offers a unique platform to connect and inspire emerging designers and makers with leading brands and influential industry voices. The aim is to champion traditional hand skills, preserve British craft and to encourage, train and sustain the dedicated masters of the future. (more…)

ULI Europe publishes new guide on asset-level collaboration to accelerate decarbonisation of occupied buildings

ULI Europe publishes new guide on asset-level collaboration to accelerate decarbonisation of occupied buildings

ULI Europe has published a new Asset Sustainability Committees Best Practice Guide through its C Change programme to support collaboration between owners, occupiers and property managers in decarbonising multi-let commercial buildingsULI Europe has published a new Asset Sustainability Committees Best Practice Guide through its C Change programme to support collaboration between owners, occupiers and property managers in the decarbonisation of multi-let commercial buildings. Across Europe, the commercial real estate sector has made significant progress in setting net zero and sustainability commitments. However, translating these ambitions into measurable action within occupied buildings remains a persistent challenge. (more…)

Hybrid working is stabilising around the world, office occupancy report claims

Hybrid working is stabilising around the world, office occupancy report claims

A new study of office utilisation trends around the world suggests hybrid working patterns have largely settledA new study of office utilisation trends around the world suggests hybrid working patterns have largely settled, with average occupancy remaining well below pre-pandemic norms and peak attendance continuing to cluster midweek. The Hybrid Occupancy Index 2025–2026 [registration] published by workplace analytics firm HubStar, draws on data from more than 300 million square feet of office space across 173 buildings in 13 countries, covering more than 27,000 workspaces between January 2023 and December 2025. (more…)

Government expands regional civil service hubs through Places for Growth programme

Government expands regional civil service hubs through Places for Growth programme

The UK Government has reaffirmed its commitment to relocating civil service roles out of London as part of its Places for Growth programme

The UK Government has reaffirmed its commitment to relocating civil service roles out of London as part of its Places for Growth programme, a long-running initiative aimed at strengthening government presence across the UK and reducing reliance on the capital. Updated information published by the Cabinet Office outlines how the programme is intended to support regional economies and bring decision-making closer to communities by creating a more geographically distributed civil service workforce. (more…)