July 12, 2019

Regional productivity gaps at near record high

Differences in typical household incomes across the UK’s regions and nations have halved since their 1990 peak, but differences in productivity remain close to record highs, according to new research published by the Resolution Foundation. The report, Mapping Gaps, examines the relative economic performance of UK regions and nations since the 1960s, and the extent to which this has driven differences in household living standards. The report notes that regional inequality is a hot topic – particularly since the EU referendum exposed huge voting divides between London, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and the rest of the UK – and that the UK is one of the most unequal countries in the OECD when it comes to the relative economic performance of its regions and nations.

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July 11, 2019

Commercial property investors losing appetite for UK

by Freddie Steele • News, Property

Enthusiasm among international investors for the UK commercial property market has continued to wane over the past quarter, according to BrickVest’s latest commercial property investment barometer. According to the data ,capturing the views of over 6000 international professional real estate investors, only 27 percent view the UK as their preferred market, a 4 percent fall in the past 12 months. (more…)

July 10, 2019

Large firms not investing enough in productivity

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

A new report claims that 86 percent of Britain’s largest businesses are worried about raising their productivity with two-fifths (39 percent) calling their productivity ‘very concerning’, but that they are investing just 0.25 percent of turnover in measures to improve it, less than they invest in telecoms. The report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) and Concentra Analytics also suggests there is a “spray and pray approach” to driving productivity caused by a lack of insight into the performance of people. (more…)

July 10, 2019

Google remains most attractive company to work for

by Jayne Smith • News, Workplace

Universum Global has launched the findings for the UK portion of its annual Global Talent Survey (registration) which claims that Google is the UK’s most attractive company to work for by graduates for the seventh consecutive year. Universum studied 39,500 students from 97 British Universities to understand the career aspirations, goals and workplace requirements for graduates.

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July 8, 2019

Flexible office demand in Paris almost double the global average

by Neil Franklin • Coworking, News, Property

Demand for flexible office space in Paris is almost double the global average, according to a report by Instant Offices. With demand for office space on the rise in Paris, serviced offices have seen a 26 percent increase while hybrid space has seen a 23 percent increase. While the city ranks fourth globally by the size of supply, Paris is considered to be one of the largest flexible office markets in Europe and ranks among the top 10 best start-up cities in the world. Alongside New York, San Francisco and London, Paris also remains one of the most expensive places to rent a desk. Despite this, demand in the city is on the rise as more large businesses choose flexible offices over conventional leases. (more…)

July 5, 2019

NeoCon marks a transitional year in 2019

by Anna King • Features, Workplace design

Chicago, considered the home for the modern workplace by many, played host once again to the 51st edition of NeoCon at The Merchandise Mart. The Mart, as is it affectionately known, is itself an interesting building; a vast space of 25 floors, it spans two city blocks and was the largest building in the world when it opened in 1930. (more…)

July 4, 2019

Smart cities spend to top $189 billion in next five years

by Neil Franklin • Cities, News, Technology

Global spending on smart cities will reach $189.5 billion in 2023, according to the latest IDC Worldwide Semiannual Smart Cities Spending Guide. The report claims that the main priorities for investment will be resilient energy and infrastructure projects, followed by data-driven public safety and intelligent transport. It suggests that these priority areas will account for more than half of all smart city spending throughout the 2019-2023 forecast period. The guide claims to quantify the expected technology opportunity around initiatives at a regional and global level. (more…)

June 25, 2019

Environmental transparency for buildings declared with new initiative

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Environment, Furniture

The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) and Living Future Europe Initiative (LFEI) has announced the full details release of a new edition of the Declare product transparency label for the European building and manufacturer market. The Declare Europe launch is taking place in Bolzano during the 2019 Klimahouse conference, which is focused on the exchange of ideas, innovations and insights on the latest trends in the energy-efficiency and sustainable construction sector. (more…)

June 21, 2019

Flexible office revolution shows no signs of slowing

by Neil Franklin • News, Property, Workplace design

The latest research from JLL, Disruption or distraction, where next for the UK flex market sector, claims that the real revolution of flexible office space lies in the variety of solutions now on offer and that the market has seen more changes over the last three years than the previous 30 combined as it continues to grow and evolve. JLL’s research claims that over the next five years more than 10m sq ft will be added to the stock in the key UK cities and flex space will account for over 8.5 percent of the total office stock by 2023. (more…)

June 21, 2019

HSBC strikes 1000 desk deal with WeWork

by Mark Eltringham • Coworking, News, Property

HSBC has agreed a deal to locate more than a thousand members of London staff in a WeWork coworking space in London. WeWork confirmed to the Financial Times that the bank has signed up for 1,135 desks at its new building at 2 Southbank Place. The move is further proof of how coworking has become a mainstream option for large corporations as they seek to get more value our of their property and introduce new working methods. HSBC’s corporate real estate team and other staff already work from coworking spaces, but the new deal marks a step change in its strategy.

Image: WeWork’s existing coworking space at Waterloo

June 20, 2019

EDGE enters UK market with project on South Bank

by Neil Franklin • Company news, Property, Technology

EDGE Technologies, the specialist developer best known for its groundbreaking The Edge building in Amsterdam has announced its entrance into the UK commercial property market with the £50m acquisition of 60 St Thomas Street on London’s South Bank. The acquisition is subject to planning permission, which EDGE will pursue in partnership with the seller. The partners will consult closely with Southwark Council and the local community. After completion of the development – four to five years from now – 60 St Thomas Street will be an optimised office environment and a new workspace fit for the future. (more…)

June 19, 2019

Coworking is now the key driver of change in property market

by Daniel Wright • Comment, Property, Workplace design

Having disrupted the property sector over the last decade, coworking continues to impact investors, developers and end users as the concept appears to be the dominant force in the commercial sector. Coworking can trace its roots back as far as the 1980s when Regus (now part of IWG) popularised the idea of a serviced office, by taking on leases of office buildings, subdividing the available space and leasing it out to small business, fully furnished and ready to rent. (more…)