Search Results for: office design

Two major new London fit-out contracts for ISG

Colegreave HouseMultinational fit-out and construction firm ISG has won a contract for the fit-out of clothing retailer Arcadia’s UK headquarters near Oxford Street in London and is believed to have won a £50 million contract to fit out the ‘Baby Shard’ at London Bridge for Rupert Murdoch’s News UK. The £32 million Arcadia project for the reinvention of Colegreave House, designed by Sheppard Robson, involves the fit-out of four storeys and 155,000 sq. ft. of the existing building. Staff at the firm responsible for High Street brands such as Dorothy Perkins, Top Shop and Burton will remain in situ for the duration of the phased project which includes the installation of glazed roofs over the atria at the heart of the building to provide new community areas for staff.

More →

Seminar programme for workplace ergonomics and productivity event unveiled

Seminar programme for workplace ergonomics and productivity event unveiledPaying attention to ergonomics in design; MSDs in the office – a demographic challenge; and boomers and Millennials and the changing workplace; are just some of the topics being covered in a series of seminars dedicated to workplace ergonomics and productivity taking place over two days next week. The Workplace Ergonomics & Productivity exhibition and seminar event is organised by the Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors, to showcase the latest products, services, research and ideas about how ergonomics can benefit workers, managers and their businesses. Visitors will have the opportunity to examine products at exhibition stands, listen to speakers on a range of topics and gain an understanding of how ergonomics and productivity are related. For more information on the event – Ibis Earls Court, London (1 – 2 Oct), click here.

The latest issue of the Insight newsletter is now available to view online

2.Insight_twitter_logo smThis week’s Insight newsletter, available to view online features a review of this year’s 100% Design, including the latest trends in office products and the debates on acoustics and flexible working hosted by Insight during the show. In other news: the number of managers in the UK reaches record levels; winners are announced for the inaugural World Green Building Council Leadership Awards; and demand for social media work tools are on the increase. We also reveal the reasons behind the Government’s campaign to promote BIM amongst smaller businesses; how a culture of “jobs for the boys” procurement is driving some service providers to desperate measures to bag fresh business; and new research on why senior executives persist in working to unhealthy levels.

Winners announced for outstanding leadership in sustainable buildings awards

City Green Court

City Green Court building in Prague

British Land, Spanish city Vitoria-Gasteiz and the City Green Court building in Prague, Czech Republic, have clinched the top spots in the inaugural World Green Building Council Leadership Awards – Europe Region. The awards, which were announced to coincide with World Green Building Week 2013 – honour leadership and best practice in green building policy, construction projects and corporate initiatives. British Land won the category for Business Leadership in Sustainability; Vitoria-Gasteiz picked up the award for Leadership in City Policy for Green Building award; and office building City Green Court, topped the Leadership in Building Design and Performance category for its sustainability features. More →

Record number of managers in the UK, but who or what are they all managing?

quis-custodiet-ipsos-custodesThe number of managers in the UK has reached record levels according to a new report. But who or what they are all managing is slightly less clear as structural changes in the UK economy mean there are fewer people in full time and skilled work, especially in the public sector, as well as a growing number of the self-employed. An analysis of ONS statistics by the Jobs Economist reveals the number of people defined as managers in the UK is now 3.1 million, up 7.8% in just two years and now more than 10% of the entire workforce. By contrast the number of skilled trades people has fallen by 2.2%, the number of people working full time has fallen to 21.4 million, public sector employment has fallen by 437,000 in three years while the number of self-employed has grown by 367,000 since the 2008 downturn.

More →

World Green Building week launches with a breath of fresh air

World Green building week launches with a breath of fresh airMaking sustainability sexy is a tall order. Look up the topic “green building” and you’ll invariably come across in depth descriptions of energy saving schemes and achieving a BREEAM rating. All these considerations are of course very important, but they make it difficult to engage building occupants. With the theme “Greener buildings, better places, healthier people”, World Green Building Week, which begins today (16-20 September), should do just that, by concentrating on the tangible benefits to building occupants of a green office. Paul King, Chief Executive of UK-GBC, said: We often hear about the environmental and financial benefits of green buildings, but less attention is paid to the impact on those who live and work in them.” More →

The latest issue of Insight newsletter is now available to view online

Oof for newsletterIn our weekly newsletter, Insight, now available to view online; a preview [pictured] of 100% Design, (Earl’s Court 18 -21 Sept) featuring the latest designs from some of the world’s most progressive suppliers of office products; BCO research into the way space and budgets within buildings are allocated; how widespread adoption of BYOD can leave organisations’ data vulnerable; confusion amongst FMs at to what BIM actually does; and advice on compiling a list of the world’s coolest offices. Andrew Mawson argues it’s still possible to deliver a pleasurable and effective workplace whilst achieving economic objectives; and reflecting on the BBC Head of HR’s grilling at the hands of the Public Accounts Committee, Simon Heath asks would your business bear the same scrutiny unscathed?

Research reveals UK’s shrinking workplace space standards and regional disparities

Alice growingThe latest Occupier Density Study from the British Council for Offices reveals that London and the South East of England have some of the most spacious workplaces in the UK, in spite of the fact that London has the most expensive office space on Earth. The BCO research found that the South West has the highest density at 8.6 sq. m. per workstation while London (11.3 sq. m.) and the South East (12.7 sq. m.) have lower densities than all UK regions apart from Wales (11.4 sq. m.). Yet recent research from Cushman and Wakefield has identified London as the world’s most expensive city to rent office space and a report last week from BNP Paribas revealed the large disparities in total occupancy costs between London and the rest of the UK.

More →

Go ahead for Google HQ and Farringdon developments but Smithfield plans back on hold

Running track at Google's new Kings Cross HQ

Running track at Google’s new Kings Cross HQ

Two landmark developments in London have been given the go ahead at the same time as the troubled plans to develop the iconic Smithfield market are once again put on ice. Google’s plans for a 924,000 sq. ft headquarters building as an anchor of the redevelopment of Kings Cross were waved through by Camden Council, while Islington Council has also granted permission for a 207,000 sq. ft scheme to develop six storeys of office space, with retail units at street level, on the corner of Cowcross Street and Farringdon Road, one of two new office developments located at the new Crossrail station.

More →

CBI calls on Government to incentivise businesses to invest in energy efficiency

carrot incentiveThe Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has published a new report calling on the Government to adopt a more streamlined and integrated approach to energy efficiency policies, including those relevant for the UK’s commercial buildings. The report also addresses a range of related benefits and obligations for companies to help them cut costs, manage risk and open up commercial opportunities. The report argues that energy efficiency has been neglected for too long, despite the fact that Government figures show a domestic industry that is growing at 4 percent a year, is worth £17.6bn in sales and supports 136,000 jobs.

More →

Latest issue of Insight newsletter is now available to view online

2.Insight_twitter_logo smThe latest issue of our weekly newsletter, Insight, is now available to view online. This week:  with more over 50s in the workforce than ever before, forget Gen Y, the workplace is and will remain multigenerational; the challenge for larger organisations in creating a productive “buzz” in the office; why we propose a version of the Darwin Awards for health and safety; advice on improving the performance of low energy designed buildings; the BIFM bows out of negotiations to merge with fellow trade associations; investor confidence in commercial property reaches the highest level in five years; and we list the seven ways in which flexible working has actually made our lives more rigid.

Conference goers can get on their bikes to hold business meetings

Conference delegates get on their bikes to make a presentationThe treadmill desk is designed to help workers fight the flab, now those attending business meetings and conferences at one hotel can keep fit while also helping to combat global warming. A “Pedal Power” trial at Qhotels’ Forest Pines Hotel and Golf Resort near Lincolnshire will require users to continuously pedal with a bicycle generator to convert 100 watts of energy, which powers enough electricity to charge a laptop – the equivalent to a gentle race up a hill. The initiative comes following a recent survey of QHotels’ delegates which found that 55 per cent deem environmental credentials important. The pedal power generator was deemed a simple and fun way to power a conference presentation – though whether those forced to do the cycling will agree is debatable. More →