Search Results for: office design

Government issues new guidance on managing surplus property

Government issues new guidance on managing surplus property

The UK Cabinet Office has published updated functional guidance titled Managing Surplus Government Property, setting out how government departments should identify, evaluate and dispose of surplus real estateThe UK Cabinet Office has published updated functional guidance titled Managing Surplus Government Property, setting out how government departments should identify, evaluate and dispose of surplus real estate within the central government estate. The document was released on 10 November 2025. The guidance replaces the earlier Guide for the Disposal of Surplus Land and reflects a broadened scope, placing greater emphasis on reviewing multiple options and combining factors when considering disposal or reuse of property assets. (more…)

Coworking space numbers rise across UK and Ireland

Coworking space numbers rise across UK and Ireland

The number of coworking spaces in the UK and Ireland has reached a new peak, according to new industry data, signalling the continuing shift in how offices are being used.The number of coworking spaces in the UK and Ireland has reached a new peak, according to new industry data, signalling the continuing shift in how offices are being used. Data from CoworkingCafe’s third quarter 2025 report show around 4,315 coworking locations across the region, of which approximately 4,048 are in the UK and 267 in Ireland. In the UK the distribution is heavily concentrated in major urban centres. Greater London alone hosts roughly 1,191 coworking sites. Manchester follows as a leading regional hub with around 120 spaces, while Glasgow and Birmingham also show significant numbers at 68 and 67 respectively. (more…)

The evolving workplace in the hybrid working era

The evolving workplace in the hybrid working era

A little over five years ago, most knowledge workers went home — and dialed into the office remotely. The pandemic triggered a massive uptick in the “virtual workforce,” and organizations raced to provide technology to make connectivity possible. The limitations of those early “quick and dirty” solutions became apparent as the majority of the workforce settled into a hybrid model. (According to Gallup, 51 percent of US workers with remote-capable jobs follow a hybrid schedule while 28 percent are fully remote.) (more…)

Is a smart building worth it? My research says the answer is an unequivocal yes

Is a smart building worth it? My research says the answer is an unequivocal yes

Too often, clients have paid contractors for the design and delivery of a smart building whilst ignoring the operational sideFor my book, The Smart Building Advantage, in which I tracked the evolution of the recent built environment, I trawled through more than a decade’s worth of data. I wasn’t short of material. I studied the Salesforce Tower in San Francisco, 22 Bishopsgate in London and NEOM in Saudi Arabia, amongst many extraordinary examples of how buildings and technology can work together. From these, I concluded that smart buildings are like chameleons in the way they’ve adapted to meet the shifting demands of the corporate zeitgeist. (more…)

Mitsubishi Estate announces £800 million London Southbank mixed use development

Mitsubishi Estate announces £800 million London Southbank mixed use development

The Japanese developer will deliver a 600,000 sq ft mixed-use scheme, to be called Vista, which will combine offices, studios, galleries and exhibition areas. As part of the development, 40,000 sq ft has been allocated as affordable workspace for creative businesses, a measure intended to support start-ups and smaller firms in the sector.Mitsubishi Estate has announced plans to invest £800 million in the redevelopment of the former ITV Studios site on London’s South Bank, a project that is expected to create 4,000 jobs and provide significant new space for the capital’s creative industries. The Japanese developer will deliver a 600,000 sq ft mixed-use scheme, to be called Vista, which will combine offices, studios, galleries and exhibition areas. As part of the development, 40,000 sq ft has been allocated as affordable workspace for creative businesses, a measure intended to support start-ups and smaller firms in the sector.

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Revolut opens new London HQ as part of long term plan for the UK financial services sector

Revolut opens new London HQ as part of long term plan for the UK financial services sector

Fintech firm Revolut has announced the opening of its new global headquarters in London, underlining a week that has seen more than £110 billion committed to the UK financial services sector.Fintech firm Revolut has announced the opening of its new global headquarters in Canary Wharf, in a week that has seen more than £110 billion committed to the UK financial services sector. The company confirmed it will invest £3 billion over the next five years and create around 1,000 new skilled jobs. (more…)

UCL takes 40,000 sq ft at Maple House in Tottenham Court Road redevelopment

UCL takes 40,000 sq ft at Maple House in Tottenham Court Road redevelopment

University College London (UCL) has taken a 10-year lease on 40,000 sq ft of office space at Maple House, strengthening its relationship with investor and developer Lazari.University College London (UCL) has taken a 10-year lease on 40,000 sq ft of office space at Maple House, strengthening its relationship with investor and developer Lazari. The deal, one of the largest lettings in Bloomsbury and Fitzrovia this year, adds to the university’s extensive estate, which spans 6.5 million sq ft and makes it the single biggest occupier in Bloomsbury. The lease covers three floors within Maple House, part of Lazari’s Tottenham Court Road estate, which is undergoing a £55 million redevelopment. Originally designed in the 1970s by Richard Seifert, the granite-clad brutalist block is being modernised to deliver 110,000 sq ft of workspace across seven floors alongside residential, leisure and retail uses. A one-acre communal garden at first floor level, containing more than 90 trees, will form the centrepiece of the scheme. (more…)

Just one more CoreNet? Give it to me.

Just one more CoreNet? Give it to me.

Esme Banks Marr reports from CoreNet in AmsterdamLast week, CoreNet Global’s EMEA Summit returned to Amsterdam, and with it, the familiar rhythm of connection, conversation, and the occasional déjà vu. I’ve attended a handful of these, and every year I tell myself I pretty much know what I’m in for… and yet, I keep coming back. Why? Well, let me unpack. First, let’s talk about the setting. Amsterdam is one of those cities that feels like it’s permanently on the front foot. It’s forward-thinking, relentlessly innovative, and always busy shaping the future. From cycling-first urban design to a thriving HQ and campus workplace scene, it’s a natural stage for a conversation about “Innovate to Thrive”, this year’s conference theme. I’ve always had the sense that the city itself lives that mantra. (more…)

Ten projects named as 2025 Urban land Institute Europe Awards for Excellence finalists    

Ten projects named as 2025 Urban land Institute Europe Awards for Excellence finalists    

Ten projects from eight countries across the EMEA region have been announced as the finalists in the sixth annual Urban Land Institute Europe Awards for ExcellenceTen projects from eight countries across the EMEA region have been announced as the finalists in the sixth annual Urban Land Institute Europe Awards for Excellence, which recognise exemplar projects and programmes in the private, public, and non-profit sectors. This year’s finalists comprise cutting edge refurbishment, restoration and new build projects, and include residential, healthcare, mixed use, education, community, laboratory and office projects from Italy, Germany, the UK, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, France and Spain.    (more…)

The power of play: how pool and table tennis can transform the workplace

The power of play: how pool and table tennis can transform the workplace

While workplace wellness programmes and flexible policies have their place, one of the most simple and effective interventions is often overlooked: playWorkplaces are under growing pressure to support both productivity and well-being. Hybrid schedules, long desk hours and rising stress levels mean organisations are rethinking what the office should provide. While wellness programmes and flexible policies have their place, one of the most simple and effective interventions is often overlooked: play. Games like pool and table tennis may once have been dismissed as gimmicks, but today they are increasingly recognised as part of a serious workplace strategy. Far from being distractions, they support movement, collaboration, mental health and focus – all of which are critical in a modern knowledge economy. (more…)

Updated: We need to acknowledge the role privilege plays in the ways we talk about work

Updated: We need to acknowledge the role privilege plays in the ways we talk about work

Acknowledging our own biases and privileges will help us to have better conversations about work and workplacesOver the weekend of the 9th of August, I listened to two episodes of Andrew Keen’s podcast which feature conversations with a couple of well-known people from our own domain of work and workplaces. One was Julia Hobsbawm and the other Dror Poleg. It seemed that Julia had introduced Keen to Dror so a link between the two existed. Another link formed in my mind as I listened: the unspoken role of privilege underpinning both conversations. albeit in different ways. (more…)

TRILUX and Sweco deliver circular lighting upgrade in Maidenhead

TRILUX and Sweco deliver circular lighting upgrade in Maidenhead

TRILUX partnered with Sweco UK Ltd to deliver a circular lighting upgrade at the consultancy's Maidenhead office.TRILUX has partnered with Sweco UK Ltd to deliver a circular lighting upgrade at the consultancy’s Maidenhead office. By refurbishing and upgrading the existing fluorescent luminaires, the project significantly reduced waste and improved the quality and efficiency of lighting in the open-plan workspace. Sweco UK Ltd, a leader in sustainable engineering and design, recently partnered with TRILUX to deliver a circular lighting refurbishment at its Maidenhead office. The project involved upgrading old fluorescent luminaires installed in multi-service chilled beams on the first floor, bringing a more sustainable, energy-efficient, and visually comfortable lighting solution to the space. (more…)