Search Results for: performance

Sector leaders implore EU to be ambitious when setting carbon targets for buildings

Sector leaders implore EU to be ambitious when setting carbon targets for buildings

by • Environment, News

With a crucial vote fast approaching on the EU’s key piece of building legislation, a coalition representing 35 organisations is calling on politicians to seize a once-in-a-generation opportunity to eliminate carbon emissions from Europe’s building stockWith a crucial vote fast approaching on the EU’s key piece of building legislation, a coalition representing 35 organisations is calling on politicians to seize a once-in-a-generation opportunity to eliminate carbon emissions from Europe’s building stock. Europe’s buildings account for around 40 percent of energy consumption and 36 percent of CO2 emissions. Currently, EU policy only addresses the operational emissions of buildings but to support total decarbonisation of the EU building stock, policy must evolve to cover both operational and embodied emissions, known as Whole Life Carbon. Without addressing both sources of emissions it is inconceivable that the EU will be able to achieve its climate targets. (more…)

People who act as a go-between for colleagues more prone to abuse and burnout

People who act as a go-between for colleagues more prone to abuse and burnout

by • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Employees who act as brokers, meaning they work as a go-between for coworkers who do not communicate directly, are more likely to burn out and become abusive towards their colleaguesEmployees who act as brokers, meaning they work as a go-between for coworkers who do not communicate directly, are more likely to burn out and become abusive towards their colleagues, according to new research from ESMT Berlin and published in the journal Organization Science. The research, led by Eric Quintane, associate professor of organizational behaviour at ESMT Berlin, examines the psychological costs of having to sustain communications with coworkers who do not communicate directly with each other. They could be coworkers who are in different units, regions, or time zones, which makes it hard for them to communicate. (more…)

New book aims to build connections in the building briefing process

New book aims to build connections in the building briefing process

by • Architecture, Company news

To help solve this conundrum in a new era, Juriaan van Meel and Kjersti Bjørkeng Størdal have updated their book Construction briefing: a practical guideMies van der Rohe once said: “An architect of ability should be able to tell a client what he wants. Most of the time a client never knows what he wants.” Not many clients will agree with these patronising words—nor, for that matter, will many architects. Yet, there is some truth in Mies’s statement in the sense that construction clients often have difficulty expressing what they want. To help solve this conundrum in a new era, Juriaan van Meel and Kjersti Bjørkeng Størdal have published their new book Construction briefing: a practical guide. (more…)

The business case for the retrofit of existing buildings keeps getting stronger

The business case for the retrofit of existing buildings keeps getting stronger

by • Environment, Facilities management, Features, Property

The news last year that the M&S flagship Orchard House store on Oxford Street in London was to be demolished to make way for a new mixed-use development of shops, offices, restaurants and a gym sparked a very British sort of debate about the pros and cons of retrofit and refurbishmentThe news last year that the M&S flagship Orchard House store on Oxford Street in London was to be demolished to make way for a new mixed-use development of shops, offices, restaurants and a gym sparked a very British sort of debate about the pros and cons of retrofit and refurbishment. This is M&S after all. It may not be the cultural touchstone it once was but it remains an institution. But the debate was also about some things you might expect right now, including the ongoing deterioration of Oxford Street, the loss of a landmark building (and an art deco one at that) and the suitability of the ten-storey, mixed-use development that was to replace it. (more…)

Firms failing to embed net zero into operations

Firms failing to embed net zero into operations

by • Environment, News

While 85 percent of companies now have net-zero strategies, the majority are failing to incorporate them into daily business operations.A survey [registration] of 300 managers at organisations in industrial sectors across the U.K., U.S. and Germany by ESG consulting firm Sphera, claims that while 85 percent of companies now have net zero strategies, the majority are failing to incorporate them into daily business operations. Only 41 percent of operations managers have seen sustainability strategies produce significant changes in daily practices, and 32 percent say their firms do not align with science-based emissions targets.   (more…)

Offices valued as a place to get work done, not just connect

Offices valued as a place to get work done, not just connect

by • Flexible working, News, Workplace design

The Workplace Survey from the Gensler Research Institute sets out to explore how offices can more successfully support peopleThe latest Workplace Survey from the Gensler Research Institute sets out to explore how employees are spending their time as they return to the office, how offices can more successfully support them, and the strategic design interventions that will have the biggest impact on the workplace experience. As companies consider the future of their workplaces, the new data suggests that U.S. employees are looking for offices that are both highly effective and offer a desirable mix of experiences. The highest-performing workplaces are those that support all modes of work, offer a wide range of experiences, and are located in amenity-rich buildings and/or neighbourhoods. (more…)

TOG opens what it claims is Central London’s tallest mass timber office building

TOG opens what it claims is Central London’s tallest mass timber office building

by • Environment, News, Property

Flexible office provider TOG has announced the opening of its first project built from the ground upFlexible office provider TOG has announced the opening of its first project built from the ground up – The Black & White Building, located in Shoreditch. The firm claims that The Black & White Building is Central London’s tallest mass timber office, standing at 17.8 metres high and covering 38,315 sq ft. The workspace has been built using renewable materials and innovative construction methods, which TOG claims results in embodied carbon creation being reduced by 37 percent compared with a concrete structure of the same size. (more…)

Wellbeing and organisational agility will dominate workplace conversations in 2023

Wellbeing and organisational agility will dominate workplace conversations in 2023

by • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Mental health and wellbeing will dominate conversations about the role of work in people's lives this yearMental health and wellbeing will dominate conversations about the role of work in people’s lives this year, due in part to the effects of the global pandemic, as well as social and economic instability around the world, according to the latest megatrends report from UKG. The report claims that many people are feeling overwhelmed in the face of negative news cycles headlining economic uncertainty, climate change, violence, and political unrest have contributed to a spike in mental wellbeing issues. (more…)

Flokk brand Connection opens new state of the art manufacturing facility and offices in the UK

Flokk brand Connection opens new state of the art manufacturing facility and offices in the UK

by • Company news, Furniture, Works Magazine

Staff gather outside the new Connection facility, a part of the Flokk GroupConnection, the latest brand to join European office furniture giant Flokk group have opened a bespoke designed and built manufacturing facility, housing warehouses and offices in Mirfield, Yorkshire. Attending the opening were Lars Røiri, CEO of Flokk and René Sitter, Senior Vice President, Central Europe, as well as key stakeholders to celebrate with the Connection team. (more…)

Office sector net zero targets require significant shift in thinking

Office sector net zero targets require significant shift in thinking

by • Environment, Facilities management, News, Property

An image of the Earth from space to illustrate what is at stake for the office sector, which is one of the main contributors to carbon emissionsA new report, Delivering Net Zero Carbon in the Workplace [BCO members only] produced by University College London Consultants (UCLC) for the British Council for Offices (BCO), claims to identify the barriers that businesses are facing as they strive to drastically reduce the carbon footprint of their offices. The report, informed by over 100 office occupiers and building professionals, outlines the measures that those working in the office sector can take to overcome these barriers at what the report suggests is low or zero cost. (more…)

Cost of living will become biggest challenge for HR over the next year

Cost of living will become biggest challenge for HR over the next year

by • News, Workplace

A new poll from employment law and HR consultancy firm, WorkNest, claims that 70 percent of HR professionals believe that the cost of living will be their most significant challenge for 2023. This was closely followed by retention (69 percent) and recruitment (55 percent). A third of those questioned also see skills shortages (34 percent) as a significant HR challenge next year, and employee engagement (24 percent).   (more…)

Majority of firms currently using technology to plug talent gaps

Majority of firms currently using technology to plug talent gaps

by • News, Technology

In the face of hiring and skills issues, 77 percent of UK organisations say they are finding ways for technology to do jobs formerly performed by people, according to a new poll from Rackspace Technology.  According to the survey, two thirds (64 percent) of UK companies are downsizing their staff, facilitated by technology, out of a necessity, with roles in customer service the most likely to be automated, as identified by 70 percent of business decision makers – followed by IT operations (62 percent), sales and marketing (57 percent), business operations (56 percent), and HR and admin (56 percent). (more…)

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