Search Results for: sustain

Environmental concerns and wellbeing continue to dominate BCO Awards

Environmental concerns and wellbeing continue to dominate BCO Awards

As was the case with the winners of other regional BCO awards, the winners of this year’s competition seem to focus on user-centric design, wellbeing and sustainabilityThe BCO Awards for the South of England and South Wales have been announced, with recognition going to six office buildings across the region. Held at The City Hall in Cardiff, the BCO’s annual South of England and South Wales Awards Dinner claims to recognise projects that demonstrate best practice in office design, fit-out, operation and sustainability, setting the standard for excellence across the sector. (more…)

Getting back to the future of work

Getting back to the future of work

future of workQuoting George Orwell is the kind of thing that people who haven’t read George Orwell do. I have read Orwell, and even have a  drunken story about Paul Shane signing my copy of the Collected Essays, which was the only autograph-able material I had on me at the time I met him in a pub in about 1990. For another time. In Nineteen Eighty-Four, Orwell describes Winston Smith’s realisation that the best books are those that tell you what you already know. This is an ancient profundity, and one that is sort of useful during times of significant, rapid change, when we are obliged to confront old truths in a new context. History doesn’t repeat itself, it rhymes, as they say. (more…)

TRILUX and Skanska circular lighting project saves 17 tonnes of CO2e and creates inspiring workplace

TRILUX and Skanska circular lighting project saves 17 tonnes of CO2e and creates inspiring workplace

The result was an example of how to go from waste to wow as TRILUX and Skanska's circular lighting project saved 17 tonnes of CO2e and created a truly inspiring workplaceSkanska, the leading construction and development company committed to reducing carbon emissions, partnered with TRILUX to provide a sustainable and inspiring workplace for its UK head office. The project aimed to introduce more efficient lighting to match the existing look and type of luminaires, providing lighting control with minimal impact on carbon emissions. (more…)

Most firms don’t see retrofit as part of their net zero strategy

Most firms don’t see retrofit as part of their net zero strategy

Without boards changing their attitudes and government action, the UK faces a building retrofit crisis which threatens the nation’s ability to ever reach net zeroDespite organisations and the Government setting environmental targets, when it comes to buildings, there remains a lack of commitment to prepare for net zero. Without boards changing their attitudes and government action, the UK faces a building retrofit crisis which threatens the nation’s ability to ever reach net zero. That is the main finding of a new report which explores the current state of retrofit for commercial property in the UK. (more…)

Magenta Associates reports positive first quarter to 2023

Magenta Associates reports positive first quarter to 2023

Magenta Associates, the communications specialist for the built environment, has reported significant growth in 2022/23 (20 percent) and 2021/22 (32 percent), along with a series of new architecture, design and construction contract winsMagenta Associates, the communications specialist for the built environment, has reported significant growth in 2022/23 (20 percent) and 2021/22 (32 percent), along with a series of new architecture, design and construction contract wins, and several of its existing clients confirming that they will invest in new service areas of the business.  In 2022, the Brighton based firm launched its new dedicated B2E (business to employee) comms division in light of research it commissioned which revealed a gap in the market, particularly for FM firms, many of which are struggling to unite dispersed teams in the era of hybrid working and talent shortages. In the first quarter of 2023, an increasing number of clients have turned to Magenta for support in this area. (more…)

WorldGBC launches Circular Built Environment Playbook

WorldGBC launches Circular Built Environment Playbook

The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) and its network of over 75 Green Building Councils are launching the Circular Built Environment Playbook.The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) and its network of over 75 Green Building Councils are launching the Circular Built Environment Playbook. The organisation claims this is ‘a critical guide for the building and construction sector around the world to accelerate the adoption of circular economy and resource efficiency principles’. (more…)

Bisley Home Space to launch at Clerkenwell Design Week 2023

Bisley Home Space to launch at Clerkenwell Design Week 2023

British furniture maker Bisley is to open thBritish furniture maker Bisley is to open th
e doors of its new Home Space showroom during Clerkenwell Design Week (23-25 May 2023) exploring the theme of People, Wellbeing and Spacee doors of its new Home Space showroom during Clerkenwell Design Week (23-25 May 2023) exploring the theme of People, Wellbeing and Space – at Home and at Work. Making its debut at Clerkenwell Design Week will be the Bisley Home Space, a brand new area of the showroom dedicated to Bisley’s growing range of products for the home. A key festival highlight will be an installation created by interior design writer and stylist Cate St Hill. Bisley x Cate St Hill explores Fern, Bisley’s acclaimed collection of stylish steel lockers, and new pieces for spring 2023 including the versatile Reef wall-mounted shelf, with a special area of the showroom curated by Cate in her distinctive calm, neutral style. (more…)

Around a quarter of jobs will shift over the next five years, WEF report claims

Around a quarter of jobs will shift over the next five years, WEF report claims

Almost a quarter of jobs are expected to switch in the next five years according to a new report from the World Economic ForumAlmost a quarter of jobs are expected to switch in the next five years according to a new report from the World Economic Forum. Its Future of Jobs Report for 2023 suggests that employers anticipate 69 million new jobs to be created and 83 million eliminated among the 673 million jobs corresponding to the dataset, a net decrease of 14 million jobs, or 2 percent of current employment. The data is an extrapolation of data from 803 employers employing around 11 million people. (more…)

Biophilic office design has a clear business case, report claims

Biophilic office design has a clear business case, report claims

A new report, Reap What You Sow: Valuing Workplaces that Grow Good Ideas from PLP Labs sets out to explain the process of measuring and monetising the wellbeing and environmental value of biophilic office design.A new report, Reap What You Sow: Valuing Workplaces that Grow Good Ideas from PLP Labs sets out to explain the process of measuring and monetising the wellbeing and environmental value of biophilic office design. The report argues that in corporate real estate, the environment impacts the bottom line. PLP’s study – run in collaboration with academics from Loughborough University, the University of Reading, and Benholm claims to enable real estate clients to fairly evaluate the worth of investing in nature alongside other project costs. (more…)

We shouldn’t be deterred by the wonky start to the circular economy

We shouldn’t be deterred by the wonky start to the circular economy

The development of the circular economy is not quite so simple as we would like, but we have to persist, writes Becky GordonWe’re all familiar with the circular economy in some shape or form. We know the principles of recycling materials back into the original product to create a perfectly circular model of sustainability. But in practice, as architects and designers are finding, the development of the circular economy not quite so simple. Circular design is possible now, but we have to start with circles that are slightly wonkier than we might like. (more…)

The new issue of Works boldly goes where no other office magazine has gone before

The new issue of Works boldly goes where no other office magazine has gone before

The new digital edition of Works is now available to view online for free. Print copies are on their way to subscribers. In this issue, we visit new offices in London, Thessaloniki and elsewhere across Europe, talk to designers from Switzerland, Sweden and the UK, report back on three separate shows in Stockholm and London (x2) and round up the best new products from all of them and then at the end of the day, sit down from a drink and a chat with a few industry pioneers from the Sustainable Design Collective to listen to their thoughts on what is energising them right now. (more…)

Government turns to business rates reform to improve building quality, but will it work?

Government turns to business rates reform to improve building quality, but will it work?

The UK Government claims that a new bill will support businesses by modernising the business rates system to incentivise property improvementsThe UK Government claims that a new bill will support businesses by modernising the business rates system to incentivise property improvements and support more frequent revaluations. The measures being put forward review and reform business rates in England, making them fairer and more responsive to changes in the market. The Non-Domestic Rating Bill will introduce more frequent valuations, to take place every three years instead of the current five, meaning those with falling values will see their bills drop sooner, accorrding to the Treasury. (more…)