In recent years, offices have started to embrace flexible working and different working styles. In an effort to increase productivity and staff satisfaction, a strong emphasis has been placed on communal areas. Whether it’s a breakout area for collaboration or just a chillout area for staff to escape their desks
Comfortable, composed, confident. That’s how Behr, one of the leading colour brands, named their new collections, designed to fit your personality and be an inspirational part of your life with the new colour trends for 2017. The comfortable palette is powdery and pastel with different tones of muted pink, purple
The worldwide construction services company ISG has been named as the number one central London corporate office interior fit out contractor. The construction services company has been given this award for the fifth consecutive year. The report conducted by Metropolis Property Research ranks firms that are involved in ‘Cat B’
Unless you’re a building professional and can give a property a thorough inspection yourself then it’s vital to get your potential house looked at before you buy it. If you are getting a mortgage, the provider will carry out a property valuation to ensure that the house or apartment is
Carolyn Lee has been appointed as a solicitor in the London real estate and construction team for DMH Stallard. Carolyn Lee has most recently been part of the team at Linklaters, the construction group. As part of her work at this company, she acted on behalf of major property developers.
TH Real Estate has announced its ambition to cut the energy intensity of its portfolio by 30% by 2030. Based on its 2015 baseline, the affiliate of Nuveen commits to improving the sustainability of its 134 million square foot portfolio worth $68 billion in global equity. Energy Intensity is the
The Chartered Institute of Building is globally the most influential professional management body for construction. With an aim to promote the science and practice of building in a way that is beneficial to society by was of a Royal Charter. Established in 1834, the members of the Chartered Institute work
One of Scotland’s largest independent firms for chartered surveyors has appointed a new female director. Allied Surveyors Scotland announced the appointment of Catherine Clarke on the 9th March. Clarke will be the director of land and development, a specialist division that will focus on the central belt of Scotland. Catherine
NEBOSH is the leading examination board for health, safety, and environmental management. The company is currently reaping the benefits of completing the ISO14001:2015 accreditation process. This new accreditation process has reduced the environmental impact of its Leicester headquarters. NEBOSH is the provider of health, safety and environmental qualifications that are
In recent years, offices have started to embrace flexible working and different working styles. In an effort to increase productivity and staff satisfaction, a strong emphasis has been placed on communal areas. Whether it’s a breakout area for collaboration or just a chillout area for staff to escape their desks and have a break, communal spaces are becoming an essential part of office design. In the age of Wi-Fi, people can freely move around the office and discuss projects with their colleagues. To collaborate and work effectively together, people need a space to meet, which is why the communal working area is rapidly increasing in popularity. Allow for flexible working with modular furniture Modular furniture is pre-made or ready made furniture which can be used according to needs and room spacing. It’s easy to install and dismantle, which makes it great for communal areas, which can grow or decrease in size according to your requirements. The great thing about modular furniture is the easy creation of a wide variety of space-saving configurations. Because it is available in a broad range of designs and styles, it gives a modern look to your office and can be adapted to suit your brand. Modular furniture is specifically designed to expand as your company grows and makes it easy for workers to collaborate. Demountable walls and partitions can be reused and moved into alternate configurations to maximise space according to the occasion. AAT (The Association of Accounting Technicians) is one company that implemented modular seating and low-level partitions to facilitate better staff communication. They also installed modular solutions in the creation of a central meeting Hub which improved morale and staff retention. Make your communal areas fun to encourage creativity When designing communal spaces, there’s one group of people who should be at the forefront of your mind: your employees. Design with your employees in mind as Steve Jobs did when he was involved in the redesign of Pixar Studios. He mixed up employees to allow ‘unplanned collaborations’ to take place and commented, “We designed the building to make people get out of their offices and mingle in the central atrium with people they might not otherwise see.” Likewise, Google has a rule where people can be placed no more than 150 feet from food, which encourages employees to collaborate in the many kitchens and dining areas. The decor should also be fun and represent the values of your company. Create different zones If your space is big enough it’s great to create different communal zones for different purposes. For example, one could have a table area for laptop work, another could comprise a social area with a bar, snacks and table football, and at the opposite end of the spectrum a quiet area with comfy chairs and industry books for reading and research. You can be as creative as you like with these areas; perhaps you prefer amphitheatre bench style conference facilities for internal meetings, presentations and brainstorming with large groups or maybe a central tea point between all departments. Our designers created a ‘shabby chic’ theme throughout EDC Communications open-plan office with different zones and seating areas built around central meeting rooms, including a space with table football and books. Focus on ergonomics Just because people aren’t using their desks, it doesn’t meant that they won’t need a comfortable environment in which to work or relax. If you go for ‘funky’ seating such as bean bags, don’t forget to address the balance with some supportive furniture. Accessories such as tablet mounts will help to ease the aches and pains associated with using wireless devices for long periods. Install a range of desks and seats so that people can move around and find what’s comfortable for them. Don’t forget to fit some standing desks for people who want a break from sitting down. NTT Data UK has a staff that mostly consists of consultants, so we made sure they had access to a variety of seating and standing desks throughout their offices at the Royal Exchange in the City of London. Install a communal wall Innovative companies like Facebook and Google are hugely desirable workplaces for young and creative people. They have at least one thing in common: they have all established areas where staff can share their ideas. These areas are usually white/blackboard areas where employees can brainstorm in an informal environment and write down spontaneous ideas that can be developed in a collaborative environment. We fitted a large blackboard in a open space for EMO & TRA marketing company. It allows for informal brainstorming and collaborative work, which fitted their objective to encourage creative thinking. This idea can be further adapted with pin boards or magnetic boards so that visuals can be displayed clearly. clippings, photographs, mood boards and anything else can be clearly seen. The installation of power modules or wireless chargers can keep people connected to check facts or look things up while they’re brainstorming. If you would like Interactive Space to help you maximise your communal space, get in touch with their team of experts.
Comfortable, composed, confident. That’s how Behr, one of the leading colour brands, named their new collections, designed to fit your personality and be an inspirational part of your life with the new colour trends for 2017. The comfortable palette is powdery and pastel with different tones of muted pink, purple and blue. It is soft and feminine and will be a good choice for a light interior, where composed palette is more dim and dusky with deep blue-green colours – an excellent choice to emphasize the décor, not the room itself. Quiet and sophisticated, it is a top pick for a modern, edgy look for this year. Confident palette, on the other side, contains quite an accented colours, which definitely stand out of the three palettes. Bright and saturated, risky, but fun, they will liven up any interior and can be used to add a drama point where needed. In general, all the colours look great and the palettes are combined well, but there are some colours, which should be discussed in more detail. Dusky grey / Shades On Grey interiors are becoming more and more popular. Elegant and sophisticated, it is quite a controversial colour, as some people find it depressing. But for somebody else it is a serious one which carries a certain meaning, as it is usually seen as a colour of the industrial environments, it can convey a message like “I mean business”. But no matter how classy it can look, in case of psychology and human’s perception of colours, grey is the only colour that doesn’t have any positive impact, thus a splash of bright colours should be used in a décor. According to Karren Haller, colour and design consultant, it is best to avoid grey in bedrooms, nurseries and any other room where creativity is required, as it can be draining and tiring. In other cases, where you want your interior to be subtle and dim, grey denim and accompanying palette will suit the needs. It is modern, sublime and universal. Powdery pink / Life is a Peach Pantone named “Rose Quartz” the colour of the year in 2016 and what a year it’s been for pink colours so far! And it looks like pink themed colours continue to defend their position in the new year as well. Even though it is a more gentle and feminine colour, don’t be trapped by gender stereotypes. Loved by men, women and children, it is a soothing and comforting colour, perfect for creating a calming space. When using pink colours in the interior, it gives life-giving effect. You don’t need necessarily dye all the walls with it, the reflection of blankets, pillows or furniture will be enough to achieve this freshness. And it actually goes well with a lot of colours, especially a good complement for pink is grey, ecru and forest green. Green / Wanderlust Green colour is the symbol of nature, it creates space for leisurely relaxation and can bring a piece of outside into the inside space. Dark greens and emerald will also be popular during this year. Emerald, as well as royal blue, are symbols of wealth and luxury. Properly used, it creates an expensive look, even if it didn’t cost much. But just as with any other colour, overusing it will not lead to anything good. If the apartment is situated in the busy city centre, it is a great idea to brighten it up with lighter tones of green, not only for nice interior, but for the calming mood as well. Green, similar to blue, is perceived as relaxing and reassuring, it basically tells us what we are safe. Even though it sounds so majestic and is easy on the eye, it is quite challenging in the interior design. You should really think through which colours you will combine with it or which other shades of green you could use. There are methods on how to discolour it, or tint it with some white or grey to remain the psychological effect of this colour in your home, but to avoid decorating pitfalls. There also other tips and tricks, like adding a complementary colour in your green paint to add depth and complexity and turn your home into the oasis of tranquillity, nature and comfort. When making the decision on the colour, you should consider the size of the room, the position of the room, which implies if sun is entering the room and at what time of the day, and what activities will take place in this room. But don’t make your decision based on others judgement. Embrace the colour of your choice because of how it speaks to you and how it makes you feel. Colours are deeply connected with psychology and each colour has a specific influence on our mental, emotional and physical condition.
The worldwide construction services company ISG has been named as the number one central London corporate office interior fit out contractor. The construction services company has been given this award for the fifth consecutive year. The report conducted by Metropolis Property Research ranks firms that are involved in ‘Cat B’ projects. There projects involve new space taken by corporate occupiers and covers from 2012 to 2016. This report suggests that ISG has had a dominant share in the ‘Cat B’ office fit outs in London since 2012. The office fit outs count for 33% of business given to the top ten firms. This equates to over 5 million sq. ft. of space. ISG has carried out works for a variety of different clients. The schemes include work for global financial services firms as well as the 700,000 sq. ft. fit out of 5 Broadgate. ISG were part of this project that has been labelled as the biggest office project to take place in central London for the past five years. The company also worked on CMS’ 160,000 sq. ft. headquarters which is located at Cannon Place. ISG has also been involved in the 100,00 sq. ft. scheme in Midtown for Saatchi & Saatchi. The new award is also representative of the continuing high standard of customer service from ISG. The sector has experienced a significant deal of change over the last five years, and ISG has had to adapt to the advances in technology as well as the new products and methods for construction. The construction service has remained popular in a market where it is an advantage to offer more for less. ISG aim to offer the leading technological solutions when working. 57.3 million square feet of office space has been let over the five years that the report was being conducted, and 30.3 million square feet being Cat B projects.
Unless you’re a building professional and can give a property a thorough inspection yourself then it’s vital to get your potential house looked at before you buy it. If you are getting a mortgage, the provider will carry out a property valuation to ensure that the house or apartment is worth its market value, and that it can therefore lend with confidence. However, a mortgage valuation does not go deeply into the structure, or the nitty-gritty detail that could end up costing you a fortune in the long run if a defect is not identified. You may decide you want a more in-depth survey and assessing all options is advisable. The mortgage survey costs around £250-350 and is usually included in your fees. The documentation will be under the legal ownership of the lender so should the valuer fail to spot a costly defect then you will have no claim against them. For an extra £100 or so you can pay for a Homebuyer Survey and Valuation, which comes under the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), so will be a standard report on the condition of the property. Despite the complex RICS language the Homebuyer Survey and Valuation will help you recognise any potential structural problems that could knock value off the property. You will also be given a new valuation that could lower your mortgage. If structural problems are found and you work out it’s going to cost say £3,000 to repair, then you should be able to get this taken off the asking price, thereby lowering your mortgage. Next on the list is a Home Condition Survey, which is similar in price and detail to the RICS Homebuyer Survey and Valuation but will give you a bit more advice on how to deal with some of the more common problems that have been found at the property. Finally, recommended for both new and old properties is the full Building Survey, which can cost anything from £600 to £1,000. This is a comprehensive survey – in fact the most comprehensive available – and could be well worth the extra money, especially if you’re considering purchasing an older property. It won’t actually go as far having a surveyor pulling up floorboards to look at what lies beneath but the surveyor will give an opinion on possible hidden defects. Newer houses will still need a survey – even new builds don’t come with a guarantee of perfect quality and last year saw MPs call for a New Homes Ombudsman in the face of concerns over construction defects. At least new homes come with the 10-year warranty issued by the National House Building Council though; the Financial Times reported that the NHBC ended up paying out £87 million on claims by homeowners in 2015 alone.
Carolyn Lee has been appointed as a solicitor in the London real estate and construction team for DMH Stallard. Carolyn Lee has most recently been part of the team at Linklaters, the construction group. As part of her work at this company, she acted on behalf of major property developers. Kerry Beattie is a Partner in the DMH Stallard, and suggests that Carolyn will help the London construction and real estate company as they aim to work on more substantial projects with developers, funders owners and occupiers. Lee’s experience of drafting and negotiation of all documents that are required in order to procure the developments. These documents include the JCT forms of contract as well as more bespoke agreements with their clients. In her role, Carolyn will also be an advisor for construction obligations in real estate transactions, for example development agreements or agreements for lease. Carolyn started her career working under Kerry, therefore there is already a working relationship established which should lead to a successful combination while they are at DMH Stallard. The team at DMH Stallard works on a variety of different projects, and Carolyn Lee should be a fruitful addition to the team. DMHStallard work in the South of England and have offices in London, Gatwick, Brighton and Guildford. The company employs 300 staff. These staff members include 60 partners. DMH Stallard is an award winning law firm that aims to deliver their client’s objectives. After growing rapidly over the last ten years, DMH Stallard has become one of the most forward thinking law firms in the country in the mid-market sector. The law firm also has a history of working on cross-border transactions, which could involve several different jurisdictions. DMH Stallard are part of Law Europe International, which is a multinational network of law firms with the aim of providing legal assistance to member firms’ clients from around the world.
TH Real Estate has announced its ambition to cut the energy intensity of its portfolio by 30% by 2030. Based on its 2015 baseline, the affiliate of Nuveen commits to improving the sustainability of its 134 million square foot portfolio worth $68 billion in global equity. Energy Intensity is the assets use of kilowatts per hour, per square foot. Therefore reducing this rating will reduce the amount of energy TH Real Estate’s portfolio uses. This will in turn lower the amount of pollution created by the company. This announcement is an advancement on the company’s previous efforts to increase sustainability and to reduce the risk as well as the impact of climate change. This new announcement comes after the Paris Conference of Parties in September 2015. The 21st annual Conference set ambitious goals for more sustainable real estate. Real estate is estimated to be responsible for 40% of the world’s carbon emissions. Examples for emissions being so high includes fuel usage, for boilers etc., and also electricity and other energy sources. In order to reduce carbon emissions it if vital to start using energy more efficiently. Reducing the amount of energy used I a household will also reduce bills for the consumer, so there are several advantages to TH Real Estate’s plans. TH Real Estate is one of the world’s largest institutional real estate investors. The company has almost 900 office, retail, residential and industrial assets worldwide. Therefore, employing these sustainability measures could make a massive difference to the environment. This could also lead to positive results for the economy as well as benefits for individual tenants. TH Real Estate has a ‘Tomorrow’s World’ philosophy which actively seeks to improve the sustainability of the company. This allows the company to keep preparing for the future, as well as increasing the value of their assets fo their clients by investing in more sustainable products.
The Chartered Institute of Building is globally the most influential professional management body for construction. With an aim to promote the science and practice of building in a way that is beneficial to society by was of a Royal Charter. Established in 1834, the members of the Chartered Institute work in order to provide development, conservation and improvement within the built environment. The Institute also accredits degrees as well as other educational courses and training as a seal for competence and professionalism. The widely recognised and respected institute has appointed a new Managing Director. Terry Watts will report to the Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Building Chris Blyth. Terry Watts has a large amount of experience in the skills, construction supply-chain and technology sectors. Watts’ experience also covers small and large business change management. Terry will starts in the newly created position of Managing Director position this month. Terry Watts’ roles will include promoting the Chartered Institute’s influence within the construction sector, as well as promoting the improvement of standards, skills and professionalism within this industry. The Chartered Institute of Building has created this new Managing Director role in order to accommodate the growth of the institute and the increased breadth of the CIOB’s influence within construction as well as improving standards, skills and professionalism within the growing sector. Terry has joined the CIOB as Managing Director following the set up and running of Proskills, of which he was the CEO. Proskills is the Sector Skills Council for the construction supply chain. More recently Terry Watts has had a variety of different roles including Principle of City of Oxford College, the Group International Business Director for a major training company that works in India, Vietnam and Egypt. Terry started his career at IBM and worked for several years with technology start-ups. Watts has a broad range of managing skills from many different roles and will also offer skills to help with CIOB’s change, project and marketing aspects.
One of Scotland’s largest independent firms for chartered surveyors has appointed a new female director. Allied Surveyors Scotland announced the appointment of Catherine Clarke on the 9th March. Clarke will be the director of land and development, a specialist division that will focus on the central belt of Scotland. Catherine Clarke will be the head of a soon to be expanding division in reaction to the increased demand in the Scottish property market. The division will aim to offer funding and development advice that will be applicable to the for-sale, and rent, private and social housing market. This appointment occurs after a positive change for the Scottish property market. Hopefully Catherine Clarke will be able to continue to push the business forward and as a result improve the Scottish market further upwards. The first female director has had more than 18 years’ experience within the international surveying industry and has a detailed knowledge of the industry on an international scale. Catherine Clarke will work alongside the existing team looking at a variety of different areas including residential land and development valuations, investment and red book valuations, pricing study reports and market commentary. These different areas are looked at across a wide market of developers as well as private landowners and local authorities. Before working at Allied Surveyors, Catherine Clarke worked as part of Colliers International, located in Dubai. In this previous role Clarke was in charge of a team of 12 and focused on the launce of the Colliers International House Price Index. Catherine has a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Estate Management. He graduated from Napier University and is also a qualified APC Assessor and Chairperson. Catherine Clarke started her career with Allied Surveyors in 2004 before moving to her role in Dubai. Catherine will provide Allied Surveyors Scotland will expertise that will hopefully enhance the company’s capabilities and allow for expansion.
NEBOSH is the leading examination board for health, safety, and environmental management. The company is currently reaping the benefits of completing the ISO14001:2015 accreditation process. This new accreditation process has reduced the environmental impact of its Leicester headquarters. NEBOSH is the provider of health, safety and environmental qualifications that are recognised around the world. The NEBOSH Green Team were the leaders in the work to get the company to the right standard for the accreditation. The team led research to identify and implement the behavioural changes required to deliver a substantial environmental improvement. Although these behaviors were relatively simple things to change, the affect has led to a reduced gas usage of 13% at the NEBOSH head office and cut the amount of water used by the company. NEBOSH now also recycles 78% of its waste. Other ways of gaining the accreditation have been improving business practices so that they are carried out in a more sustainable way. Practices such as double sided printing has reduced paper use by 18%. Staff are also encouraged to take laptops in to meetings to further reduce paper usage. A key part of the ISO14001:2015 accreditation scheme is continuous improvement. Therefore, the NEBOSH has been set quarterly KPIs as targets for the employees to aim for. 2017s focuses will focus on reducing the company’s miles traveled and change NEBOSH’s attitude towards travel. Reducing the miles covered by the team includes holding webinars in order to reduce travel to meetings. The ISO14001:2015 accreditation expects organization to consider any and all environmental issues that could be relevant to their operations. These aspects of environmental sustainability can include air pollution, water, sewage and waste management. Other factors include soil contamination, mitigating climate change and adaptation and resource and efficiency. These requirements are above and beyond current and future statutory and regulatory requirements.