Office Visions, the South Wales family-run company that specialises in creating stunning office environments, has completed a multi-million pound project with dnata Travel Group, owner of 14 well-known consumer and business-to-business travel brands in the UK. The Travel Group’s brief to Office Visions was to create an inspiring working environment
Do you feel like your interiors could use a makeover? While many of us have a wishlist, not all of us are quite sure how they can translate their ideas into reality. However, there’s no reason to worry. With just a few simple interiors design tricks up your sleeve, you
FIS, representative body for the £10 billion finishes and interiors sector in the UK and the Steel Construction Institute (SCI), launched the much-awaited Technical Report ED017 – Design and Installation of Light Steel External Wall Systems guide with a consortium of industry partners on 16 May 2019. The launch was
Office Visions, the South Wales family-run company that specialises in creating stunning office environments, has completed a multi-million pound project with dnata Travel Group, owner of 14 well-known consumer and business-to-business travel brands in the UK. The Travel Group’s brief to Office Visions was to create an inspiring working environment in a completely refurbished and redesigned 65,000 sq. ft space in Preston, Lancashire. The company acquired the old Leyland DAF headquarters in the town earlier this year specifically to convert it in to a ‘signature office’ for almost 700 staff who work across a number of the brands in its portfolio – including the locally-established businesses of Gold Medal Travel and Netflights. The project included asbestos removal, new curtain walling, the installation of a new roof, a new car park and a complete interior and exterior refurbishment. Simon Gambarini, the managing director of Office Visions, said the contract was the biggest ever completed by the company, which has a long track-record of completing high-profile refurbishments having worked on the Cardiff City Stadium, a new ambulance station in Barry and the new offices of law firm Blake Morgan to name but a few. “This is a fantastic project for us and one we are truly proud of,” said Simon. “Our designers did a fantastic job creating a unique concept that utilised British materials and is based on eco-friendly ideals. The finished project is a fantastic showpiece of how old buildings can be brought into the modern era.” John Bevan, CEO, dnata Travel Europe, said: “We wanted an environment that was modern, vibrant and a place that would inspire our people to produce their best work for our customers. The iconic Lancaster House building, well-known locally as the old home of Leyland DAF, was ideal for our needs and we’re delighted to have given it this new lease of life. Office Visions has succeeded in creating an environment there that has surpassed our expectations. There’s a real buzz about the place, and our teams have really taken to their new home.” Office Visions was founded by Roger Gambarini in 1975 in Newport. Originally called Abacus Office Equipment, Roger built the business into a multi-faceted office equipment and design company before selling a large part of its operations in 1994. It rebranded and relaunched as Office Visions and has established itself as one of the premier office refurbishment and fit-out companies in the UK renowned for its cutting-edge designs and can-do attitude. It currently employs directly and indirectly, over 100 people.
Do you feel like your interiors could use a makeover? While many of us have a wishlist, not all of us are quite sure how they can translate their ideas into reality. However, there’s no reason to worry. With just a few simple interiors design tricks up your sleeve, you too can transform your living space and give it a fresh, new look. The best part is – you don’t have to break the bank to make it happen. Take a look at our list of five brilliant ideas you can use to freshen up your home and make it look like new. Boost your home’s curb appeal with effective landscaping The exterior of your home matters just as much as its interior, as it is the first thing everyone will notice when they come for a visit. Although it’s often overlooked, the way that your landscaping is designed greatly affects your home’s curb appeal. Even if you don’t have a green thumb, you can still have a gorgeous garden. Go to your local greenhouse and talk to the experts about the types of plants that would be easy to grow in your area. Garden beds, flowering shrubs, and a couple of trees go a long way in designing a beautifully landscaped front yard. Update your cabinet and drawer handles Many homeowners think that, in order to give their kitchen a new look, they need to spend a fortune on renovating it. The truth is, there is a much cheaper way to freshen up your cooking area that will not set you back thousands of dollars. A simple way to boost the appearance of your dated kitchen is to swap your old handles. Take off those old, dirty and dated handle pulls and knobs and treat your kitchen cabinetry to something more modern. Give your cabinets a new look with bronze, brushed nickel, or shiny stainless finishes. The design choice is up to you. Swap your dated lighting fixtures for something modern Proper lighting goes a long way in transforming the look of your interior. When used strategically, it can elevate your living space and bring your room to life. However, before you buy modern fixtures, be sure to check your home wiring. While hanging fixtures do not call for new wiring, other lighting fixtures may require the wiring to be replaced altogether. Now, almost all electrical work requires a permit, and in some states such as Australia, it’s illegal to do your own electrical work. That’s why many homeowners from Sydney count on a reliable electrician in Western suburbs to tackle the electrical issues and assure a safe installation. Add wallpapers to change the look of your interiors Another way to boost the look of your interiors is to install wallpaper. And no, we don’t mean those tacky floral wallpapers everybody used to have back in the ‘90s. Nowadays, there are all sorts of wallpapers that can make your home look as it was decorated by an interior designer. Easy to apply and remove, these wallpapers are reusable, so you can use them again for another room. Update your walls with amazing patterns and graphics – whether you opt for funky geometric patterns or something more subtle, you’re sure to transform your living space and freshen it up. Spruce up your interiors by bringing the outdoors in An instant decorating tool, plants are an easy and inexpensive way to update your interiors. Natural air purifiers, they’ll absorb toxic pollutants from the air, producing oxygen in turn. Bring in the outdoors with a couple of low-maintenance plants – Aloe Vera, Philodendron, Bromeliad, and Snake Plant are houseplants that are sure to spruce up your home and will forgive you in case you forget to water them for a couple of days (or weeks). Updating your home doesn’t always mean you have to spend a fortune to be able to see some changes. Sometimes, even the smallest of tweaks can help rejuvenate your living space and bring in a breath of fresh air. Use the tips above to infuse your home with new energy and renew your space as well as your overall sense of well-being.
FIS, representative body for the £10 billion finishes and interiors sector in the UK and the Steel Construction Institute (SCI), launched the much-awaited Technical Report ED017 – Design and Installation of Light Steel External Wall Systems guide with a consortium of industry partners on 16 May 2019. The launch was well attended by industry partners and the guide will be an invaluable tool for all those working with Steel Framing Systems, designing and installing them. Iain McIlwee, CEO of FIS said “the development of this guidance is refreshing and we are so grateful to the SCI for their collaborative and open approach and to all the members who contributed to this work. Sectors evolve only through disruption and positive collaboration and this is a great example of the latter. The guide is collective wisdom of two organisations and vitally our members, sharing best practice to improve working practice – there is a better way than learning from our own mistakes, we can learn from each other’s! We hope it drives real improvement in the wider sector. It isn’t the end, it needs to be a live document and we need to continue to work together to improve support for those designing, installing and inspecting these systems. It is freely available on the website and we encourage people to use it and share it. At FIS we are committed to improving quality and competence in the interiors and finishes sector and this is another tool to do just that.” SFS is the lightweight steel frame used to create the inner leaf of an external wall, it’s been around for over 20 years but its benefits are just being realised, which is why so many projects are using it, but there are problems being created because of a lack of planning and knowledge. It’s the first thing you see, but often the last thing that’s designed in a building, and that’s the issue. SFS is seen as non-load bearing, not holding the structure up but it is supporting cladding, internal linings insulation and perhaps even services. There are significant implications should it fail, which could lead to the external cladding falling off. The guide will spread best practice, help raise standards and educate clients and installers, and because the sector is new there are still a lot of client’s, designers and installers who will benefit from an education process driven by the document. The guide will help avoid the issues caused by last minute changes. The guide is for anyone who designs and installs SFS infill walls, and anyone checking that the products are being correctly installed, such as a ‘Clerk of Works.’ It will help to raise standards, show clients what SFS is and how it works. It will get people thinking about what is expected of them, the design and the final installation. It will give installers the confidence to question designs and provide guidance to ensure the installation is as good as it can be. The document includes check lists as well as guidance that makes people stop and check that all the information that should be provided, is provided. As the landscape post-Grenfell develops, we envisage that it will be very different from the way in which buildings are being designed and constructed now, this guide will become the go to reference for all involved. Copies of the Steel Framing Systems guide are available to download from our website at: https://www.thefis.org/membership-hub/publications/sfsguide/
