A multi-use development in London has chosen VolkerFitzpatrick to deliver £27 million worth of construction works. The firm will refurbish and extend 77 Coleman Street, constructing 8,000 ft 2 of office space and over 16,000 ft 2 of retail and leisure space. “We are delighted to have been selected by
The development contract for Wolverhampton’s new modern office space, i9, has been secured by GRAHAM. The development will provide 50,000 sq ft of Grade A office space, designed by Glenn Howells Architects. “The appointment of GRAHAM offers the next step towards this much anticipated state of the art, Grade A office
Corecom Consulting, a Leeds-headquartered IT recruitment firm, has recorded substantial growth within the last 12 months, as it opened an extra office in Manchester. The company has also extended its charity partnerships and gained new clients. Opened in January 2018, the Manchester office marked the launch of software testing community
TODD Architects has successfully completed the interior planning and configuration of CNP Santander Insurance’s newly constructed offices at Three Park Place, Hatch Street Upper, Dublin 2. After an in-depth staff consultation process, TODD Architects created a concept which considered and delivered a consciously ergonomic, contemporary workplace which meets the current
R&M Williams has won a second major contract for Bristol Airport to develop the new Administration Building, following the successful completion of the airport’s new £4.3 million fire station earlier this year. The Administration Building will comprise three storeys and become home to the project teams and senior management, as
Squire & Partners, the architects behind Landmark Manchester (Landmark), a 180,000 sq ft office development, have revealed the key features being implemented in the Grade A, BREEAM Excellent building to ensure that it tops occupiers’ tick lists ahead of its Summer 2019 launch. Currently under construction in Manchester’s central business district
With reference to Savills’ latest Regional Office Market Review & Outlook report, there are growing concerns as to how competition for Grade A space is grossly outstripping the supply presently, and to be made available. With less than one year’s supply of such space confirmed for the market over the
A multi-use development in London has chosen VolkerFitzpatrick to deliver £27 million worth of construction works. The firm will refurbish and extend 77 Coleman Street, constructing 8,000 ft 2 of office space and over 16,000 ft 2 of retail and leisure space. “We are delighted to have been selected by Kajima, to deliver this exciting project in central London. Utilising our high quality construction and fit out capabilities, 77 Coleman Street will be a significant addition to our portfolio of multi-use developments in the capital,” said Stuart Deverill, managing director of VolkerFitzpatrick’s Building division. VolkerFitzpatrick’s involvement in the project includes fiting the office spaces out to a CAT A specification, including the shell and core structures, ceilings, floors and installation of key services. Meanwhile, the retail and leisure units will feature a complete base build, concrete walls, flooring, lighting and installation of fire alarms. The units will be fitted with retail frontages at ground floor level and terrace areas will be constructed around the upper floors. A new four-metre high reception and breakout area will also be delivered as the building’s main entrance and a new public street, named Nun Court, linking Coleman Street with Moorgate. “This is a technically complicated development and a really important project for us in terms of the expected quality and programme, so we’re delighted to place its delivery into the reliable hands of the VolkerFitzpatrick team,” commented James Starkey, project director for Kajima. The multi-use development project was first launched in April 2018, and is scheduled for completion in Q4 of this year.
The development contract for Wolverhampton’s new modern office space, i9, has been secured by GRAHAM. The development will provide 50,000 sq ft of Grade A office space, designed by Glenn Howells Architects. “The appointment of GRAHAM offers the next step towards this much anticipated state of the art, Grade A office building for Wolverhampton. The i10 development has already proven that new occupiers are attracted to Wolverhampton and the state-of-the-art transport links of the Interchange will be a major attraction for those new occupiers,” said Steve Parry, managing director of Ion The scheme follows on from the success of the award-winning i10 complex on the opposite side of the road in the heart of the City of Wolverhampton Interchange. “Wolverhampton is undergoing a period of regeneration that is set to transform the city and attract further investment and jobs to the area. We are therefore pleased to have been appointed as the main contractor on the i9 – a significant new headquarters building that benefits from a prime location and high-spec office facilities. We look forward to working with the wider project team to deliver this new, sustainable commercial development for the city,” commented John Maguire, Regional Business Development Director for GRAHAM’s Birmingham office. Councillor John Reynolds, Cabinet Member for City Economy, City of Wolverhampton Council added: “The appointment of GRAHAM means we can look forward to i9 emerging at the heart of the city’s Interchange in 2019. It is another step towards our aspirations of creating a Commercial District in this area of the city and we want this building to become the design and quality benchmark for future developments in the city and to demonstrate our ambition for the city centre. This important site ideally lends itself to a distinctive, high-quality headquarters building.” The i9 development is expected to be completed in 2020.
Corecom Consulting, a Leeds-headquartered IT recruitment firm, has recorded substantial growth within the last 12 months, as it opened an extra office in Manchester. The company has also extended its charity partnerships and gained new clients. Opened in January 2018, the Manchester office marked the launch of software testing community networking events in the region. The company has extended its support for Emmaus, a charity for the previously homeless, partnering with its Salford community in addition to Leeds. “We are ahead of our five per cent forecasted growth figure and on track to achieve a turnover of £4,940,125 and net profit of £474,978 by the end of 2018,” said Jonathan Sanderson, managing director at Corecom Consulting. Since the start of the year, the company has achieved 10 award shortlists including those for the company’s innovative marketing strategy, presence in the Manchester region, contributions to charity and for its entrepreneurial company leaders. “By 2019, we plan to open a third office in London. We are looking forward to and are committed to expanding our relationships across the North West and South East of England, including sharing our knowledge and expertise in the local communities in which we operate,” said Jonathan about future plans. Established in 2008, Corecom Consulting has grown from 15 to 24 employees over the last 12 months and the company plans to recruit an additional six members of staff at its Leeds HQ and is forecasting a year on year growth of eight per cent in both Leeds and Manchester by December 2019.
TODD Architects has successfully completed the interior planning and configuration of CNP Santander Insurance’s newly constructed offices at Three Park Place, Hatch Street Upper, Dublin 2. After an in-depth staff consultation process, TODD Architects created a concept which considered and delivered a consciously ergonomic, contemporary workplace which meets the current needs of the staff, while also allowing for future expansion with the addition of a purpose-built sublet area. “This new space presented a fantastic opportunity to highlight structural in-situ features, such as the pristine cast concrete shell, which forms a strong component of the overall design. Given the large floor plate, the main conceptual objective was to ensure that the office felt unified with a single democratic design in mind, whilst providing a range of spaces adaptable for various activities,” said Nilfa Burke, Project Designer at TODD Architects. Meeting rooms are located to the periphery of the plan with workstations positioned centrally, promoting multidisciplinary interaction between teams, while informal breakout and meeting spaces, including glazed pods, are interspersed for formal and informal meetings and interactions. The plan for the second floor fit-out uses the overhead finishes and varying ceiling heights to define space, while maintaining a unified free flowing open-plan office layout. Acoustic considerations are addressed using suspended acoustic ceiling panels clad in perforated oak veneer acoustic timber panelling. These also create a clean, aesthetic finish in concealing the large overhead ventilation ducts as well as providing a mount for other ceiling services such as the fire detectors, voice evacuation speakers and sprinkler heads. The material palette and specified furniture were key components in the workspace design. All task chairs were pre-tested by employees to find the right fit for each specific need, with all workstations also offering the flexibility of electronic sit-stand. The kitchenette and canteen offer employees essential facilities and an open plan social dining space which can also be used for formal and informal meetings. It is currently facilitating townhall forums. “Feedback provided throughout the various stages, helped direct us and overcome challenges which contributed to a more tailored design. The client embraced our ideas, which positively impacted on the delivery. We are incredibly proud of the resulting bespoke and progressive fit out, it is a true reflection of the success of our consultation process,” Nilfa added. Completed in June 2018, the scheme has already received an overwhelmingly positive response and was shortlisted in 2018 Fit Out Awards.
R&M Williams has won a second major contract for Bristol Airport to develop the new Administration Building, following the successful completion of the airport’s new £4.3 million fire station earlier this year. The Administration Building will comprise three storeys and become home to the project teams and senior management, as well as offer services such as meeting and training rooms. The office structure is the latest project in a series of developments aiming to modernise and expand Bristol Airport and demonstrate its continued investment into sustainable, low carbon systems. Designed with energy efficiency in mind, the new building has a carbon emission reduction of 23% over facility-building regulations. “We are proud that this type of high quality, fast-track construction is one of our business strengths and we look forward to further cementing our reputation with Bristol Airport, with the successful delivery of both the fire station and administration block schemes. It’s a really state-of-the-art facility and we can’t wait to see the project take shape in the coming weeks,” said Darryn Parry, Managing Director of R&M Williams. A very modern façade has been designed by Bristol architects Stride Treglown for this project, establishing the new office as a signature building on entrance to the airport. “We are delighted to be working with R&M Williams on this second project. The Administration Building will be the welcome that staff, airline and business partner guests will see and we wanted the building to visually blend in with the local environment whilst providing a state-of-the-art energy efficient facility,” commented Andrew Goodenough, Development Director at Bristol Airport.
Squire & Partners, the architects behind Landmark Manchester (Landmark), a 180,000 sq ft office development, have revealed the key features being implemented in the Grade A, BREEAM Excellent building to ensure that it tops occupiers’ tick lists ahead of its Summer 2019 launch. Currently under construction in Manchester’s central business district at St Peter’s Square, Landmark aims to deliver a world-class professional environment to its occupiers. Barings Real Estate along with development manager Castlebrooke Investments, enlisted award-winning architects Squire & Partners to bring the pivotal scheme to life. Meeting the BREEAM Excellent, Grade A, EPC ‘A’ target rating criteria was a natural start and the Platinum WiredScore accreditation and spectrum of connectivity management features that have followed on will ensure that all potential occupiers can move in and start work immediately with ease. “The overall design and finishes at Landmark are about so much more than just meeting set criteria. The double height reception, with approximately 90 ft glazed frontage onto Oxford Street, was influenced by the previous art deco cinema which sat on the site. The double height interior is treated as a contemporary interpretation of the cinema lobbies of the period, emphasising a sense of theatre and drama upon arrival. The whole building is being constructed with an offset core to enable virtually column-free office space across approximately 14,000 sq ft floor plates, unlike any other in the city centre. The offset core will deliver maximum flexibility for occupiers the majority of which will benefit from uninterrupted views towards the south of the city,” explained Murray Levinson, Partner at Squire and Partners. Barings’ Landmark team includes Castlebrooke Investments as development manager, award-winning architects Squire & Partners, acclaimed lead contractor Bowmer & Kirkland, Gardiner and Theobald as project manager and leasing agents CBRE and Colliers International. The Barings Real Estate team offers a broad range of investment opportunities globally across the public and private debt and equity markets. The team invests across all major property sectors with a focus on global relative value and trend-backed preferred strategies.
With reference to Savills’ latest Regional Office Market Review & Outlook report, there are growing concerns as to how competition for Grade A space is grossly outstripping the supply presently, and to be made available. With less than one year’s supply of such space confirmed for the market over the course of the next three years, rents, specifically in regions such as Cardiff and Bristol is set to spike considerably. Presently, the average take-up across UK regions sits at approximately 4.6m, with availability down by circa 18% from the levels reported back in 2007. Speculative figures on developments have also risen by approximately 128% from last year, coming in at approximately 3.5m sq ft, yet, with 28% of that pre-let, it is expected that it will be mostly absorbed over the course of 2016. This lack of space has proven to be one of the key, driving factors for rising demands amongst value-add office opportunities to help cover the excess demand as opposed to supply – in fact, this January represented the 41st month of considerable refurbishment activity in a row. As a clear consequence of the demand and supply gap, so too has the gap between new-build rents and refurbished rents, with a deprecating differentiation between the average figures. This is a clear result of increasing rents, with Bristol potentially seeing the highest growth in rents of 12% by the end of 2016, as reported by Savills. Attributing the rise in UK-wide job creation as a driving factor behind the rising demand for quality space in prime locations, Claire Bailey, Associate Director of Savills Commercial Research has highlighted the potential for a pinch on new-builds between 2016 and 2017 due to the sheer quantity of developments already being pre-let and the rising demands for those in prime locations. As explained by Richard Merryweather, Joint Head of UK Investment at Savills, it is expected that occupier demands for space is more than likely to persist onto and into the future, where investors are then likely to continue looking into securing secondary assets in prime positions. This is effectively to take advantage of opportunities that may exist and to help fill the gap left open by limited available new developments; however, it may also develop a gap in the supply pipeline itself.
