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New office building in Northumberland scores high green points
Published by Jo on Friday, 29 May 2009 at 2:39 PM
A new green office building in Alnwick, Northumberland, which has been designed and built for DEFRA, has achieved an 80.72% BREEAM rating. The building boasts low energy technologies including 3 wind turbines to generate electricity, sheep's wool insulation, maximises the use of natural daylight and predominantly uses natural ventilation.
The office building also harvests rainwater, which it uses to flush its toilets. There is estimated to be enough rainwater 'caught' by the building's roof to flush toilets all year round! DEFRA should be able to look forward to huge savings in running costs – one report suggests that up to £800 could be saved per year in water alone. If that doesn't push the benefits of being green, what else will?
Let us know what you're up to on the eco front by sending your comments below. For more details on offices to rent in Northumberland, you can search for office space via officebroker.com.
Microsoft headquarters scoops Best Office award
Published by Jo on Friday, 29 May 2009 at 10:08 AM
The Microsoft office in Reading, at Thames Valley Park, was yesterday awarded 'Best Fit-out of Workplace' by the South West and South Wales Awards. Set up by the British Council for Offices, this award was one of four that recognised effective practices within the workplace. Key points of Microsoft's success include a lounge and games room with Xbox video consoles.
Microsoft impressed the judges by showing how much the office building benefits its employees. Patrick Morrisey, BCO Judging Chair for the South West and South Wales, praised the building as "an excellent example of providing a catalyst for organisational and cultural change, through creating new spaces which deliver improved flexibility and staff collaboration".
For more details on office space in Reading, visit officebroker.com.
Manchester office development gets thumbs up
Published by Jo on Thursday, 28 May 2009 at 11:52 AM
This week, Manchester City Council has shown their support for plans by the Co-Operative Group to redevelop a site in Manchester city centre. The scheme will feature a new head office for the Group, along with office space, shops, homes and a public area. The scheme is being developed opposite the Group’s current headquarters on Corporation Street.
Due to open in 2012, the development boasts an energy system which should have the power to provide all heat and power sources from renewable sources. In addition it has the potential to provide up to 15,000 jobs, and is expected to boost further investment in the area.
For offices to rent in Manchester or for more information on serviced offices, visit officebroker.com.
New serviced office opens in Bolton
Published by Jo on Thursday, 28 May 2009 at 10:25 AM
It's good news for Bolton businesses. If you're looking for the flexibility of modern serviced office space, without the ties of a traditional lease, this could be right up your street.
A new business centre in Bolton, based on Manchester Road, has recently been opened following a major refurbishment. The building is reported to have been virtually rebuilt, bringing with it a new, modern workplace for businesses and employees.
The new development will be home to serviced office space, workshops and parking spaces. Once full the centre is expected to accommodate over 200 people working in small businesses.
To find out more about serviced office space in Bolton, visit officebroker.com.
BCA Conference
Published by Jo on Wednesday, 27 May 2009 at 12:16 PM
Last week saw officebroker.com on the road! We attended all four days of the BCA's conference, where it kicked off in style in London, followed by Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh.
It was a great opportunity to meet many office providers, discuss various industry topics and hear valuable feedback about officebroker.com. Today's economic climate was inevitably a big talking point. But we were pleased to hear encouraging feedback throughout the conference too, such as healthy market growth in Scotland. It was a constructive week and we have many new ideas to work on, which we'll be looking to roll out over the coming months.
We'll keep you updated on any new developments as and when they happen - so watch this space!
Global company moving to office in Slough
Published by Jo on Wednesday, 27 May 2009 at 9:26 AM
Major domestic product company Reckitt Benckiser is due to close its Swindon office in favour of a move to offices in Slough, where the company's head office is currently located. Around 100 jobs are set to be transferred, with some jobs being moved to office space in Hull.
It's reported that the company currently has spare office space at their Slough location, which is part of the reason behind the move. In addition, Slough's proximity to London is an obvious bonus which is also pushing the transfer.
As well as having the benefits of London on your doorstep, occupying a location just outside of the city centre is not only cheaper, but often gives more potential for expansion. Growing your business within the confines of a major city can make it more difficult and costly to take on more space, which is why many businesses look to the outskirts.
For more details on office space in London, Slough, or any other location of interest, you can perform a search on our website at officebroker.com or contact us directly for free, expert advice.
Historic gem added to Liverpool's office space market
Published by Jo on Tuesday, 26 May 2009 at 2:38 PM
A magnificent Grade II listed building in Liverpool, which was damaged during the Blitz, has now been refurbished to its former glory. Located on the city's historic waterfront on Pier Head, the building's dome, along with its marble walls, stained glass windows and terrazzo flooring, have been cleaned and restored for the first time since it was damaged in the Blitz.
The £10m project was completed in January of this year, and now the company behind the restoration is releasing office space within the historic Liverpool building. According to the Liverpool Daily Post, there are high levels of interest in the building which is promising news for businesses seeking office space in the Liverpool area.
If you're interested in renting office space in Liverpool, you can search via our website at officebroker.com.
Office space designer in top 20 Sunday Times green list
Published by Jo on Tuesday, 26 May 2009 at 9:07 AM
Being green is hot news at the moment, so we were pretty impressed when we found out that office design company Morgan Lovell, with offices in London, Birmingham and Wokingham, had made it onto the Sunday Times' Best Green Companies in Britain list.
With a very creditable 14th position, the office space design company had clearly done a fantastic job of proving their environmental performance, something which carries through to their work. Their office space designs focus on making the most out of space, natural light and ventilation. With environmental office design at its heart, the company utilises recycled materials, such as plastic and timber, as well as using energy efficient technology.
According to the Sunday Times, getting on the Green List means that a company must not only deliver on environmental performance, but must also actively work to encourage a green culture within their business.
What's your take on being green in the office – and how do you rate your business? We enjoy hearing from you, so get in touch with us here at officebroker.com by submitting your comment below.
Birmingham office development in historic Digbeth
Published by Jo on Friday, 22 May 2009 at 3:55 PM
This week at officebroker.com we've found out about a fantastic new development that's on the cards for historic Digbeth, in Birmingham's city centre.
Following recent backing from planners and council members, a landmark tower development is due to start later this year. The development will transform a derelict site into office space, along with shops, public squares, apartments and the restoration of three historic buildings.
The development is reported to include a 27-storey glass tower which will be powered by a green energy system. One of the first of its kind in the UK, the system will draw water from ancient wells 100 metres below the city centre, providing heating and air conditioning. On top of that, the development is set to create 2,000 jobs and result in 25 per cent less carbon emissions than any other development of its kind.
All in all that's yet another feather in Birmingham's green cap, bringing more interest and development to our second city. If you're interested in offices to rent in Birmingham, feel free to get in touch with us here at officebroker.com.
Liverpool office space bucks the trend
Published by Jo on Friday, 22 May 2009 at 9:22 AM
Despite the current doom and gloom, it's definitely not grim up north. Liverpool continues to turn heads as demand for Liverpool office space is reported to be outperforming the wider market.
A report by DTZ shows that there is plenty of take-up for new developments – recent completions include those on Dale Street, Chapel Street and St Paul’s Square – and there is even talk that the 2009 take-up figures could outstrip the five-year average.
Liverpool, currently the 6th most visited UK city for international visitors, has many strings to its bow. As last year's European Capital of Culture, Liverpool is the birthplace of the Beatles, home to the Grand National, has more listed buildings than any other city in the UK outside London, and was designated a World Heritage City by UNESCO for its famous Waterfront. It's fair to say you'd never be short of something to do in your lunch hour!
Birmingham office goes green
Published by Jo on Thursday, 21 May 2009 at 3:10 PM
Following a recent £15m refurbishment, an office building in Edgbaston on Hagley Road has been recognised for its environmentally friendly developments.
BREEAM – the BRE Environmental Assessment Method – gave a high rating to the office after it scored highly in areas including health and wellbeing of occupants, transport links and recycling of office materials. BREEAM provides environmental assessments on buildings and gives ratings based on the overall performance of the building, in terms of environment 'best practice' methods, sustainability, and any innovative ideas that are being used to help reduce impact on the environment.
Offices in Birmingham are currently scoring well on the environment scale, with other schemes including Calthorpe House in Edgbaston, Langley Point, Eleven Brindleyplace and The Cube also set to have BREEAM status.
You can search for office space in Birmingham or contact us here at officebroker.com for more details.
Officebroker.com launches YouTube videos
Published by Jo on Thursday, 21 May 2009 at 11:29 AM
Since the successful launch of video tours on our officebroker.com website back in February, we’ve now gone one step further and added over 60 videos to YouTube, the UK’s top user-generated online video website.
The videos were created with the help of vid-e-pro.com, and we’re happy to report that they’re looking good and performing well on YouTube, with plenty of positive user feedback. Creating video tours of office buildings really shows off the property’s good points, and allows clients to get a good view of the building before they’ve even booked a tour.
There is also the option to switch to 'HQ' (high quality) in order to see a more optimised version of the YouTube videos.
All in all we think the videos are a great addition to both officebroker.com and YouTube. Have a look for yourselves at www.youtube.com/videprouk, and feel free to leave us your comments!
Old world charm at Liverpool office space
Published by Jo on Wednesday, 20 May 2009 at 4:02 PM
This week we’ve learned that a £2m office development in Liverpool has recently been completed. The newly refurbished grade II listed building, based on Dale Street, offers a variety of office space right in the city centre. For old romantics out there, converted buildings and listed properties that have been renovated to make way for office space offer several advantages.
Not least, it makes use of old buildings which may otherwise fall into disrepair and ruin, a fate which sadly becomes many ancient and historical buildings around the UK. The Dale Street development has kept many of the buildings original features, such as sash windows, vaulted ceilings and iron columns.
Conversions such as this also offer a great place to work for employees, especially when the renovation makes way for mod cons and environmentally friendly features. The building on Dale Street now boasts a new reception and entrance, which opens out directly onto views of the Nelson monument in Exchange Flags.
You can find updated images of office buildings when you perform a search on officebroker.com, so if you’re looking for a historical site for your business, you’ve come to the right place.
Your officebroker.com experience
Published by Jo on Wednesday, 20 May 2009 at 1:36 PM
You may have already noticed, but just in case you’re new to officebroker.com, or you’ve been on Mars for the last few weeks, we’ve redesigned our website. Not just that, we’ve got a new face for officebroker.com – Fred the Fish! He’ll be cropping up in various places throughout the website, so keep an eye out for him.
We feel that the redesign is another important step forward for officebroker.com. We’re constantly working to improve your online experience, and as part of this, the redesign includes a number of developments. Most significantly, there is a new ‘compare’ function, which allows you to select up to 3 different offices and make a comparison of their services before submitting an enquiry.
We think this is a great way to improve the way office buildings are presented, and above all we hope that it makes a difference to you. To help us in our quest for better, better, better, we’d be more than grateful if you could spare a moment to let us know what you think about our website services. You can make a comment below. Fill your boots!
Officebroker.com launches online blog
Published by Jo on Tuesday, 19 May 2009 at 1:57 PM
Welcome to our brand new blog!
Here at officebroker.com we like to keep our clients, office providers and web visitors well informed and up to date with all the latest goings-on. From developments within our own business to the commercial property world in general, we’re committed to bringing you the latest news and views every day via our blog.
