Breaking Property News – 18/03/24
Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.
x+why revolutionise sustainable workspace design with launch of whydesign
Press Release London, 18th March 2024: Leading flexible workspace specialist x+why is launching a new in-house award-winning design team, whydesign, focused on customising sustainable and design-led office spaces.
whydesign will support businesses in the optimisation of workspaces to meet brand and business needs, whether in one of x+why’s suites or in a managed deal in another location. It specialises in seamlessly blending modern aesthetics and ethical design, addressing the growing demand for workspaces that not only inspire productivity but also prioritise sustainability.
The fully bespoke service offered by x+why draws upon the experience of a team of designers who have between them delivered nearly 400,000 sq ft of design-led space for some of the most established and recognisable brands and Landlords in the UK. They are well practised in delivering high quality, best in class workspaces, and bring with them a deep understanding of the requirements of businesses looking to achieve a sustainable yet stylish footprint.
whydesign recently supported Lloyds Banking Group with a refit of a 65,000 sq ft managed deal in Foundry, x+why’s flexible workspace in Brindleyplace, Birmingham, housing 800 employees. Foundry itself is a case study in workplace revival and sustainable fitout, having previously been an abandoned WeWork space, the x+why team committed to re-using and upcycling as much as possible. As part of the bespoke design service for Lloyds, in partnership with John Robertson Architect’s whydesign conducted an embodied carbon study to examine the carbon emissions of different fitout options.
Utilising new player to the UK market Nornorm’s fully circular furniture model alongside other responsible and sustainable practices such as re-working existing partitioning systems, the total amount of carbon emitted across 65,000 sq ft was a mere 2.6 tCO2e, which is equivalent to only 4.4 flights to New York from London, or 6500 cups of coffee, demonstrating the importance and impact of re-use and upcycling.
x+why’s most recent project designed by whydesign, The Kenrick, opened earlier this month. It exemplifies the beautiful design and eye for detail that the bespoke design service is set to become recognised for. x+why has refurbished the workspace on behalf of partner landlord, The Rumi Foundation, and it will become the 11th building to be in the x+why group. The 5,000 sq ft building is set to open at 100% occupancy, with three larger enterprise tenants.
x+why is a B Corp certified, flexible workspace specialist, with eight innovative, green spaces across the UK, totalling over 400,000 sq ft of space, at over 85% occupancy and more scheduled to open this year. The company committed to changing the way the world works for good by supporting businesses as they embrace more responsible ways of working. Not only do x+why members enjoy high-quality office spaces with excellent sustainability credentials; they also become part of an active and collaborative community of like-minded, purpose-driven organisations.
Phil Nevin, Chief Creative Officer of x+why said: “We are thrilled to launch x+why’s latest offering with whydesign. The team at whydesign offer a holistic approach to the future of workspaces, providing environments that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also aligned with the principles of sustainability. whydesign helps support both existing members who might be scaling within or between our buildings and new members looking for design led and sustainable space.”
“We are delighted to see the impact that this approach has had for businesses such as Lloyds Banking Group who were looking for a bespoke, low carbon, flexible space, and most recently in the opening of our latest building, the Kenrick, Marylebone. The homely and stylish design of Kenrick really helped it stand out in the market for us to pre-sell 100% of the space. We see this as a great marker for historic stock, which from an environmental point of view we as a sector need to become expert at bringing back to life and making it relevant for today’s businesses.”
Wayne Nutland, Regional Portfolio Lead, Lloyds Banking Group, said “whydesign delivered 65,000 sq ft of fully refurbished managed space for us on a very tight turn around and budget. The space not only looks great, it operates perfectly for our needs and all at a very low carbon cost thanks to x+why’s approach.”
Chris Turner, B Lab, said “When we recently scaled up our team whydesign helped us move office within the same building, creating a new space that exactly fitted our business needs and reflected our brand.”
Alex Clegg, Saboteur, said “We recently outgrew our space in an x+why, but x+why not only found us a new building to move to, whydesign then helped design and deliver the perfect balance of office space, collaboration areas, meeting rooms and zoom rooms for us, all with typical design flair and creating spaces that feel unique and like a home from home.’”
Fine & Country launches second radio advert campaign, expanding reach to quintessential listeners
Premium estate agency, Fine & Country is proud to announce the launch of its second radio advert campaign. Following the success of its initial foray into radio advertising, Fine & Country’s latest campaign marks a strategic move to further diversify its advertising strategy and extend its reach to quintessential listeners.
The new radio advert, part of Fine & Country’s overarching marketing campaign titled ‘Dare to be iconic,’ will be aired on leading stations including Classic FM, Virgin Radio, and LBC UK. This decision stems from meticulous research revealing that these stations are highly favoured among the target audience Fine & Country aims to engage with.
Emilie Despois, Chief Marketing Officer for Fine & Country, commented on the expansion of their advertising strategy, stating: “Through the support of our network and National Advisory Council (NAC), Fine & Country has always prioritised an extensive advertising strategy encompassing national print and online media. With the expansion of our advertising budget, we have been able to explore new avenues to expand our brand awareness such as podcast and more recently radio advertising, creating a multi-platform strategy that maximises exposure for the brand and our network of agents.”
According to Despois, the overarching ‘Dare to Ironic’ campaign message centres around customers’ lifestyles and encouraging them to live the life they aspire to by choosing Fine & Country as their property partner. It also reflects the exceptional level of service Fine & Country’s customers can expect by using a trusted, premium brand. She adds that the campaign has been in the pipeline for several months, with the radio advertising the first medium used to springboard the campaign into other avenues.
“Our previous broadcasting campaign was highly successful in reaching our target audience and increasing brand awareness, which is why we decided to further explore this medium. As a brand, we will continue to increase our investment in our omni-channel marketing approach and are committed to promoting the brand and identifying new opportunities for brand elevation,” Despois added.
The radio adverts will be broadcast in two phases, each spanning six weeks, across the selected stations: Classic FM, Virgin Radio, and LBC UK.
Andrew Stanton Executive Editor – moving property and proptech forward. PropTech-X
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