Archive: Apr 2015

  1. Formroom Architects boost team

    Manchester based Formroom Architects announced it has made three new appointments to its team located in Knott Mill.  Matthew O’Brien, Tom Welz and Charlotte Jepson’s appointments mean there’s now ten people employed at Formroom.

    Matthew qualified as an architect in October last year and joins Formroom from Cassidy and Ashton in Preston.  Matthew attained a First Class Master of Architecture degree from the University of Liverpool where he received a number of prizes including the Anderson Bursary and the Tyson prize for engagement with technology.  Matthew is working on several projects for Formroom including a hotel for an international brand and the conversion of the Grade II Listed Prescot Watch Factory.

    Tom, originally from Cape Town, joins Formroom as a Part II Architectural Assistant.  He received the equivalent of a First Class Master of Architecture degree from the University of Cape Town in December 2014.  Tom has a wealth of technical expertise having undertaken numerous technologist roles during the course of his architectural studies eventually taking up the post of Senior Architectural Technologist at Bell Architects in Cape Town.  He recently relocated to the North West of England to further pursue his career and work towards the completion of his professional examinations.  He is working on projects including a range of student accommodation schemes and the refurbishment of the Formroom offices in central Manchester.

    Charlotte has taken up the post of Studio Administrator.  She will help with general support and administration tasks within the office and also assist with managing the firms social media presence and help with the production of marketing and planning submission documents.  Charlotte is an experienced administrator with an academic background in Contemporary Art Practice.

    Tim Groom, director, Formroom Architects said: “I am very pleased to welcome Matthew, Tom and Charlotte to Formroom Architects.  We have a number of new and exciting commissions and it is great to have such high calibre additions to the team. As a company we are committed to ensuring our people receive the best experience and training to help them achieve their professional aspirations and we felt that our new hires had just the right attitude and approach to help the practice achieve its ambitions for growth.”

    Manchester practice, Formroom Architects, was established by Tim Groom in 2006. At the heart of the studio is its vibrant team of talented architects which has a proven track record in delivering creative projects across a range of sectors, including student accommodation, residential urban regeneration, hotel, restaurant and office projects as well as retail and leisure developments.

    Personal in its approach, Formroom works collaboratively with its clients and business partners, to develop an original, tailored solution to every project, and prides itself on offering honest counsel and unrivalled service.

    Other recent schemes developed by Formroom Architects include a 331 bedroom high-end student residential development which forms the last part of the Liverpool One Masterplan, and the renovation of a Grade II listed former watch making factory into extra care accommodation in Prescot, Merseyside.

    The news was covered by Place North West

  2. OBI win at Property Awards

    Congratulations to our client OBI Property who this week were named as Niche Agency Team at the Property Week Awards.  “The Judges praised OBI Property’s innovative approach to business and its ability to deliver the right solutions to the right clients. The Manchester office specialist has become dominant in the city since its establishment in 2010, securing 35% of all transactions over the last three years. It advised on the city centre’s largest transaction in 2014, Australian law firm Slater & Gordon’s 106,000 sq ft letting at 58 Moseley Street, and is now advising Allied London on a 400,000 sq ft development at Spinningfields and on the 13-acre former Granada Studios site.”

    You can read more about the Awards here.  Ashurst Communications helped OBI Property complete the entry for the national award and it’s a key part of the service we offer all our clients. Read more about awards here.

     

  3. The Hive sold for £17 million

    This week Argent announced their award winning building The Hive, Lever Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester has been sold to Edinburgh and London based investment firm Kames Capital for circa £17 million.

    David Partridge, managing partner, Argent said:  “The sale of The Hive to Kames Capital shows the strength and quality of the building we developed in partnership with Manchester City Council.  There is a very exciting mix of tenants in the building, whose enthusiasm and commitment to the space has no doubt helped attract the buyers.”

    Gary Scorah, Commercial Properties Limited acted on behalf of Argent while JLL acted on behalf of Kames Capital.

    Gary said:  “Kames Capital sees the strength of the wider offer of Manchester’s Northern Quarter, having purchased the Smithfield Buildings last year, it is clear they see the area as one of great potential.  Kames views the Hive for what it is, the best quality office building of its kind in the area.”

    James Porteous, director, JLL said “This is a fantastic building with excellent sustainability credentials.  We are delighted to have acquired this property for our client, Kames in what is fast becoming a very sought after location.”

    Kames Capital is a specialist investment management business, which manages £55 billion on behalf of UK and international clients – including wealth managers, financial advisers, family offices, pension funds, financial institutions, government agencies and individuals.

    The Hive on Lever Street is the only Grade A office building in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.  Tenants include: the Arts Council England, 5plus architects, Gooey Creative, Join the Dots, Online Ventures Group, Fatsoma, Spacemen Creative, Bakerie Wine Store, Pie & Ale and the Studio – versatile spaces for meetings, launches events, conferences, training days and parties.

    The office space at The Hive is flexible to meet all requirements and is available in suites of 2,500 sq ft +.  The 80,000 sq ft building also benefits from a natural ventilation system which ensures it is one of the greenest and most cost effective buildings in Manchester.

    The news of the building sale has featured in Manchester Evening News, Place North West, Insider, Businessdesk.com and Estates Gazette.

  4. BBRE buys St James Court, Manchester

    Boultbee Brooks Real Estate (BBRE), the UK-based real estate investor and developer, has purchased St James’s Court, 24-30 Brown Street, Manchester, M2 1DH from the HIMOR Group for £6.5 million.  Our client OBI Property acted on behalf of HIMOR Group with CBRE.

    St James’s Court is a 38,000 sq ft office building arranged over five floors providing typical floor plates of 8,000 sq ft and a car parking ratio of 1:1,570 sq ft.  There is significant opportunity to undertake a comprehensive refurbishment of the property to create high quality office space and to utilise various terraced atrium areas to provide an attractive roof top garden.

    The 38,000 sq ft five floor office building provides typical floor plates of 8,000 sq ft. The new owners plan to undertake a comprehensive refurbishment of the property to create high quality office space and a new roof top garden.

    The acquisition of St James’s Court follows the purchase of Croxley House, announced last week, and is further evidence of BBRE’s strategy to invest in high-quality, sought-after properties in the UK’s leading cities such as Manchester.

    Boultbee Brooks Development Director, Roger James said:  “Boultbee Brooks have continued their expansion into strong regional markets with the acquisition of St James’s Court, Manchester for £6.5 million.  The 38,000 sq ft proposed office redevelopment is perfectly positioned to take advantage of the strong occupational demand we continue to see in Manchester”.

    Will Ainscough of the HIMOR Group added:  “We wish Boultbee Brooks all the best in delivering this exciting opportunity.  They performed professionally and efficiently during the transaction and the deal went through seamlessly.  We will now look to reinvest the money into brownfield strategic planning opportunities throughout the UK.”

    Aurum Real Estate acted on behalf of Boultbee Brooks Real Estate.

    The news of the building sale was featured in Manchester Evening News, Place North West, Insider and Property Week and Estates Gazette.

  5. urbanbubble releases survey results

    Manchester based award winning residential property management company urbanbubble has released the findings of its survey of Manchester and Salford residents.  Over 350 people completed the survey which asked them about how they choose their homes, what is important to them in terms of the design of their apartments and what more they would like to see.

    The results of the survey are being shared with businesses in Manchester and Salford who are looking at developing PRS (Private Rented Sector) schemes, so they can better understand what city centre residents want from their homes.

    You can view the survey results here http://www.manchesterprs.co.uk/