Archive: May 2015
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Watch OBI Property – Thinking Manchester
Our client OBI Property has started a series of roundtable discussions about the future of property in Manchester. The first discussion centres around the Allied London’s plans for the St John’s Quarter and features Michael Ingall, Allied London; Thom Hetherington, Holden Media and Buy Art Fair; Laura Woolf, Journey 9; Emma Powell, OBI Property; Helen Alridge, Echo PR; Ian Simpson, Simpson Haugh Architects and was chaired by Neil Tague.
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Formroom Architects renamed as Tim Groom Architects
Tim Groom, director of Manchester based practice Formroom Architects announced the business, located in Knott Mill is changing its name to Tim Groom Architects. The name change signifies an exciting new phase for the business as it embarks upon a series of major commissions and adds to its growing team.
Tim Groom said: “When I set up Formroom Architects in 2006, we were a team of just two delivering mid-sized projects across the North West. The Formroom name was born of the collaborative origins of our business model, we used the services of a range of designers on a part time or project specific basis meeting in one place or ‘room’ to develop ideas and coordinate resources.
“Initially, like many start-up businesses our first ‘room’ was a spare room – the dining room of my house. We then rented some space in a friend’s studio to gain a better work/life balance before making the move to our first formal office in Wilmslow in a building which also housed one of our collaborative partners, design consultancy Mather & Co who we continue to work with today. Finally, we moved to Manchester and we are now settled at our base in the Knott Mill area of Castlefield.
“As we developed, our team structure became more concrete (nearly all of the original core team are still with us) but our collaborative ethos remains. We are lucky enough to have built up a fantastic network of clients and consultants over the years who are experts in their field and who, fundamentally, are great people we enjoy working with.
“We are now a mature and established architectural practice and we felt that the time was right to update and rebrand the business to reflect our growing ambition and confidence, show more personality and equip us for the exciting projects that lie ahead.”
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.
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, a boutique hotel and restaurant at Bruntwood Hall in Cheshire and the redevelopment of the Prescot Watch Making Factory site into extra care accommodation.
New commissions include a number of residential schemes in Manchester City Centre and Merseyside as well as student accommodation projects in the Midlands and South West of England.
Completed schemes include: a 34 apartment scheme in Droylsden, Manchester for Bell Developments, their first completed scheme (2007); Bagot Street student accommodation project in Birmingham, an 18 storey building with 656 student bedrooms and construction cost of £20M (2009) and East Village, a £10M high specification student accommodation scheme in the historic Ropewalks area of Liverpool.
Three new people recently joined the firm, Matthew O’Brien, Tom Welz and Charlotte Jepson’s appointments mean there’s now ten people employed at Formroom. Matthew is fully qualified; Tom joins as Part II architectural assistant and Charlotte is studio administrator.
The news was featured by the Manchester Evening News, Place North West and TheBusinessdesk.
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Caroline McIntyre joins Euan Kellie Property Solutions
Euan Kellie Property Solutions has announced Caroline McIntyre has joined the company this week as a consultant planner.
Caroline joins the Manchester based planning firm with over thirteen years experience, ten of those at a leading London planning consultancy where she was made a director in 2013. Caroline recently moved back to the North and has joined Euan Kellie and Kelly Paddick to assist with their growing client work.
Euan said: “I am delighted someone of Caroline’s calibre and experience is joining us, I have no doubt Caroline will be a fantastic asset, not only to us but to our clients. Her experience in working on large, high profile, nationally significant projects will be invaluable as we look to grow our business.”
Caroline said: “Euan Kellie Property Solutions is a young, yet very experienced and dynamic company with lots of exciting clients. I am looking forward to working with Euan and Kelly, and to helping them grow the business.”
Euan Kellie Property Solutions was set up in 2009 and provides an innovative and commercial approach to clients land and property needs through the planning process. Recent work has included gaining planning approval for Trinity Way, Salford – the first dedicated PRS scheme by FCIM and designed by 5plus Architects and planning approval for the new OYY Boys School, Synagogue and Yeshiva at Broughton, Salford.
Caroline’s appointment was covered in the Manchester Evening News, Place North West and The Businessdesk.
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Andrew Crompton joins OBI Property
OBI Property announced Andrew Crompton has joined its workplace consultancy team as a senior designer. Andrew will work with James Scott who leads the team along with Anna Lysik.
Andrew has a wide range of experience in interior design and architecture and joins OBI Property from Overbury Plc, where he was an interior project designer. Prior to that Andrew worked at Aedas Architects in Manchester for seven years.
Andrew said: “I am thrilled to be joining OBI Property, it’s a growing company and a young team working on some very exciting fit out and design projects. I have already got involved in some great projects where we are delivering inspirational workspace for our clients.”
James Scott said: “We are delighted to have Andrew on board with the workplace consultancy team; we are working with some really exciting clients such as CarLoan4U, rentalcars.com and Citation and I know Andrew will fit right into the team at OBI.”
OBI Property workplace consultancy team last year received the Mixology North Award for best office fit out project for its work with AO.com on the company’s new HQ in Bolton.
OBI Property was set up in 2010 and is a commercial real estate firm which provides innovative solutions to its landlord and occupier clients.
Andrew’s appointment was featured in the Manchester Evening News and Place North West
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Countdown to Insider Property Awards
We’re approaching the largest property awards night in the North West, the Insider Property Awards which will be held on Thursday 14 May at Manchester Central.
We’re delighted that two of our clients are shortlisted for awards – OBI Property in the office agents category and Euan Kellie Property Solutions in the professional services category.
Our client Landmark Investments Group is sponsoring the residential development category, as part of the company’s 15th anniversary celebrations.
Good luck to all up for awards on the night. You can see the full shortlist here.