The rise of serviced office and co-working providers

An interesting report for third place shedworkers on the move from property specialists Cushman & Wakefield shows that serviced office and co-working providers have accounted for the largest share of space leased in central London for the first time.

During the first half of 2017, serviced office or co-working providers – such as WeWork and The Office Group – accounted for 884,235 sq ft of newly-leased office space in central London. The second quarter of the year in particular witnessed a dramatic escalation in activity by serviced office and co-working providers with 651,540 sq ft leased – around a quarter of central London’s take-up across April, May and June. This was more than London’s traditionally dominant occupational sub-sectors such as technology, media and financial services.

The 2017 total so far is already more than serviced office and co-working providers accounted for in the whole of 2016 (853,178 sq ft) and is just a deal or two shy of the sector’s average annual take-up between 2012 and 2016 (908,972). It seems certain therefore that serviced office and co-working providers will this year surpass their record annual volume of 1,267,926 sq ft set in 2014.

Amy Emery, Head of Serviced Office Advisory, Cushman & Wakefield, said: “This most recent quarter was a defining one for the serviced office and co-working sector with barely a day going by without another significant announcement. The market is becoming increasingly competitive and large-scale operators WeWork, The Office Group and London Executive Offices all increased their footprint across central London. WeWork are currently offer to buy or lease a further 350,000 sq ft so the trend we are seeing will continue.

“More traditional owners have also made serious moves into the sector in the last quarter with British Land launching its Storey concept and Blackstone buying a majority stake in The Office Group. Each development is further evidence of the fundamental changes occurring in the occupational market driven by a desire from companies of all sizes for greater flexibility. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Under the Tump - book review

Oliver Balch's book Under the Tump doesn't feature many sheds but it was entirely written in one. Subtitled 'Sketches of Real Life on the Welsh Borders', it follows the writer and journalist as he and his family (including wife Emma who is setting up the first museum of books at Hay, The Story of Books) relocate to the environs of Hay-on-Wye in Wales. Here he is on his writing shed (pictured below):

Emma had the tool shed in the garden converted for me. As a work space, it has everything I need; a phone line, internet, and an electric heater for when the winter cold creeps under the door. The furnishings are simple and functional which suits me fine. A few bookshelves along the walls. A filing cabinet in the corner. A large wooden table, complete with a view onto our vegetable patch and through to a wild flower garden that blooms into bright oranges and pinks in the summer.

The running thread throughout Under the Tump is a perceptive analysis of how communities function, especially with 'incomers', and will appeal to anybody interested in oral history as well as the diaries of Victorian clergyman Francis Kilvert which are something of an inspiration for the whole enterprise. Full of intelligent wisdom, it's not a shouty book, rather a personal investigation into whether you can stop becoming an inbetween person when you move to a rural town.

It also has a marvellous book jacket designed by Eleanor Crow.

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Smart Garden Offices new Belle range

Suffolk-based Smart Garden Offices has just released a new range, the Belle. It comes in various sizes but pictured above is the Micro which is 2.1m x 2.1m with around 49sq ft of floor space. It's slightly smaller than the Micro, Duo, Extro, Trio, Quarto, and Quinto, the biggest at 6.4m x 3.2m (pictured below).

The Belle comes in a range of colours - Captivating Chalk, Enchanted Green, Burnished Biscuit, Shimmering Blush, Emmerson Grey, Fizzy Ocean - full or half New England Panelling, and the chance to personalise your carpet and window/door configuration.

It's been a successful few months for Smart, shortlisted for the East Anglian Daily Times Business Awards, in the Medium Business of the Year 2017 category (results announced tomorrow), with their MD and designer-in-chief Charlie Dalton one of four business leaders from Suffolk named winners in the Institute of Director’s 2017 Director of the Year Awards for the East of England. ---------------------------------------------------

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Garden offices at RHS Hampton Court

There's a strong beach hut vibe to RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show this year which runs until July 9. Above is Fun on Sea, designed by Tony Wagstaff and built by Southend Youth Offending Service & Southend Parks Departmen. Southend Council also have another garden at the show called By the Sea which also features beach huts with decking built from timbers salvaged from Southend’s pier.

Above is one of the two wooden treehouse 'nests' at the Zoflora and Caudwell Children's Wild Garden, constructed partly out of weathered staghorn oak branches. Designed by Adam White & Andrée Davies and built by Martyn Hughes of Gerald Davies Ltd. There are of course various garden office buildings companies exhibiting including The Posh Shed Compan. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Where is the best place in London for a garden office?

There are always going to be difficulties in working out the best locations for a garden office, but some interesting research from emoov looks at the greenest boroughs in London in terms of domestic gardens with an average house price under £500k.

Using data on the land use of each borough eMoov looked at which spots across the capital offered the most affordable options for home buyers with an emphasis on gardens and outdoor space. Here's the result:

Top 10 for Domestic Garden Land Use
Borough	Area of Domestic Garden (%)	Average Price
Harrow	34.7	£473,019
Sutton	34.5	£371,383
Croydon	32.8	£367,160
Lewisham	31.1	£414,721
Kingston upon Thames	30.9	£488,416
Brent	30.3	£482,538
Redbridge	27.4	£406,522
Ealing	25.6	£483,927
Bexley	25.1	£334,053
Waltham Forest	24.4	£432,759
London Average	22.37	527,913

Founder and CEO of eMoov.co.uk, Russell Quirk,  said: “Having accessibility to outdoor areas in your community can be equally as important as other amenities such as good schools, transport links and supermarkets. Often these amenities will come at a cost, particularly in central London, which is helping drive the trend of London homebuyers moving further outward to be able to have more space, outdoor living and the important conveniences that make for a better quality of life. It is often those second and third rung buyers who will place a larger importance on a garden or nearby outdoor space, as they invest in a home for a growing family or to support a particular lifestyle."
Image: Garden Spaces

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Harbourside garden office

Well if I'm going to do a little work on a Sunday, I may as well be in my harbourside garden office. Hey. pic.twitter.com/a2Llebd3hC

— simon tracey (@zagundo) July 2, 2017

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Can you build a garden office without planning permission?

A welcome reminder from Rotunda on their blog that there are temporary increases to size limits single-storey rear extensions due to be completed by May 30, 2019. There's a lot of detail on the Planning Portal site which is a must read, but Rotunda sum it up the essentials nicely in that you can now build single storey extensions without planning permission as long as:

• The extension does not sit forward of the principal elevation
• Where it is within 2m of any boundary, the eaves cannot be higher than 3m, and no more than 4m in height otherwise
• Rear extensions — no more than 4m in depth (detached house) or 3m in depth (semi-detached or terrace).
• Side extensions — the width of the extension must not be greater than half the width of the original dwelling. 

Here's what they go on to say:

It’s definitely worth keeping in mind that the above criteria apply to the physical structure and location of a garden room or extension but the ‘intended use’ is a critical component when it comes to compliance. When it comes to outbuildings, the use should always be ‘incidental’ to that of the home, ie: home office/art studio/music room etc. Unfortunately Garden rooms under permitted development cannot be used for commercial B&B purposes neither can they be used as granny annexes or residential accommodation.

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