Barr Gazetas

An engaging discussion on Tuesday for the Bisnow event "UK Office Series: Adapting To A New Era Of Workspaces". Our Jon Eaglesham shares his thoughts on the panel he was a part of 👇

Another productive (and quietly exhausting) week in Cannes this year. Glad to see familiar faces and make exciting new connections too.   Our Head of Residential, Félicie Krikler, penned a thoughtful summary for Building Design. She reflected on how, for her, "this year’s trip was particularly different. Starting at a new practice meant bringing together contacts from different sectors, bridging what can sometimes feel like two separate worlds – commercial and residential. It also meant a lot of introductions, a lot of human stitching to connect people who wouldn’t otherwise meet."   Read Félicie's reflections on MIPIM 2025 here: https://lnkd.in/e7ScY5ky

6 St Andrew Street has undergone a remarkable transformation that we’re proud to have delivered 🌟    Project Director Tom Lacey and Associate Magnus Wills share some of their thoughts on this comprehensive scheme which addresses every aspect of retrofit and workplace design in a single project.    In 2022 GPE acquired the building, aiming to expand its portfolio of fully managed offices. Today, it offers everything from premium reception services and high-speed WiFi to a yoga studio in the basement and community-focused activities in the communal kitchen, providing office workers with a holistic work experience.    A standout feature of the project is the addition of the 8th and 9th floors, built using 25 tonnes of reclaimed steel in partnership with Heyne Tillett Steel and Cleveland Steel & Tubes Ltd. The new roof terrace offers breathtaking views – St. Andrew's Church by Christopher Wren and Hatton Garden to the north, Smithfield Market to the east, the Shard and Tate Modern to the south, and the spires of the Maughan Library on Chancery Lane to the west. What a location!   Project team:  GPE  CogentBC LLP  Heyne Tillett Steel  GDM  exigere  Watkins Payne  Jensen Hughes  Faithdean Plc  Greenwood Hill    Read more about 6 St Andrew Street on our website: https://lnkd.in/ewHPC9kp

Beautiful use of material🩶 We can't wait to see this project come to life – it's shaping up to be something truly special!

On Tuesday, our managing director Jon Eaglesham will be joining an expert panel discussion at Bisnow's event 'UK Office Series: Adapting to a New Era of Workspaces'.    The panel, titled 'The Retrofit Revolution: Repurposing Spaces for Sustainability and Relevance', will discuss how retrofitting buildings can enhance sustainability, meet regulatory requirements, and attract modern tenants. Key topics include funding, energy efficiency improvements, and the challenges and opportunities of upgrading existing spaces.    Joining Jon on the panel is: • Holly Price – Group Sustainability Director, Keltbray (Moderator)  • Kate Green MRICS – Director of Workplace, The Crown Estate  • Laura Collins – Development Director, Stanhope PLC  • Mark Swetman – CEO, LS Estates     The discussion kicks off at 4:10 PM on 18th March at the Turing Building, Stratford Cross, and we're looking forward to taking part! Find out more about the event: https://buff.ly/3EpTKyk

Our team of five will be in Cannes on Wednesday 12th and Thursday 13th March. We are at a critical point in the market and MIPIM is the best place for an exchange of hopes and fears, and news and views. Inevitably there is uncertainty about the year ahead but there is also lots of opportunity. Some things are fairly certain, like an industry focus on housebuilding and infrastructure. Other things are more dependent on the continually changing political and financial environment, and it is changing faster than ever! These are some of the questions we are asking ourselves: - What is the best way to respond to the challenging market conditions? - Are Sadiq Khan’s plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street the best solution for the West End? - Should architects be more business focussed than we are already, and call ourselves ‘spatial agencies’ as the RIBA Futures report suggests? 🤔 - At the beginning of this year, we welcomed Félicie Krikler as Head of Residential. How can we advance residential design using our expertise in retrofit and re-use? We have a few ideas! We want to speak to our our friends and colleagues at MIPIM about what they think is important in the year ahead. Our managing director Jon Eaglesham has been heading to Cannes every March since 2007 and has experienced many MIPIMs. He says 2025 is shaping up to be as energetic as ever, so please get in touch. Our team in Cannes (clockwise from top left): Jonathan Allwood, Tom Lacey, Félicie Krikler, Alice Fawke and Jon Eaglesham #mipim #mipim2025

I love this picture: a tiny panel by a VERY LARGE screen, but in fact it was a packed room! Thank you Andrew Mason for the invitation to take part in this year’s London Resi conference - particularly timely as I am keen to talk to as many as possible about the great and quite unique work that we are doing across different asset classes at Barr Gazetas and in particular in the living sector. Always great to be able to bring the architect’s perspective on a panel when it inevitably goes back to funding... The simple question I posed was: when viability stops housing being built altogether, should we question the complexity of the buildings we build and think lean - and what would it look like? Ami Kotecha , Michael Keaveney , Rory O'Hagan and Dominic Grace FRICS

I recently went on a trip to Venice to select stone for a project. It's an involved process, which reminded me that as architects, we have a responsibility to consider the longevity of the materials we use – in circularity terms, but also in their ability to stand the test of time, both functionally and aesthetically. At Barr Gazetas, we’ve always enjoyed using traditional materials in contemporary ways. It’s about finding the right product at its source, understanding its unique qualities, and using it in a way that respects its natural properties. The material selection process is a critical part of every project, and we’ll restore and reuse existing materials wherever possible. Where new materials are required, we carefully choose options that create a connection between the old and the new. It’s not about choosing what’s on trend or easily available; it’s about caring for the quality of design and being mindful of how each material contributes to the overall narrative of the project. When we specify new materials, we’re choosing something that’s authentic, high quality, and enduring. The right material, used in the right way, can create spaces that will be appreciated for generations.

Good to attend the Bisnow UK's Single Family Housing summit this morning and hear about the investment opportunity in terms of numbers but also in relation to delivering long term quality and stewardship. At a time when there seems to be much focus on the figures, stigmatised by the big "1.5m homes", the scale and potential buying power of the SFH sector, driven by tenants preferences and a desire for climate resilient assets sounds like the perfect combination to drive quality and consistency. This morning's discussions got me thinking (again) about the value of pattern book housing in relation to building at scale. And what if these were 'planning pre-approved' (because pre road tested) homes? We could de-risk the planning process and focus on sites' infrastructure, massing and general principles to be decided through outline planning. Just a thought, but if we want to drive quality, that might be part of the solution... Some more thoughts in the sketch below. Thank you to the panels for the inspiration; Limor Shklaz , Jack Spearman , Jonathon Hogg , Jonathan Smith , James Kirimy , Oscar Kingsbury , Nick Sissling , Anna Hwang , Jane Harrison and Gemma Leonard And good to catch up with Nick Biring , Paul Belfield , James Pargeter , Elizabeth Jackson , Niki Kyriacou , Tim Reid , Tom Robson and more!

We’re excited to share the outcomes report from the Collaborate and Educate Roundtable, which we organised and hosted at Fivefields last month.    The event, in collaboration with Grosvenor, brought together a diverse group of industry experts to discuss inclusive and accessible design in architecture, urban development, and workplace environments.    The conversation was rich with insights, from which four key themes emerged. The first was the urgent need to shift from compliance to innovation. Accessibility should no longer be treated solely as a compliance requirement, but rather as an opportunity for innovation, social impact, and competitive advantage. Evidence shows that investing in accessibility offers:  💰Long-term financial gains  🧑🤝🧑 Enhanced social value and stronger community connections  🌱 Improved physical, mental, and social wellbeing    “… We need to do more. Investing in inclusive design will bring a financial benefit, but more importantly, social benefits to city making and placemaking.” – Amanprit Arnold   Check out the full report below, and read more about the event on our website: https://lnkd.in/eN7w-zjX Thank you to all the experts who took part: Amanprit Arnold Ben Channon Callum Russell Del Hossain Helen Parton Jon Eaglesham Lucy Puddle Matt Gowty William Stewart MRICS WELL AP