Smart Spaces & Places
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The Peter Pan Phenomenon: Being Unemployed in the 21st Century
Guest Blog by Colm Devereux My age group has often been referred to as the “Peter Pan” generation, ostensibly because we cannot (or are unable to) grow up. I think that’s an unfair rap, the term coming as it does from older generations who have no experience of the...
Troubles, Tragedy & Trauma – a reflection
Last Saturday I attended a conference with a difference, one which had a real impact on me and qualifies as my most interesting experience of the year so far. Prior to attending I was pretty ambivalent about attending Troubles, Tragedy & Trauma but I came away...
Smart working coming-of-age?
Last week I was back at BT Tower at the launch of the Smart Working Code of Practice (PAS 3000) – possibly a day of great significance for those of us interested in making the best use of the built environment and the talented people that use buildings. Produced by...
Location, Location, Location – is property at a crossroads?
The theme for last week’s Estates Gazette Office Occupier Summit focused on whether property developers and the commercial real estate sector are having to adapt to the changing needs of occupiers. Chairing the event, Emily Wright, Estates Gazette Features Editor,...
Delivering the Impossible in Dublin
Last week I saw a really great example of the benefits of combining people and place to produce some remarkable insights whilst encouraging participants to consider that delivering the impossible whether its Facilities Management (FM) or another area, is realistic if...
The City of Angels revisited
On final approach to Los Angeles airport, otherwise known as LAX, I gazed out of my window at the vast swathe of urban sprawl beneath the clear blue Californian sky. This vista always intrigues me despite the fact that I have pondered on it during numerous prior...
Chicago – confounding perceptions
Walking around down-town Chicago recently reinforced from me the age-old adage about not judging the book by the cover. In today’s fast-paced and always on society I wonder if we are forced to take a very superficial view of life and how we can work? Having spent a...
Bus lanes and herd instinct
Why don’t we use spaces and places differently? I often ponder on this whilst driving to work and waiting in line to get through a set of traffic lights. The photograph attached sets the scene – car and van drivers dutifully get in line and wait our turn. It’s just so...
Living the iDEA
Nestling in the shadows of the Shropshire foothills lies the stronghold of a most remarkable creative organisation – working and living in a really smart space. During my summer ramblings I had the opportunity to visit the home of iDEA and to sample their smart way of...
London’s White City – new kids on the block
I have always felt that White City has the potential to be a rather special place in London. It all started way back in 1908 with the White City Exhibition (a form of Expo) accompanied by the Summer Olympics. Then in more recent times the arrival of the BBC added a...