Everyone who walks around, lives in, and flies into London is impressed by our fascinating skyline. And why wouldn’t you be? A building the shape of a gherkin or a shard of glass is not something you see every day. That being said, how practical is it actually to work in one of these quirky, albeit iconic, buildings?

Great Portland Estate’s (GPE) 30 Broadwick Street boasts 75,000 sq ft of office space and 8,000 sq ft of retail space in central Soho. The office space covers the 1st to 6th floors, with terraces on the 4th to 6th. While 138 cycle spaces, showers and lockers, air-conditioning, raised floors, and a BREEAM rating of excellent all add to the grade-A building, along with an occupancy ratio of 1:8 sq m.

For many British and international real estate investors, London and other major cities in the UK are no longer a ‘financial haven’. Since the UK voted to leave the EU, many efforts have been made – especially from Theresa May – to activate article 50. For now, what awaits ‘the land of the rose’ is a mystery.

Data has always been an essential part of any business, and knowing how to collect and use it can create tremendous success and wealth. This has become ever more relevant with huge recent advances in technology, and companies are now collecting and holding more data than ever. However, there are some laws and regulations that you must be aware of in order to remain a law-abiding organisation.

Office take-up in central London was up 92% month-on-month in February 2017′, totalling nearly 1 million sq ft. This huge increase was partly due to 17 transactions of over 10,000 sq ft each. These included Freshfields’ pre-let of a vast 255,800 sq ft space at 100 Bishopsgate, and three other transactions of over 100,000 sq ft. The professional services sector represented the largest proportion of take-up, followed by the consumer services and leisure sector.

It would be easy to underestimate the impact of global megatrends on Africa. After all, the continent’s real estate markets have traditionally lingered behind developed and even many developing economies. However, expert real estate advisor and venture capitalist J.X. Paulin – who helped build Shanghai during its industrial revolution, and directs cross-border businesses between Africa and China – suggests the impact of global megatrends on Africa will be huge, declaring that, “Africa is the world’s future”.

The short answer to the question, ‘When do you need service charge caps?’ is ’On older buildings’. The service charge covers the running costs of the building, which include: cleaning, lift upkeep, air-conditioning, building security, and general building maintenance. If the building is older it is most likely going to cost more to keep running. For example, it is distinctly possible that the lift will break down or the common parts will need to be painted; all costs which are passed down to the occupiers through the service charge.

Two of the UK’s largest property fund managers have agreed terms to join forces. The £11bn merger between Aberdeen Asset Management and Standard Life will create a huge firm that will oversee assets in excess of £600bn. The new property giant will be headquartered in Scotland, and it is expected that the board will comprise equal numbers of both Standard Life and Aberdeen directors. It will also carry both the Aberdeen Asset Management and Standard Life names.

Bristol is well known for its ‘green’ initiatives and forward thinking when it comes to looking after the environment. The city has always put an emphasis on the importance of investment into transport and energy. By 2015, a budget of €500m was established for improving transport by 2015, and up to €300m was allocated to developing energy efficiency and renewable energy by 2020 (this includes a confirmed €100m ELENA investment in renewable energy).

As rental prices have seen some very large increases over the last five years, many occupiers are now wondering where they can move to without doubling their current outgoings. For a long time, Shoreditch was considered a cheap fringe location. However, rents have steadily increased, and the style of the spaces (typically converted warehouses) is undesirable for many potential tenants.