Author: František Bohačiak

Categories
Media

Southworks becomes UK first to receive Platinum Smart Building certification

MIDDLECAP’S SOUTHWORKS OFFICE SCHEME BECOMES UK FIRST TO RECEIVE PLATINUM SMART BUILDING CERTIFICATION
Smart Building Certification is the first to measure the ‘smartness’ of buildings
Integrated building technology will enhance users’ wellbeing
MiddleCap, the real estate-focused investment group, announced today that its Southworks development in London has been awarded a Platinum Smart Building Certification. The 70,000 sq ft office scheme, which completes later this year, is the first in the UK to achieve the certification.
The Smart Building Certification, which has been developed to promote wellbeing, sustainability, performance, innovation, and health and safety in the built environment, recognises buildings that have smart tech infrastructure in place to evaluate a building’s behaviour and performance. The first building awarded Platinum Smart Building Certification was EDGE Olympic Amsterdam.
The Smart Building Certification is the first programme to objectively evaluate the ‘smartness’ of buildings by assessing six core areas: building usage; user behaviour and collaboration; building performance; building environment; integrative design and connectivity, and health, safety and security.
Southworks is the first building to be evaluated in the UK using the Smart Building Certification framework, and has achieved Platinum certification for Core & Shell. Its technology-first approach and number of integrated design and management features will create a responsive and productive environment that enhances users’ wellbeing. Some of these include:
● A single ‘digital backbone’ – created through applied bGrid technology – links a series of sensors to the Internet of Things, which connect, measure and deliver feedback to building users. The sensors will be plugged into the HVAC system and lighting controls, and will also measure other environmental variables such as density, occupancy and noise levels. The data generated by this network is fed into the building management system, optimising the environment and ensuring it becomes completely demand-driven.
● A dedicated app (OfficeApp) through which occupiers will be able to directly control heating and lighting to their own preferences and book meeting rooms, creating the optimum working environment.
● Facilitation of more effective communication between building managers and occupiers, with messages and notifications being able to be shared in both directions through the OfficeApp.
● Technology optimised for risk management in the support of longer-term social distancing by monitoring the flow of people throughout the building together with real time information about indoor and outdoor air quality.
The certification highlights MiddleCap’s commitment to delivering state of the art buildings as the business looks to expand its UK commercial office portfolio.
Tomáš Jurdák, Head of Real Estate at MiddleCap, said:
“It is a huge achievement for Southworks to achieve a Platinum Smart Building Certification. From the outset, we wanted our first UK project to present the London office market with a best in class building that really delivers what occupiers need from their workspace today, and in the future.
“By harnessing the tremendous technological advances that have been developed in recent years and bringing them together in one building, Southworks raises the bar for offices across London and creates a blueprint for post-Covid workspace.”
Nicholas White, Head of Operations and Strategy at Smart Building Certification, said:
“We are proud to award Southworks with a Platinum Smart Building Certification. A Core & Shell building with this extensive of an IT infrastructure is quite rare. We rarely see a Core & Shell building go this far to improve health, performance, sustainability, indoor environment, and a user’s ability to interact with the space. Hopefully Southworks is a look into the future of what we can expect from new builds and that progress is worth celebrating.”

Categories
Advisory

No Finish Line Bratislava charity run

ONLY SEVEN DAYS LEFT FOR YOUR GRANT APPLICATION SUBMISSION FOR THE SUM OF 30,000€ MADE POSSIBLE BY THE NO FINISH LINE CHARITY RUN.
BRATISLAVA, 23rd October 2020.
A number of companies working in the education and chidlrens’ sports sectors have applied for the grant. No Finish Line 2020 will take place online from November 5th. During the course of four days, runners and walkers will have the choice of selecting one of the numerous grant applicants as the recipient of their kilometers covered by running or walking.
The current situation, which does not allow for a big organized run, compelled the organizers to come up with a solution and not give up on their good intentions to simultaneously run and help children who really need it. Since the use of apps in smartphones or watches to record sports feats has become the norm, the organizational team of Children&Future Bratislava and MiddleCap decided to partner with the Slovak iWATT app in this year’s edition of the race. Participating in this year’s No Finish Line is therefore accessible to everyone around the world, all you need is your telephone and the iWATT app which you can download and register in for free.
“This year has brought a lot of changes for everyone and we have all realized that we cannot take things for granted, not even participating in an organized run. Sport is all about overcoming obstacles and defeating new challenges. From an organizational standpoint, we have accepted this challenge and the result is No Finish Line Bratislava in an online environment,” says Miroslav Výboh, chairman of the main partner of the run, MiddleCap Group.
“The atmosphere that we were able to create last year, during the first year of the run cannot transpire to an online environment but I believe that it will, nevertheless, find its audience and that we will be able to run up as many kilometers as last year,” adds Katarína Petrášová, manager of the non-profit organization Children&Future Bratislava, who has organized the No Finish Line race for its second year in a row now.
The online version of the race gives way to new incentives which the organizational team can implement in this year’s run. One of these incentives is to take part in the grant challenge. Companies, non-profit organizations and civic associations can submit their applications for the grant via email: grant@childrenandfuture.sk. The organizers will pick three finalists whom the runners can choose to support.
“The 2020 year of the run highlights two elements which strive to mobilize runners and organizations which are interested in this financial aid. We have already accepted submissions for a number of projects and I believe that this week we will receive even more submissions from which we will be able to select three finalists. These three finalists will then be in the hands of the runners, who will decide whom they allot their covered kilometers to and who receives the 30,000€,” adds Miroslav Výboh, chairman of MiddleCap Group, commenting upon this year’s changes.

Categories
Advisory

MiddleCap partners with bGrid for debut UK project

MiddleCap, the real estate focused European investment company, has partnered with bGrid at the Southworks building, a 70,000 sq ft office scheme on Rushworth Street in London.
bGrid is a Dutch proptech company that develops state-of-the-art smart building solutions for the commercial real estate sector.
Southworks is bGrid’s first UK project, and MiddleCap’s debut development in the UK.
The bGrid solution connects a series of sensors to the Internet of Things, and will act as a single digital backbone to Southworks. With the platform functioning as the building’s “brain“, the sensors will be plugged into the HVAC system and lighting controls, and will also measure other environmental variables such as density, occupancy and noise levels.
Through the building’s dedicated app, occupiers will be able to directly control heating and lighting to their own preferences and book meeting rooms, creating the optimum working environment.
The app will also allow for more efficient communication between building managers and occupiers, with messages and notifications being able to be shared in both directions.
In a post-Covid world, bGrid will help to manage longer-term social distancing by monitoring the flow of people throughout the building. It will also help drive efficiency in building operations on both a day-to-day basis, and as the building evolves year-on-year. The platform is also future-proofed, being flexible enough to incorporate changes to the internal layout or technological upgrades.
The company is already present in key international markets including Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, and the US. Its technology is now used in over 30 buildings, including several exemplar schemes such as Edge Olympic – the successor from OVG of The Edge Amsterdam – often considered the world’s smartest building.
Tomáš Jurdák, Head of Real Estate at MiddleCap, said:
“A healthy workplace has never been more important. Our partnership with bGrid will use the most advanced AI smart building technology to support companies and their employees as they embrace a safe return to the office. The office of the future is a smart one. MiddleCap is incredibly proud to be leading the way in bringing the latest smart tech innovation to London.”
MiddleCap purchased Southworks in 2018. Designed by SPPARC Architects and set across seven floors, the architecture is inspired by a warehouse aesthetic achieved through several high-quality design and specification details, including a double height entrance formed from handcrafted Italian glazed bricks. Internally, steel framed windows and exposed services will complete the contemporary and raw finish. A robust, loose-fit fit-out will offer flexibility to future tenants, while a series of roof terraces will provide additional amenity space to all occupiers.
Karl van Ginderdeuren, CCO at bGrid, said:
“We are thrilled to enter the UK market with MiddleCap on its first development in London. Southworks is an exemplary commercial building and will pave the way for a new era of AI enabled smart office buildings that support occupier wellbeing.”