Employers should think outside city centre box for office space

Workplace attitudes now centre heavily on work-life balance, wellness and sustainability, which is on offer at Red Tree Magenta, says Marsden

Undoubtedly city centres are seeing strong occupancy demand. The financial services sector in Glasgow is particularly buoyant, with Morgan Stanley, HMRC and Clydesdale Bank all expanding in the city, squeezing that supply ever-tighter.

However, the new Barclays Bank development is showing clear indicators that the office market is strengthening on further afield with a new base at Buchanan Wharf – leading the way for more businesses to think outside the city centre box.

There is certainly a lot to think about. The nature of the workplace is changing and cultural attitudes now centre heavily around work-life balance, inclusivity, wellness and sustainability. Forward-thinking companies appreciate that most of their workforce don’t live in city centres, and that locating offices to where employees can live, work and play results in a happier, healthier and more loyal workforce. Companies that take an employee-centric view of workplace wellness are seeing an increase in productivity together with attracting and retaining top talent.

Attractive options to the market, such as Magenta, a 20-acre urban, Grade A office park that we are developing in partnership with Clyde Gateway, just over a mile from the city centre, is a good example of this.

Sustainable designs

The new business park is well-connected by rail, road, cycle and walking routes to both the city centre and outlying commuter towns. It also offers a number of advantages in terms of employee wellbeing, thanks to its proximity to parks, green spaces and the River Clyde. Businesses that have relocated here tell us that their employees are finding their commute has become easier and less stressful, people are car sharing and others are taking advantage of healthier and greener modes of transport, thanks to the provision of cycle storage and shower facilities.

But it’s not just the external surroundings, the buildings themselves have to evolve to meet changing employee and environmental needs. Progressive workspaces are now focused on adaptability and environmentally sustainable designs.

The 30 occupiers at the development’s first building, Red Tree Magenta, are seeing the huge benefits that flexible and collaborative workplaces, enhanced office specification and services can bring to their workforce. Alongside Grade A technology infrastructure, the business suites offer a range of amenities that employees hold in high regard, including a Nespresso café for networking and socialising, fibre connections, collaborative working and breakout spaces, a garden roof terrace, electric car charging points, and a contactable host during working hours.

Future Magenta buildings will also be sustainably built and designed, not just for the needs of today, but ready to adapt to technologies, job functions, future and business models that might not yet exist.

As employment opportunities arise, new homes follow. The residential market is flourishing in Clyde Gateway, with approximately 1,500 new homes in the pipeline in addition to the thousands already completed, providing access to a workforce right on the doorstep.

When you consider all of this, together with the fact that Grade A office rentals are more than a third cheaper compared to city rentals, it’s time for businesses to extend their options.

The world of work is changing, people are changing, the way that we do business is changing. Embracing this now can open up a world of possibilities for new, exciting and better ways of working for the future.

Guy Marsden, a founding director of Highbridge Properties.

Employers should think outside city centre box for office space - Guy Marsden