Feb 14, 2021
Wolverhampton s i9 development has become the first office building in the Black Country to be given a top digital award.
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The i9 office building is taking shape - and is set to be completed by summer. Photo: Wolverhampton Council
The office building was handed the WiredScore Gold certification in recognition of its digital connectivity and infrastructure.
The award, given to the city centre development which is set to be complete in the summer, is a trusted benchmark in the field.
Councillor Stephen Simkins, cabinet member for city economy, said: The i9 development is helping give investors confidence in Wolverhampton and it is attracting strong interest from potential occupiers, who will benefit from excellent digital connectivity.
February 11, 2021 at 6:03 pmBy Nicholas
Not sure about the design on this one. Looks like it’s going to be a student prison with tiny rooms and tiny windows.
They expect to cram them all in and charge them twice as much as in Fallowfield. International students might fall for that trick, but anyone else – who are they fooling?
February 11, 2021 at 6:27 pmBy Aaron
I like this. It is different. Not sure what the issue is with it.
February 11, 2021 at 7:03 pmBy Elephant
It looks daft.
It just looks like a greedy developer.
February 11, 2021 at 7:06 pmBy Brian
No disputing the economic benefit, but it looks like something out of The War of the Worlds.
Why did you choose construction as a career?
I am creative with an active, problem-solving mind, so becoming an architect was a natural fit for me. I have always been aware that construction is a male-dominated industry, but I grew up in rural Ireland with five brothers – they taught me how to handle myself.
What are you most proud of in your career to date?
Probably working on Paradise Birmingham with Argent. I have been so fortunate to have been working on this masterplan since my first few weeks at Glenn Howells Architects, back in 2010.
Phase one completed last year and the huge transfer trusses have just been installed for One Centenary Way (the first building of phase two). It has already transformed this edge of the city and it is so rewarding to walk through and hear passers-by commenting on how fantastic the place has become.
EcoWorld Ballymore completes London’s Wardian
EcoWorld Ballymore completes London’s Wardian
Glenn Howells Architects and developer EcoWorld Ballymore celebrate the completion of Wardian, a sensitive, contemporary residential development that promotes sustainability and green gardens
Created to promote sustainability, a green environment and excellence in architecture, the Wardian in London’s Canary Wharf has opened its doors to its first residents. The scheme, which comprises two sleek towers engufled in gardens, is designed by Glenn Howells Architects and developed by EcoWorld Ballymore.
The project places an emphasis on plants and green spaces, inspired by 19th century physician and botanist Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward, who invented the Wardian Case – a box used to transport plants across the globe. Drawing on the idea of nature and preservation, the design is filled with environmentally friendly techniques and gardens.
Dan Whelan and Sarah Townsend
A joint venture between developer Property Alliance Group and investor Starwood Capital Group has acquired the 1970s Manchester hotel and intends to redevelop it into a mixed-use scheme with offices, homes and a new hotel.
A controlled affiliate of Starwood, through the JV with PAG, scooped up the long leasehold of the Renaissance site on Deansgate from developer Urban & Civic for an undisclosed sum, the Florida-headquartered private investment firm said. Manchester City Council retains the site’s freehold. The companies declined to reveal their split of JV interests.
Starwood Capital, headed by Barry Sternlicht, focuses on real estate and energy investments and has around £60bn of assets under management. Among its past hotel assets were the Principal portfolio – 14 assets including the Principal Manchester on Oxford Road, since renamed the Kimpton Clocktower – which it sold to Intercontinental Hotels Group for £858m in 2018, and the Holid