It has recently been announced that office take up in Birmingham reached record levels last year, but what are the deciding factors for businesses when searching for office space to rent, and what is bringing them to the UK’s second city?
Deals surpassed the one million sq. ft. barrier in the final quarter of 2017 with take up reaching 354,530 sq. ft. across 49 deals, bringing the total for 2017 to 1,005,072 sq. ft., as reported by the Birmingham Office Market Forum. With the emergence of HS2, regeneration of the city centre and the introduction and further development of the metro, it’s no surprise that more and more businesses can see the value in expanding or opening an office in Birmingham. But, with so much redevelopment happening in and around the city’s core, what sets apart one office development from another? The tenants at 54 Hagley Road had their own views on this.
Based in 54 Hagley Road, Keith Fenwick, Director of WYG’s Birmingham office, discussed how important the working environment is to the business and how happy the team have been at 54 Hagley Road. As WYG is a professional services firm helping public and private sector clients to develop and manage assets, Keith emphasised that ‘quality office space’ was key to their decision-making, commenting that the Grade ‘A’ office space was great value for money. Connectivity and the proximity of the city centre also mean that WYG have all the advantages of a central location at 54 Hagley Road, without the traffic problems the city centre entails. 54 Hagley Road is on the main routes for a number of buses and is close to Five Ways Train Station, as well as a proposed Centro metro stop.
In addition to travel, Keith also cited that the facilities and management team at 54 Hagley Road were exceptional, “You see small, tiny kiosks in other buildings as well as strange decor on the walls– nothing like Caffe Kix or the sleek design here at 54. Our staff need to work in a welcoming environment, a place where they are happy to meet clients and is easy for them to travel to us, which we feel 54 offers. We even have enough space to consider growing our internal team, with hot-desking areas as well as regular desk space as our employees are often in and out of the office.”
54 Hagley Road boasts a number of other plus points including stylish design and a vast range of amenities close by, key to Visual Foods reasons for loving 54. Human Resources Manger Jo Lane mentioned, “As well as transport advantages, we were even allowed to do what we wanted with our office space, within reason. We could shape and mould it to our requirements, which suited us perfectly, especially as the building’s décor and overall appearance is already very attractive and stylish. Our office is often a hit with clients, who love the view we have over the city. You never realise how green Birmingham is until you look out our window. What’s also proved to be popular with employees is the fact that there are a number of bars and eateries around 54 Hagley Road, so staff who like to socialise can do so easily. Our employees often go to The Physician, Highfields, Anytime Fitness gym and Blue Piano, all of which are located near the building. The building’s management team even hold sales in the reception area, including events by The Book People and Lovescents. “
Last but not least, Jo also discussed how much she appreciated the efficiency of the onsite management team, who often go above and beyond to help with any problems tenants have.
According to a recent survey by Dale Office Interiors, Business News Daily reported that nearly half of respondents said having a variety of spaces to both work and de-stress in would be the best step toward improving their productivity. Quiet, collaboration areas, hot desking areas and meeting rooms, as well as a cafe area all helps employees perform better – everything that 54 Hagley Road offers, with amenities close by in the improving area of Edgbaston.
