Activate, Workman’s dedicated placemaking consultancy, has won a series of new instructions on projects across the UK for clients including Royal London Asset Management and Derwent Estates.
Activate has also expanded its portfolio of office and workspace mandates, with a new instruction at Aztec West Business Park, Bristol on behalf of the Park’s management company. The team will deliver a comprehensive occupier engagement programme that has been designed and costed to promote collaboration, wellbeing and enrichment among the park’s occupiers with the ultimate objective of improving employee satisfaction and productivity.
Other recent placemaking instructions for retail and leisure destinations include Lower Precinct Shopping Centre in Coventry and Liverpool Shopping Park:
- In Coventry, Activate has been appointed by new client Royal London Asset Management to deliver a feasibility report looking at food and beverage provision within the Lower Precinct Shopping Centre.
- At the 200,000 sq ft (Phase One) Liverpool Shopping Park in Merseyside, Activate has been instructed by Derwent Estates to advise on options for the Gyratory area, including wellbeing and green spaces, as well as pop-up retail and leisure. The Activate team are collaborating with Workman Building Consultancy to provide CAD visuals, layouts and costed plans.
Andrew Sparrow, director of placemaking at Activate, commented:
“We have seen strong interest in our specialist placemaking service since the launch of Activate last year, with both new and existing clients keen to bring a dedicated placemaking focus to managing and repositioning their assets.
“These projects encompass the breadth and depth of our service and expertise, from feasibility to management, across key sectors in retail, leisure, offices and business park projects.
“Whatever the sector, effective placemaking strategies can be fundamental to long term success in helping retain occupiers and protect portfolio values by attracting and engaging people and strengthening the connection they have to a place.”
These instructions rapidly follow the launch of the Activate consultancy just over six months ago by Workman, the UK’s largest independent specialist commercial property management and building consultancy firm.
Activate is led by industry experts Andrew Sparrow (Director of Placemaking) and Esther Worboys (Placemaking Manager) and offers a bespoke, specialist placemaking advisory services including consultancy advice and operational management. The focus encompasses master planning
and feasibility studies as well as activation and delivery of meanwhile uses, occupier engagement strategies, markets and events programs supported by the team’s destination marketing expertise.