Construction industry gossip: All the fashion

Stepping out

Outdoor space is the perk most sought after by office occupiers, an architect from Eric Parry told one of my hacks at a recent consultation for the practice’s revised 1 Undershaft. The new design for the 74-storey City tower is set to contain several levels of balconies for office workers. But what will they do out there on this valuable exterior real estate? Gardening could be an option, the architect suggested hopefully. To be fair, the City has said it wants to diversify its economy.

Grow your own

The same architect said staff at Eric Parry have started a gardening club at their Shoreditch HQ, and are often found out on their fourth-floor terrace at lunchtime with trowels and secateurs, tending to a wide range of herbs and vegetables. It has become an obsession for some, my hack was told, particularly since the recent devastating loss of an entire crop during high winds. Luckily, the office is a short walk from a Waitrose.

A visit to the offices of Exigere close to Old Street, and I’m told the wider building houses a top modelling agency within it as well

Showstopper

A visit to the offices of Exigere close to Old Street, and I’m told the wider building houses a top modelling agency within it as well. Staff at the London cost consultant often find photoshoots taking place in the industrial surrounds outside. Must make crunching the numbers a difficult task from time to time.

Getting the message

The CPA’s Peter Caplehorn is not a fan of messaging service WhatsApp. He tells my hack that it’s got too many security concerns for his liking, so he sticks to old-fashioned text messages. I wonder if someone should tell him that the security issues are around Tik Tok and its Chinese owner.

Misspent youths

This year’s Independent PPA awards in the City of London saw them expertly hosted by stand-up Jen Brister who read the room perfectly, given she worked in publishing 20 years ago. She said she spent most of her three years in it drunk which, sorry to say, rang a bell with some of my seasoned team.

ITV’s latest cliffhanger

Another delay on the decision as to whether Make’s ITV Studios scheme on the South Bank will get the nod from communities secretary Michael Gove. The decision was supposed to be in August, then October and then last week. Now it’s slated for February, next year. I heard the October date coincided with the birthday of the boss of the developer behind it. At this rate, CO-RE’s Bradley Baker will be waiting until his next birthday before Gove puts everyone out of their misery.