The shape of office buildings needs to change
Businesses crave interaction and communication and this favours ground scrapers and low-slung buildings (not just skyscrapers)

Change is being driven by technology, not people
The pace will only increase and affect the way we not only occupy space but also the way we fit out space

Flexibility
Co-working, flexibility and downsizing is the name of the game for growing companies in London – why take a new lease when you can expand with a WeWork next to your office (but interestingly not a Regus…)?

Pre-let is the name of the game
 – pre-letting will become more important as we enter a historic period of lease breaks. This will create new demand for office space set against a historic low supply of A Grade space in London

Developers have the control
They can offer early move-in, a single point of control and turnkey solutions to entice and capture new leases with prospective tenants

Big is beautiful
Property consultants will continue to expand vertically as well as horizontally gobbling up D&B contractors in an effort to maintain client relationships through the moving process (with thanks to Bluu / JLL)

Mergers and acquisitions will continue
The roll-call is getting longer but companies will take the opportunity to ‘cash in’ or team up with bigger or more diverse companies to ensure their place when the music stops

Déjà vu
Every dog has his day and for trade contractors, their day has arrived. The market now demands a different relationship with the supply chain to mitigate inflation and reduce tiers of management (think CM)

Designers are under threat
Are we experiencing the rolling up of design into the process of project management and construction – the gradual neutralising of the design role in the fit-out process?

Relationships are king
The fit-out is a community that is not confined to London but increasingly America and the rest of the world. Engage to mitigate risk

Most of our business is going to be affected in some way by these changes. Here at Integra, we are constantly reviewing all the influencing factors and our commitment to innovation means we are able to keep one step ahead. We’re already looking forward to next year’s conference!

To find out more about our mechanical and electrical consultancy and installation services, please contact us