Month: July 2010

This month we thought we’d take a look at one of the most iconic business districts in the world: Canary Wharf.

The UK’s financial heart land is built on the site of the West India Docks on the Isle of Dogs. At the start of the last century the area was one of the busiest shipping ports in the world. The docks were eventually closed in the early 1980s as the shipping industry in East London declined. Construction of the first office buildings on the site started in 1988 and were completed in 1991.

Canary Wharf is home to three of the tallest sky scrapers in the UK; One Canada Square, the Citigroup Centre, and Twenty-Five Canada Square.

Today, this voluminous office space inhabited by major banks, law firms and tabloid newspapers. Over 100,000 people work at Canary Wharf (imagine the queues for the vending machines!) Thankfully all these people are accommodated by a shopping centre and various bars and restaurants.

As well has hosting some of the countries most recognisable work places, Canary Wharf is also home to a large group of residential buildings which contain very expensive and glamorous flats and pent houses. Most of these residential developments are filled with high earning bankers and top media executives.

Due to the huge numbers of people that need to travel to the area each day, Canary Wharf has excellent transport links with the rest of London via the Docklands Light Railway. A new tube station is also underway, which is expected to be completed in 2017.

Canary Wharf also has an air link provided by City Airport. The one run way airport is primarily used by business people who work for the major financial institutions. It’s safe to say that many bankers would have been very grateful to City Airport in the last 18 months for allowing them to make quick getaways!

We were slightly biased in our choice for office of the month this April as we actually have meeting rooms available in the Canary Wharf area!

If you are interested in working among some of the most stunning and inspirational offices situated in the UK, or the world for that matter; have a look at our serviced office solutions.

At the Serviced Office Company HQ in London, the weather has finally started to warm up as it seems summer has finally accepted the seasonal baton from spring. That’s the good news; the bad news however, is many of you will have to tolerate working in stuffy offices, without air conditioning; compounded by the rising temperatures and pollen count.

Sadly, many readers of our blog aren’t fortunate enough to work in offices with air conditioning. So for all you stressed out and sweaty people, we have put together these five handy tips for staying cool at work during the warmer months ahead.

1. Close the blinds

Keeping the blinds in your office closed during the hottest parts of the day will help you stay cool. Using aluminised blinds will help reflect the heat of the sun; however, covering your blinds in tin foil will also help reflect the sun light; keeping you and your colleagues cooler.

2. Wear light clothes

Try to wear light, loose fitting clothes. Turning up to an important meeting wearing a thick, dark, heavy suit dripping in sweat will not help you make a good first impression. Wearing light clothes made from natural fibbers, such as cotton and linen, will keep you cool. Avoid wearing clothes made from nylon as they have the opposite effect. If you have to take trips out of the office, try to take only the bare essentials with you; running around carrying a heavy brief case will not help.

3. Turn off unused equipment

Turning off any unused electrical equipment will lower the temperature in your office. Leaving fax machines, computers and printers turned on when they are not being used will only make the office hotter as they all produce large amounts of excess heat. Turning off unused equipment will also reduce your electricity bills. If it’s possible, you should change any non-energy efficient light bulbs to energy saving bulbs. A traditional light bulb’s energy output is 10% light and 90% heat, whereas energy saving bulbs produce 90% light and only 10% heat.

4. Change your hours

Rearranging your work schedule by starting earlier and finishing earlier will mean you can be out of the office during some of the hotter parts of the day. Of course not everyone is able to do this, but if your employer is flexible it will make you more productive and less stressed.

5. Use fans

If you aren’t lucky enough to have air conditioning, try to make use of other cooling ‘technologies’ such as fans. Electric fans are fairly inexpensive and can be purchased from most electrical retailers. If you feel like being a bit different, why not try a USB powered fan. These little fans can also be used outside the office; on a sweaty commuter train for example; but don’t say we didn’t warn you if you suddenly find half a carriage of stressed out commuters crowding around your fan attempting to get one tiny gust of cool air!

Our serviced offices and meeting rooms are all fitted with air conditioning ensuring everyone working there stays cool and relaxed during the hot summer months.