Ramboll takes up residence in new Birmingham office amid expansion drive
Ramboll has combined its two presences in Birmingham by moving into a new nine-storey A-rated EPC building in the centre of Britain’s second city. The new ten year lease will allow the firm to expand its profile in the Midlands to around 100 personnel.
Birmingham’s 110,000 square foot Cornerstone redevelopment, which had a price tag of around £14 million, is a nine-storey A-rated EPC building – the first such building in Birmingham. To make the location environmentally friendly, the sustainable building features LED lighting, an air conditioning control system, facilities for bikes (to encourage carbon-neutral travel), and a waste management system.
One of the new tenants of the building is sustainability and engineering consultancy Ramboll. On the back of the best financial year in its history, Ramboll announced earlier in the year it had devised a new four year plan, including major investment in US and German markets, to act as a catalyst for the firm's ambitions of global expansion. While it remains intent on building its global brand, however, the firm is also keen to expand its presence in the UK, and the consultancy, which previously operated out of two Birmingham offices at Bridge Street and Waterloo Street over the past 12 years, has taken over 8,055 square feet of office space for an initial ten-year tenancy, in a bid to accommodate more talent in the UK’s second largest city.
According to Mathew Riley, Managing Director UK, the new space will allow Ramboll’s Birmingham presence to grow to 100 consultants and related personnel, opening a range of opportunities for employment across a strategically important region. The firm will leverage its current offering, covering BIM techniques and strategies, buildings, transport and environmental markets among others, to support a diverse range of projects in the region. These include Gloucester’s new Energy from Waste facility; the High Speed 2 Phase 2b Environmental Overview; Leicester’s Centre for Medicine, and the refurbishment of Birmingham’s Town Hall.
Riley remarked, “I am delighted to be welcoming the team to our new Grade A office in Cornerblock. It is fantastic space that offers a modern and dynamic environment which will enhance engagement and collaboration across the business and undoubtedly provide a great experience for our people and our visitors.”
Meanwhile, Neil Harvey, Regional Director for Birmingham added, “I am also excited to be bringing more people into this vibrant city which is becoming a hotbed of growth and investment. This is underpinned by initiatives such as the Midlands Engine and the launch of the West Midlands Combined Authority; and with significant future development planned including HS2, Birmingham Smithfield and Curzon Street; the region has a bright future and we look forward to helping shape it.”
Sustainable buildings are an increasingly necessary aspect of a wider shift towards a sustainable economy. Considerable effort across the urban environment is key to reducing the segment’s total climate forcing footprint, in line with wider agreements signed by the UK Government. Aside from meeting increasingly stringent energy and waste requirements, now and in the future, sustainable buildings offer a range of additional benefits, from lower costs to improved well-being for its users.
