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6.June.2008
Dib Dib Dib!
"Dib dib dib", as the famous moto goes.
Those weren’t exactly the first words I’d thought I’d be typing on my debut blog, however they are, so let me explain a little…
I joined _space about a month ago, and shortly before that I was shanghaied by my lovely fiancé to lend a hand decorating the local Guiding hut in our village, on the outskirts of Leeds. Thus with doing my bit for the community in mind, and avoiding an ear bashing from Helen in the process, I reluctantly agreed.
We attended the first of, I presume, many meetings with the ‘committee’; the motley crew that awaited us weren’t exactly the A-Team, and it is not surprising that the Guide hut is in such a decrepit state. Full of nay-sayers, doom-mongers and seemingly insurmountable hurdles, it made for a tiresome uphill struggle to convince them that leaving the hut to rot wasn’t an option.
So I decided to take the reigns, and will briefly bore you with the proposed plan.
Essentially we’re looking to transform the hut from the currently disorganised, dated and frankly depressing place it is, into the inspiring location it has the potential to be.
My intention is to badger, pressure and cajole any local parents, businesses, community groups etc to taking to arms [well at least tools and paint brushes] and take part in reviving this ugly duckling.
The next stage of the operation, following a rudimentary measured survey, is to put pen to paper and produce some schemes for presentation to the committee in a few weeks. No doubt they will shy away from this proposal like a vampire from a garlic crucifix…
I’m sure the finished article will not win any architectural awards, however it will hopefully allow the hut to be used for many more years to come. I’ll post some more as events unfold.
Lee Holmes more…
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6.May.2008
Danielle's _space to Market
Hi all and welcome to the first in the new series of blogs on the creating space website. As Marketing Coordinator, I’ve made the executive decision to commandeer this blog and put some fresh, new and exciting material on it!
Before you start worrying that this will be a rambling, nonsensical account of my life on a daily basis, let me put your minds at ease by saying it won’t. Instead, I’d like you to look at this blog as a companion piece to our Star In _space feature. _space people will be contributing and sharing stories from their working life, their personal life and even their thoughts on the policies that shape the industry we work in.
However, now that I’m here, I thought I’d take a few moments to expand upon my job role here at _space…
Put in simple terms, the core role of any Marketing department is to ensure that the company’s brand and values are communicated to Clients and consumers and in that respect, _space are no different to any other company. I work in conjunction with Natalie, our Graphic Designer, in order convey our brand and ideology to the world at large, a remit which covers a very broad range of activities.
At the moment, I’m responsible for all our web content, so if you see something you don’t like on our website, it is likely to be down to me. Equally, I work to shape what we term ‘Standard Practice Information’; the base information _space uses to prepare bid and presentation documentation. Due to the nature of these activities, I’m constantly developing new material to ensure that we deliver fresh information for public consumption, sometimes meaning that I work into the wee hours to get the job done!
_space’s publications are created and edited in the Marketing department, so whether it’s a message on our internal intranet system or our six-monthly publication, I’ve probably had a hand in it, something I look forward to as I’m passionate about writing.
The Marketing department also has a hand in public appearances (although not to the extent that a Public Relations department would; something we outsource to PR Company O Communications) and this has led to some unique experiences during my time here. The _space to Think Differently Initiative is something that springs to mind straight away. If you haven’t read the news story released on that, shame on you! But to summarise, it involved helping fledgling businesses that secondary school students had set up with their development and understanding of the world of business. We did this through a series of workshops, concluding in a Dragons Den-style presentation afternoon. The schools that were involved got a lot out of the experience, as did _space. On a personal level, this was a very rewarding experience and one I look forward to repeating next year!
Hmm…looking through all of this, it looks like I’ve managed to ramble on anyway, despite what I said at the beginning. I think it’s probably best to leave you all for now, but before I do, I’d like to encourage you to keep reading and enjoying the _space blog! more…
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5.February.2008
Ringing the Changes
I finished my Part I in 2006, eager to take two years out in an Architectural Practice to gain a varied experience before returning to University for Part II.
My first year was at a small architect’s practice specialising in domestic extensions. Having spent the year detailing and writing specifications I was keen to spend the next year working on a variety of building types at different stages. I applied to Waring and Netts (now _space) and was happy to be accepted and to be working in Team 5, Commercial. The change from my previous architectural practice was far more than I expected, not only professionally but academically and socially too.
My first project was Stephenson Quarter, a £150m development, which came as a bit of a shock after working on £50,000 projects. Admittedly it was daunting at first, but _space ensured that they showed me what I needed to know and I soon found my feet. Since then, I have worked on a varied range of buildings, from hotels, offices, schools, and designing the location of public art. I have not only had a varied experience in the building types I have worked on but the specialist I have worked with on a day to day basis; architects, technicians, interior designers, and landscape designers. As a result I have been able to gain some knowledge of their skills.
My time at _space has been very beneficial for me as a student, not only have I acquired a wide variety of skills but they provide seminars to aid the students with university essays. I have also been supported and encouraged to partake in events outside the office such as Northern Architecture and Construction Ambassador which are aimed to increase children's awareness to architecture by going to local schools and holding workshops for them.
I have been at _space around six months now and I have learnt a lot, developed my skills greatly, and feel I have a far better understanding of architecture and what it entails than I did six months. Who knows what the following six months will entail! more…
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22.January.2008
From Concrete City to the Angel of the North
I am a Part One student from Newcastle University and I am on my second year out. Having worked for a very small firm back home in Kuwait (concrete city), I wanted to get an idea of how things worked over here and I have found that out a lot sooner than expected. Coming from a firm were 24hr shifts were guaranteed twice a month, it was refreshing to be given a chance to live a little. Team nights out, Pizza Fridays and Christmas parties are definitely an added bonus. I have been at Waring and Netts (or _space as we are now known) for five months and I have had a great time. Working in Team 5 (the commercial team) has been very enjoyable and I felt settled within my first week. The following week was the big move to the new office and a new start for the company. Now that we're all under one roof there is a lot more opportunity to meet new people and be a part of other projects. With new additions coming soon like the café I am sure things will only get better.
Being a part of the commercial team, I have worked on a variety of projects ranging from Stephenson Quarter (a £150m project) to Mansion House Chambers (a small office development). Being involved in the variety of projects and stages has helped me understand the duties of everyone involved. I have been working on 3D models, detailed drawings, presentation drawings, tender documents and I have had several site visits.
_space have provided support in helping complete university course work by providing small seminars based on course work subjects. Organised site visits have also been done for the students to get acquainted with the company’s projects.
I am now at the half way mark of my time here at _space and I am sure the next few months will be just as enjoyable as the past few have been.
Mishari Ali
more…