Grid rules out expanding head office because of 鈥榗razy鈥� prices in capital
Grid Architects is planning to open two new offices in Spain and Birmingham 鈥� partly because rents are so high in London.
The practice is eyeing Madrid and England鈥檚 second city for its first satellite studios after ruling out expanding its 50-strong operation in London because of the cost.
Founder Craig Casci said they picked the two cities partly because of the opportunities they offer but also because expanding in London was prohibitively expensive.
鈥淩ents have gone crazy,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen we moved to Southwark eight years ago it was 拢25/sq ft. Now it鈥檚 拢65-70. We鈥檒l be here a long time 鈥� but we won鈥檛 be expanding in central London.鈥�
Grid, which is working on a 97 homes scheme at the Southbank Place project, part of the redevelopment of the Shell Centre on the south side of the river Thames, is hoping to sign a deal for an office in Madrid at Easter 鈥� even though it doesn鈥檛 have any work there.
鈥淲e see an opportunity to bolster London using Madrid,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a way to expand that doesn鈥檛 involve expanding in expensive central London.鈥�
He said it was a 鈥渘o brainer鈥� to open a Birmingham office and was looking at a staff of six initially.
The practice has landed two major projects in the city that will keep it there for some years. One is a long-term masterplan in the city鈥檚 industrial 鈥渋nner ring鈥�. The other is a 400-unit housing scheme called Snow Hill Wharf (pictured) consisting of five buildings including a 21-storey tower.
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