GGF moves offices
The Glass and Glazing Federation has moved into its new headquarters building and into what its chief executive Nigel Rees says will be a “new and exciting” era for the organisation and the industries it represents, with facilities that encourage “bold and original thinking”. It was opened by Simon Hughes MP at a ceremony on December 3.
Close to the GGF’s previous offices in London’s Southwark, the new building was a shabby and poorly appointed and drab 1970s shell that provided a real challenge for the architects and developers. It has become a state-of-the-art, prestigious structure that is even striking from any angle, particularly with its substantial and adventurous use of glass.
Of key importance to the GGF however, was that it would provide comfortable and creative working conditions for its staff; that the various individual companies that comprise the GGF could flourish individually while strengthening the organisation as a whole; and that the building would demonstrate best practice and comfortably comply with current and anticipated Building Regulations and particularly Part L. It is also intended as a showcase for the design and performance of glass in the built environment.
Nigel Rees, chief executive of the GGF Group, said that he was delighted with the end result: “As outdated and impractical as our old premises had become, our new facility is modern, stylish and comfortable, while also providing us with a working showcase of the very best that can be found in glass and glazing for modern buildings.
“I believe that our new facilities will enable the GGF to move into a new and exciting era in which we will create new and exciting initiatives that will help us to take the industry forward, with some bold and exciting thinking. The conditions within the building not only provide excellent facilities in which the GGF and its constituent organisations will thrive, it also provides a very prestigious and appropriate impression of the UK glass and glazing industries.”
