WWe've Moved
e've Moved!
We have hit the ground running post management buyout in April 2021. From bringing onboard many new clients to investing heavily in our staff, we’re putting our big orange stamp on the Environmental Building Services market.
And now, our Glasgow and Edinburgh offices have moved to new premises - upgrading facilities and working environments for our staff and placing us right in the heart of the cities. We have further plans to modernise all other existing offices across the business, with Aberdeen to begin an upgrade in early 2023.
Glasgow
Location Director Barry McKeane enters his 19th year with Wallace Whittle and leads a team with a wealth of experience and technical ability covering all elements of MEP and Sustainability design.
Our Glasgow head office has a new home in the historic Garment Factory building in Merchant City.
The new 3500sqft office space will allow up to 50 staff to work collaboratively across 32 fixed workstations and 18 soft collaboration seats, in an inspiring environment with everything they need to deliver quality – and of course a cracking coffee machine. Our new neighbours include Threesixty Architecture, Reid Mitchell, Shoosmith, Incremental Group, Autorek and Channel 4.
This historic, category ‘B’ listed building sits on the corner of Ingram and Montrose St and was once home to the J&W Garment Factory. The building underwent a significant and sympathetic refurbishment in 2017, maintaining many original features whilst creating modern, light, working spaces.
As the Head Office, it was important in Glasgow that we had a space that reflected our culture and vision for the business as well as providing a flexible, welcoming and collaborative environment for our staff and visiting clients.
Our focus on ‘practicing what we preach’ is visible within our services design for the space. Maximising the fabric whilst utilising low energy, highly efficient equipment, natural ventilation and air quality monitoring systems, all linked to an interactive front end which allows us to review the ongoing performance of the office in accordance with our route map to Net Zero Carbon. Active travel is also encouraged by the provision of shower, changing, bike and locker facilities.
If you would like to pop in for a visit and a coffee, get in touch with Barry McKeane.
Photos from left/top: Barry McKeane, Glasgow Office
Allan McGill, Managing Director commented:
“Quality, flexibility and modern office space was key to rebranding post MBO and was very high on my personal agenda as a key area we felt the business should invest in as soon as it could.
With existing leases running out it gave us the push we required to look at suitable space across the city and in the Garment Factory we simply found a fantastic space in an even better location.
With the company already embracing hybrid working it allowed us to downsize slightly while investing in better quality space and a much higher level of fit-out than we have in previous years, which in turn has provided us with a space that will simply be a pleasure to work out of for staff and clients alike.”
Photos: Glasgow and Edinburgh Offices
Edinburgh
Having established and grown the Edinburgh office, Location Director Stephen Osborne will continue to develop and lead the team in the new space.
Having outgrown our office at Lochrin Square, the Edinburgh team have expanded into new premises at 38 Thistle Street.
Planned in 1767 and named after the national flower of Scotland, Thistle Street runs parallel to George St in the very heart of the New Town and is packed with independent shops, bars and coffee spots.
Edinburgh has been designed in the image of our Glasgow head office. With dynamic collaborative workspaces, a relaxed meeting room, private soundproof pod and glorious natural light from the original windows – the new space will provide a new home for the Edinburgh team to grow further and work closely together. Our new neighbours include Gardiner & Theobald, Cuthbert White and Quattro Consult. There are several great restaurants on our doorstep and a fantastic pub right across the street!
Stephen and his team, including all aspects of MEP and Sustainability design, are working on a variety of projects across various sectors and warmly invite you to pop in and say hello, if you’d like to visit get in touch with Stephen here.
The flexible, agile space of 1600sqft allows up to 20 staff to occupy at any time, with 12 workstations, 6 soft collaboration seats and plenty of staff amenities. Active travel is encouraged by the provision of shower, changing and locker facilities, and we will be actively minimising energy use, monitoring air quality and reducing waste in accordance with our route map to Net Zero Carbon.
Photo from left/top: Stephen Osborne, Edinburgh Office
Allan McGill, Managing Director commented:
“Location and the type of space was key to our decision making and we lucked out again by finding this space in another fantastic building within an iconic area of Edinburgh. We have invested heavily in the fit-out and went all out to provide a mirror image of Glasgow by following a very rigid company branding criteria, that sees very similar features across both offices that in time will be rolled out across all 6 of our offices, with Aberdeen already planned for early 2023.”
It really has been all consuming since the MBO and to be able to deliver two new offices to such a high quality within the first 18 months of business is simply a fantastic achievement by the Board, who should be very proud of the progress they have made in such a short period of time.
Feedback from staff has been incredibly positive across both offices and we look forward to inviting in our clients and friends to the spaces soon.
Finally, special thanks to Form Design, our fantastic lead designer, and to FES, our ever reliable fit out contractor, who have delivered two fantastic, modern, quality offices.
If you’d like to pop in for a visit and a coffee, get in touch with Barry McKeane, Glasgow or Stephen Osborne, Edinburgh.
All photography: David Cadzow
Leading to Prevent Training Sessions
Leading to Prevent Training Sessions
We strive to build a positive culture and working environment at Wallace Whittle; through training, management, setting examples and empowerment.
Ensuring our staff are equipped to deal with behaviours, attitudes or situations that clash with our organisational or societal values is key to not only their development, but also the development and growth of our company.
Through our Academy, our Senior Management team and Level 4 Associate Directors completed an in-depth training session with external trainer, Graham Goulden of Cultivating Minds.
Photo: Graham Goulden
Graham Goulden, BA, is an experienced and committed leadership and violence prevention trainer. For thirty years he was a Scottish police officer and Chief Investigator specialising in criminal investigation, drug investigation, training and crime prevention.
Ensuring our staff are equipped to deal with behaviours, attitudes or situations that clash with our organisational or societal values is key to not only their development, but also the development and growth of our company.
Through our Academy, our Senior Management team and Level 4 Associate Directors completed an in-depth training session with external trainer, Graham Goulden of Cultivating Minds.
He was involved in developing the recent Police Scotland campaign, ‘That Guy’ which asks men to consider their attitudes towards sexual violence. You can find out more about that campaign here: That-guy.co.uk
The session encouraged discussions on a range of social situations that can have a negative impact on the culture and performance in any organisation. It also explored the concept of the ‘bystander’ and provided the tools and practical strategies needed to both challenge and support colleagues in difficult situations.
After some pre-session ‘homework’, the team got together online with Graham to discuss the roles of leadership in the prevention of workplace abuse and harassment, motivators and inhibitors to bystander intervention and how to support a productive, positive workplace culture.
Feedback from the sessions has been encouragingly positive and staff left the sessions feeling empowered to lead.
Find out more about our academy here WW:Academy or get in touch [email protected]