Assura move to Altrincham
After 12 years at Brew House in Warrington, Assura the listed healthcare developer and investor has relocated its headquarters to 3 Barrington Road, a building it acquired from Colombia Threadneedle for £8.3m last year.
Assura occupies 9,500 sq ft at the Altrincham building and is drawing up plans to comprehensively refurbish the entire 35,000 sq ft building to improve its energy efficiency.
A Pozzoni-designed refurbishment of the office, formerly known as the Southmark Building, was completed in 2020.
One of the key drivers behind the relocation is its accessibility, according to Assura chief executive Jonathan Murphy.
“Altrincham has unparalleled public transport links into Manchester and beyond with a fantastic business community in the town that we want to be a part of.
“Assura has been through a period of sustained growth and the new office in Altrincham is the start of a fantastic new chapter for the company. We have plans to renovate the office to create an inspirational new environment for our staff and the existing tenants in the building.”
The news of Assura’s relocation to Altrincham comes in the wake of the company’s £119m pre-tax loss for the year ended 31 March 2022.
The listed real estate investment trust is responsible for 608 properties with a portfolio value of £2.7bn. More than 6.3m people are served by Assura’s buildings.
Assura was founded in 2003 and employs 73 people.
Planit-IE Appointments
Rob Moore has taken on the position of studio director at the landscape design firm’s Altrincham base, while Danny Marsh will move up into the same role in Liverpool.
The promotions and appointments are part of Planit-IE’s expansion plans and follow the promotions of Georgina Baines and Kevin Redhead to director roles in 2022.
At the Liverpool studio, landscape architect Marsh has been promoted to the role of studio director. He joined the firm almost five years ago from IBI Group and has worked on several high-profile schemes during that time.
These include Central Park at Liverpool Waters, Everton Football Club’s new stadium, and the regeneration of St Helens and Birkenhead town centres.
In Altrincham, Moore has also been promoted. He has become studio director after almost 20 years with the firm. In his new role, he will continue to add to a growing list of projects that includes work in Oldham Town Centre, First Street in Manchester, and a 1m sq ft of mixed-use scheme at West Bar in Sheffield.
Managing director Pete Swift said: “Danny and Rob’s work is crucial to delivering Planit’s mission to become a net positive business and deliver a more regenerative future. Their technical knowledge is unrivalled and they have become adept at managing multiple high-profile projects.
“I’m excited to see how they grow in their new roles and how they continue to deliver public spaces that work not just today, but tomorrow and beyond.”
Meanwhile, Mark Fletcher has been hired to lead the firm’s Standish site. In Gloucestershire, he will be responsible for growing Planit in the South West and London, alongside co-founder Ed Lister and director, James King.
Fletcher has joined the firm after seven years working at Pacific Architecture in Wellington, New Zealand.
Lister said: “We opened our rural Cotswolds studio in 2021. Located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty it was the perfect fit to establish and grow Planit’s Net Positive practices and regenerative vision.
“Mark’s arrival and experience will be instrumental in delivering this vision, supporting clients on their journeys to move beyond sustainable practices and help grow our studios across the South.”
Elsewhere across the business, Victoria Ellenbogen has been promoted to senior landscape architect, Yuan-yin Hsieh and Jonny Helm have been promoted to the role of project landscape architect, Evelyn Ho as landscape architect, Molly Deakin to senior graphic designer, and Sam Richmond has been promoted to 3D artist.
In total, Planit-IE employs 92 people.
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