Brera25 features an L-shaped worktop and a series of inbuilt storage cupboards, designed specifically to suit executive and managerial offices.
Brera25 is crafted from a mix of wood, glass and lacquer
The desk is crafted from a refined selection of materials, with the cupboards framed in light-hued wood while their doors, as well as sections of the countertop, are coated in white or black lacquer.
In contrast, one end of the desk is simply supported by a slim pane of glass.
A concealed electric mechanism allows part of Brera25's counter to be elevated so that users can alternate between working in a seated or standing position.
The desk comes with inbuilt storage
"Brera25 was designed to offer a clean design aesthetic, elegant details and unique materials to elevate private offices and open-plan environments," explained Mark Morton, Gensler's design director and principal.
"We wanted a modular office system that could adapt to custom configurations without sacrificing elegant proportions," added Jonas Gabbai, design director and senior associate at the firm.
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The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the trend away from open-plan living as people seek greater privacy at home, according to Albert Hill, co-founder of design-led estate agent The Modern House.
Hill said that buyers were increasingly looking for homes with a variety of different rooms for different activities rather than large, open multipurpose spaces.
"People are moving away from open-plan spaces now," Hill told Dezeen. "People like a little bit more variety."
The talk, broadcast yesterday on Dezeen, was held to mark the launch of the development company's Live Well by Design manifesto.
People want "the best of both worlds"
Suzy Jones, director of Future Lab at House by Urban Splash, said the trend away from open-plan spaces started in commercial offices and has now spread to homes.
"Everybody wanted huge open-plan offices, which in some ways are great," she said. "But in other ways, it's very, very difficult to actually get any work done."
"And it's the same in homes," she added. "I think we want the best of both worlds: we want parts of our homes where we can all get together and then places where we can retreat and have privacy."
Albert Hill made the comment in a live talk about the future of housing
Hill said that trend towards more enclosed domestic spaces was now speeding up due to the Covid-19 pandemic as people seek places to work undisturbed and to enjoy moments of privacy at home.
People increasingly want "a place where you can retreat, hide away from the world and feel safe," said Hill.
"Everyone's online and on social media all the time and our lives are so public," said Hill. "What we want from our homes is increasingly a sort of retreat from the world."
House by Urban Splash, which is the housebuilding arm of Manchester-based regeneration company Urban Splash, builds communities of owner-configurable homes with big windows and high ceilings set in green landscapes.
Launched in 2016, House by Urban Splash delivers housing projects that combine high design values with advanced prefabrication techniques, which it describes as modern methods of construction (MMC).
House by Urban Splash backed by Japanese house builder
Last year, Japanese housebuilder Sekisui Home acquired a 25 per cent stake in House by Urban Splash, allowing the UK company to benefit from the Japanese giant's expertise in customisable modular construction and zero-energy homes.
Kenta Konishi, CEO of the UK arm of Sekusui Home, said that 90 per cent of the detached houses it builds in Japan consume net-zero energy through a mixture of efficient insulation and photovoltaics.
"They generate energy by themselves, they store it and they use it," said Konishi, who added that the biggest difference between housebuilding in Japan and the UK was the degree of personalisation.
"I think Japan is very unique in the sense that almost all of the newly built houses are customised houses," he said. "So when I say we built 2.4 million houses in 60 years, almost all of them have different kinds of design layouts. We always respond to the customer's demand."
The Modern House, which was founded in 2004 by Albert Hill and Matt Gibberd, resells design-led homes, often built by leading architects, across the UK.
Hill said that architect-designed homes attracted a premium of up to 12 per cent over regular homes, with buyers particularly attracted to high ceilings, natural light, good views and inventive use of space.
Balanced on slim metal legs, the Sempione table boasts an oval countertop that can be crafted from a variety of materials including Carrara marble, fumé glass and oak.
The Sempione table is available with a fumé glass top
In addition, the table legs can be made from white, grey or black metal, allowing the design to blend seamlessly into different areas of an office from formal boardrooms to break-out areas.
Directly beneath Sempione's countertop is a supporting framework of interlocking metal spokes, based on the structure of chain necklaces.
It features an oval countertop and metal legs
"Designing Sempione, I wanted a very strong and stable table that would give an image of lightness," explained Mangiarotti.
"The slender legs are made strong by a chain under-top structure, similar to that used in jewellery, which represents a functional element as well as an ornamental one."
About Dezeen Showroom:Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen's huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.
The memorial garden in Stratford will feature a ring of 33 blossom trees as its centrepiece, representing the impact of Covid-19 across the capital's 32 boroughs and the City of London.
Revealing the plans, Khan said the memorial will invite Londoners to reflect on the pandemic, which has seen thousands of people lose their lives and "changed our capital forever".
He also hopes it will memorialise the positive ways in which the capital's citizens have come together in support of each other and key workers during the crisis.
"Covid-19 has had a devastating impact on our city and our country, and while we continue to battle the virus we are creating a lasting, living memorial to commemorate those who have lost their lives, pay tribute to the amazing work of our key workers and create a space for all Londoners to reflect on the experience of the pandemic," said Khan.
"This public garden of blossom trees will be a permanent reminder of the lives that have been lost, a tribute to every single key worker, and a symbol of how Londoners have stood together to help one another."
Project to be realised in one of London's worst-hit boroughs
Blossoming trees are to be used for the garden's centrepiece because this year's blossom season coincided with the start of the UK's first national lockdown.
Eight different species of trees will be used, planted together in three rings. The largest circle will have 17 trees, while the others will have nine and seven.
Local artist Junior Phipps is currently also developing a path and public benches to surround the site. Funding for the project will be provided by Bloomberg.
The London memorial garden is set to be planted in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in early 2021.
The site, which was originally built for the 2012 Summer Olympics, was chosen as it is in Newham – one of the capital's boroughs that was worst-hit by the pandemic.
Newham is also home to the BDP-designed NHS Nightingale Hospital, which was built in April within the ExCeL exhibition centre. The hospital is among several temporary healthcare facilities around the world that were built to help increase intensive-care capacity during the pandemic.
Memorial garden is part of scheme to bring nature to cities
The memorial garden forms the first part of a wider campaign being carried out by the National Trust over the next few years to give more people in the UK access to nature.
This follows a sharp rise in awareness of the need for nature in our lives, prompted by the pandemic and people having to quarantine without access to the outside.
"This space will thrive and become more beautiful as the trees grow and become part of their surroundings," said Nicola Briggs, a director at the National Trust.
"We want to work hard to ensure that together we design something that is appropriate for the neighbouring communities; somewhere that becomes a space for reflection as well as bringing nature and beauty to more people."
Khan's announcement for the memorial garden is the latest in a string of proposals being developed to honour those that have lost their lives during the coronavirus pandemic.
Dezeen promotion: Europe's largest roofing and waterproofing company BMI Group produces numerous products that help architects to create more sustainable buildings.
Following its recently published report The Architect Effect, BMI Group is highlighting products that provide architects with more sustainable options, whether designing flat or pitched roofs.
According to the roofing company, sustainability is an area where construction can make huge improvements.
Cool roof technology will become increasingly important, says BMI
"It is clear that there's a huge desire to make the necessary changes – we're seeing more and more innovative thinking across the industry and momentum is increasing," said BMI Group.
"Increasingly, we're seeing that clients are also seeking evidence of sustainability from manufacturers at both product and organisational levels," it continued.
Among BMI Group's range of sustainable products is an anti-pollution membrane. The Noxite flat roof membrane converts harmful nitrogen oxides (NOx), which are mainly the result of traffic pollution, into harmless nitrates.
The membrane uses a photocatalytic ingredient to break down pollutants, which are washed away by rainwater. This also refreshes the catalyst, so it continues to work throughout the life of the material.
The company produces a range of green roof solutions
BMI Group offers a range of blue and green roofs that allow an often under-utilised space to be used as parks, urban farms and havens for wildlife.
These roofs can also improve the sustainability of the building below by providing a layer of insulation while improving the air quality outside.
"There are few roof systems more sustainable and multi-purpose than a green or blue roof," said the brand.
"Green roofs have an insulating effect, reducing the energy needed to heat a building in winter and cool it in the summer. The plant life can filter pollution, absorb CO₂ and improve air quality, as well as be great habitats for wildlife."
The Sunscape range includes solar tiles that can sit flush with roof tiles
The roofing brand also provides solar energy solutions that allow a building's roof to be productive. Using its Sunscape range, which is suitable for both pitched and flat roofs, solar panels can produce around 70–80 per cent of the electricity required to power a building.
Another more sustainable product is the brand's range of lightweight concrete tiles that are produced using BMI Group's Aerlox technology.
The tiles are made with reduced amounts of concrete, meaning that each tile has a lower level of embodied carbon. As they are lighter than regular tiles they can also be transported more efficiently, requiring less fuel.
More information on BMI's sustainable roofing solutions can be found on its website.
