Estate directors and facility managers from London’s most iconic buildings and property groups have joined together to create the High Rise Interactive Group (Hi-Rig). The group has been created with the purpose of developing and sharing information with regards to best practice and professional knowledge governing the management of high rise, multi occupancy buildings.
Organisers say that the launch of Hi-Rig reflects the changes to the London skyline over the past 30 years which has been punctuated by the dominant and dramatic silhouettes of high rises. These buildings are not simply the domain of office workers, they are 24 hour hubs of social activity containing hotels, shops, apartments, restaurants, night clubs and office accommodation.
The group is chaired by Steve Neville OBE ABIFM, co-founder of the City Livery of Worshipful Company of Security Professionals and Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Firefighters. Hi-Rig also has the support of the London Fire Brigade and the City of London Police, whose assistant commissioners advised on the group’s formation and will contribute towards its direction.
Steve Neville said: “The challenge of managing the new icons of the London skyline is extremely demanding and has led to the creation of a new breed of super estate director and facility manager. These men and women represent the upper echelon of their profession and are called upon to make critical decisions on everything from water purification to full scale mass evacuation. Hi-Rig has been formed to provide a forum for these professionals to share their knowledge and to discuss shared approaches to the challenges that the management of these buildings presents.”
Pictured in central Manchester is the Beetham Tower. Completed in 2006 at a cost of £150 million, it’s the highest building in Manchester, the tallest residential building in Europe with apartments and the Manchester Hilton Deansgate. It’s the seventh tallest building in England with over 525,000 square feet of space.
