Wednesday 30th November, 2016

Two months in…

It’s all change! We packed, we moved, we’re here! Goodbye home-based studio, hello brand new, super cool, co-working space in the heart of Manchester. I had my heart set on That Space the moment I saw it so, Sophie our studio manager, got to work making sure that it was the right decision for the company and writing many many lists.

And we moved! We are in That Space, a property co-working space on Princess Street, which is a fantastic space filled with architects, planners, surveyors, contractors and developers, excellent coffee and a fridge always stacked with beers.

We have been working on some wonderful projects over the last four years, the company is growing, we have new and exciting projects lined up for 2017, and it felt like the perfect time to take the business up a notch, get into the city, and allow room for expansion… And expanding we are! We have an incredibly talented and creative graduate joining us full time in January, and our fabulous freelancers are still with us, so it’s an exciting year ahead.

Thank you SO much to everyone who has been supportive and encouraging. We are VERY grateful to our cheerleaders and wise advisors!

So, what have we been up to?

Carolyn, Director – I have been recycling all that hoarded paper that I really, really don’t need any more, sorting and packing, doing what Sophie tells me to do (she’s very strict) and buying beautiful things for my new desk that I definitely do need. My new desk turns into a standing desk, an option I consider every now and then as I sit comfortably, drinking large mugs of frothy coffee and staring out through the window at the beautiful facade of the town hall opposite.

I’ve been catching up with people (never not available for a red wine), brainstorming the company’s identity with Lucy Lomas at Luma Marketing and designing, designing, designing!

Sophie, Studio Manager – Anyone who has ever been in charge of an office move will know how stressful it can be! I’ve been busy making sure everyone who needs to know we’ve moved knows that we’ve moved, updating all of our documents and templates, introducing a new CRM and Project Management system, working on our end-of-year plan and thinking about how we can free up even more of Carolyn’s time so she can concentrate on what she does best (which isn’t filing, btw). I’ve really enjoyed being part of the CW Studio team these last 6 months and I feel such a sense of achievement knowing that I’m playing a small part in its growing success.

What are our plans for 2017?

We have a number of projects that will be on site next year, which is exciting, including a residential scheme in Castlefield with public realm and a podium courtyard garden, and Broxhead House in Hampshire, a new Business Enterprise Centre with formal landscape and an overgrown secret garden.

Moneypenny HQ phase two will be completed, and we are really looking forward to seeing the meadow in flower. We are designing a private garden that leads down to a lake, complete with boat house and jetty, and continue to design special outdoor spaces for a high school and sixth form college in Cheshire.

I’ll be teaching the London College of Garden Design diploma students again next year at Kew Gardens, where we’ll explore spatial design by making super-fast, super-scrappy, non-presentation models, and have fun with cardboard and tiny plastic people. I will be speaking at the Landscape Show at Battersea Park, which was great fun this year, and I’m also writing an article on pop-up pavilions for the Landscape Journal.

We are very excited to see what 2017 has in store for CW Studio. Pop in for a coffee if you’re in town!

Carolyn