What3Words partner with Ford

Ford have announced that millions of their drivers around the world will now be able to use what3words location technology. The partnership means that drivers can enter precise 3 word destinations by voice or text, easier, faster and with fewer errors. It also enables them to navigate to any spot on the planet; including those without an address. Whether it’s meeting friends for a tailgate party at a particular parking place, finding the perfect scenic viewpoint, dropping the kids off at the right side of the football pitch, or making a delivery to the specific entrance on an industrial complex, Ford drivers will now be able to navigate with precision – by using just three simple words.

Designed for voice input, what3words is an innovative global addressing system that’s divided the world into a grid of 3m x 3m squares and assigned each a unique 3 word address – made of three dictionary words. ///filled.count.soap, for example, will take you to the specific front entrance of Great Western Studios. The system is available in 26 languages, works offline and has built-in error prevention so the driver doesn’t end up at the wrong place.

Winter Round Up: We say hello to new members and share the latest news from around the studios

BOM BOM MOROCCO

BOMBOM MOROCCO was started in the summer of 2016 by Gibraltarian sisters Olivia and Beatriz. Spending many adventures in Morocco, Olivia and Beatriz are enchanted by the country and aim to capture the essence of Morocco in their accessory designs. The brand specialises in handmade and personalised straw baskets, hats and clutches. BOMBOM hold ethics and sustainability at the heart of the brand with each product being skilfully handcrafted by Moroccan artisans who belong to a foundation for illiterate women. BOMBOM prides itself on its commitment to ethical and sustainable fashion and its products created by women for women.

Officina Coppola

Officina Coppola is a pioneer in the use of liquid metal, limestone and resin to create bespoke finishes for architectural installations, furniture and works of art. The designed artworks, patterns and surfaces can be applied to any type of support, and they all harbour an emotional, tactile and visual impact.

Coppola has completed projects for fashion houses, hotel chains and luxury private estates in Europe, the US, Asia and the Middle East.

Álvaro

After a career spanning more than 20 years designing accessories behind the scenes for major European luxury houses, including Valentino, Tod’s, Loewe, Emilio Pucci, Loro Piana, Valextra and Jimmy Choo, Álvaro González the Spanish-born, Florence-based designer, launched Álvaro in 2013. Their men’s and women’s sandals, bags and small leather goods are crafted in select artisanal workshops in and around Florence, Italy.

Made from vegetable tanned calf, suede or exotics such as alligator, ostrich and stingray, all goods are expressly developed by specialist Italian tanneries.

Latest news from our Studio Holders…

MATA Architects

Black Box is a small first floor rear extension to a mid terrace Victorian era house in Islington. MATA’s client wanted a space that could function both as a home office and occasional guest bedroom with an en-suite bathroom.

Situated on a dense urban site with neighbouring buildings in close proximity, any proposed extension would be overlooked from multiple sides – a typical London situation. The extension is conceived as a ‘reconfigurable box’ in dark stained Siberian Larch. Two bespoke counterbalanced shutters are manually operated internally using winches. These allow for multiple configurations of the ‘box’; from fully open with window overhang to counter summer solar gain, to shut tight.

The dynamic nature of the façade encourages the user to interact with the architecture and adapt their environment for comfort.

Craster

Craster introduce Alto, the new addition to their sleek buffet collection.

Available in natural walnut, the collection offers flexible buffet presentation with a range of plinths and boards for multi-height display. With its Scandi feel featuring a tripod base in black metal and subtle chamfer detail, this elegantly casual range is perfect for informal presentations, from breakfast pastries to high tea.

The signature piece is a gracefully designed three tier cake stand, which can be used as a singular focus item, or nested with another to create a tiered buffet effect.

KPPR

KPPR handle the retained UK publicity for comedian, actor, writer & director Ricky Gervais, whose latest series ‘After Life’ will debut on Netflix on 8th March. The show follows despondent Tony (played by Ricky) as he learns to cope after the death of his wife – by deciding to say and do whatever he likes, whatever the consequences.

KPPR have been working with Netflix on the campaign and secured a number of opportunities including The Graham Norton Show (BBC One), The One Show (BBC One), radio & online interviews at Bauer, Global and BBC Radio, a cover feature interview with Mail on Sunday’s Event magazine and a ‘60 Minutes’ profile interview on Australian television network Nine.

On & On Designs

In their latest collaboration with Tate Edit, On & On Designs represents Maria Jeglinska’s Glass Collection for Autor Rooms. The latest addition to the hotel essentials collection, a vase, expands on the formal language of the glassware and of the mirrors designed for Autor Rooms. It is a body in the form of a large tube, the bottom sphere reminds legs, standing still and firmly. On each side, semi sphere-shaped tubes recalling the body language of power posing resembles hands. The vases are available at the Tate Edit shop.

KPPR have been working with Netflix on the campaign and secured a number of opportunities including The Graham Norton Show (BBC One), The One Show (BBC One), radio & online interviews at Bauer, Global and BBC Radio, a cover feature interview with Mail on Sunday’s Event magazine and a ‘60 Minutes’ profile interview on Australian television network Nine.

Great Western Studios is a finalist in the Office of the Future Awards!

We’re please to announce that GWS is a finalist for the Hubble Office of the Future Awards, in the category of “Design of the Future”.

We have also been entered for the People’s Champion Award. This category allows anyone to vote for us.

PLEASE VOTE FOR US HERE

Can’t wait to get our glad rags on for the award ceremony!

Daisy Jewellery launch Aphrodite Necklace

Great stuff from Daisy Jewellery, introducing their new Aphrodite Necklace!

£10 from the sale of each necklace will go to Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust to help raise awareness and support those affected by this disease.

More info here.

Fantastic Christmas Market at Great Western Studios

Yesterday we hosted a Christmas Market in our Atrium and it was wonderful, thank you to all the studios who got involved!

We’re feeling lovely and festive now, have a lovely Christmas everyone.

The Electric Sledge: an exciting new pop-up in Paddington Basin

This December, 60-seater Regent’s Canal boat, the Electric Barge transforms itself into the Electric Sledge: an exciting new pop-up floating venue moored at Merchant Square in Paddington Basin.

The Electric Sledge will be an intimate venue for Christmas lunches and dinners for private and corporate parties between the 3rd and 21st of December. Braai specialists, Bring & Braai, have created a menu that puts a South African twist on the classic Christmas fare. The food – including Chakalaka Turkey, Braaied Butternut and piping-hot Potjiekos – will be cooked on traditional open wood fires on the towpath alongside the barge, providing a unique winter spectacle for guests and passers-by.

At lunchtimes, the Electric Sledge will also be serving – street-food style – Turkey and Sage Boerewors Rolls, with smoked caramelised braai onions. Operated by the charity Beauchamp Lodge Settlement, The Electric Barge offers private hire trips, throughout the year, to independent and corporate guests to raise money for learning activities on its Floating Classroom – providing opportunities for local children to come aboard to learn about history, science, nature and the world around them.

The Electric Sledge is no different and all the money made by this venture will be ploughed back in to support that charitable work.
Click here, or get in touch to find out more!

Autumn Round Up: Check out the latest news from around the studios

OPUMO

OPUMO just launched it’s 2018 Christmas Gift Guide and is excited to offer studio holders an exclusive ‘Black Friday’ promotion with 20% off store wide. Email robyn@greatwesternstudios.com for the discount code, offer ends 30/11/18. Sort Christmas now!

Bethan Gray

Female driven design – British designer Bethan Gray partners with Emily Johnson, Co-Founder of pioneering ceramics brand, 1882 Ltd to create Lustre – a design driven 24 carat gold fine bone china tableware collection.

The collection is crafted from fine bone china and 24-carat gold, the allure and radiance of which cannot be replicated with any other material. Possible only by hand, the pattern is meticulously applied in multiple separate pieces in a pattern that is complex with its curvatures. The decals of 24-carat gold and black are fired, hand finished with 24-carat gold and finally fired for a second time which complete the 12 day making process. The collection comprises two bowls, two dinner plates, a salad plate, coffee cups, espresso cups, a jug, a sugar bowl, a tea light and a platter, which sit alongside Bethan’s brass spun and marble tables.

KPPR

KPPR’s office is full of festive spirit this month, after being appointed to manage personal publicity for actress and Love Island 2018 winner Dani Dyer, who will be starring in ‘Nativity! The Musical’ this Christmas.

KPPR have secured some high-profile appearances for Dani, including a spot on a primetime TV Christmas special with her dad and co-star Danny Dyer, as well as various national magazine covers. Alongside this, they have overseen Dani’s relationships and partnerships with brands and charities, such as Mondelez, Specsavers, and (Stand Up To Cancer’s) Gogglebox.

‘Nativity! The Musical’, which will run at London’s Eventim Apollo from 19th – 30th December, is just one of Dani’s exciting new projects since winning Love Island with boyfriend Jack Fincham in the summer. She also launched her hugely successful clothing range with In The Style (out now, just in time for Christmas!), and has big plans for 2019 – so stay tuned!

Paddington Development Trust

Paddington Development Trust’s St Mary Mags Project in Paddington brings together a restored Grade 1 Listed heritage jewel with a modern purpose built Living Heritage Centre – London’s newest community and cultural venue. The new centre will extend the performance and artistic use of the Church as well as providing a new lobby and entrance shared with the Living Heritage Centre which will house new educational resources and a canal-side Café and Bar.

Click here to donate to this fantastic cause. Your donation will help St Mary Mags provide a hub for young people, families and the local community in the heart of the Westbourne Ward, the second most deprived ward in London. It will provide a base for activities which will build confidence, create community cohesion and local pride. As part of the Big Give this year, donate between 27th and 4th of December and your donation will be doubled!

what3words

what3words is the simplest way to talk about location. It’s divided the world into 3m x 3m squares, each with a unique 3 word address. Now you can refer to any precise location – a delivery entrance, a picnic spot or a memorable viewpoint – in three words. For example ​///filled.count.soap​ marks the exact location of the entrance to Great Western Studios. To help your visitors find you more easily, simply add ​///filled.count.soap​ to your contact page after your street address. To find you easily and hassle-free, visitors can then simply enter three words into the free what3words app and use their preferred navigation app to get directions.

Tip: ​​To direct people to the canal entrance of GWS, use the 3 word address ​///chips.legend.level

Find out more!

Craster’s bespoke Line Tables

In September 2018, Craster were in the process of launching the Line Table, a new product created by them to turn the tables (quite literally) on traditional conferencing furniture. 

As a longstanding client of Craster’s, Simon Antoine, General Manager of InterContinental Washington D.C – The Wharf, was the first to work with them on a bespoke offering created using Line Table.

In this exclusive interview, Simon, provides useful insights into the impact of the Line Table on business space best practice at the Wharf. Read the full interview here!

“Once I’d seen the Line Table, I got the Craster team in touch with my designer and they went through the moodboards together to decide on finishes.

We’re using the Line Table for conferences, boardrooms, and theatre-style set-ups, so the team are constantly breaking it down and re-setting the tables non-stop for different events.”

Busy times for Simon Clark Photography

It’s been a really busy Summer and Autumn at Simon Clark Photo and Film with Campaigns for Justine Tabak, Jacamo, ESC, BAM, KCA LAB and a very special project with Reebok and a Hollywood a lister. Watch this space!

Bethan Gray’s Shamsian Collection

Bethan Gray is launching new colours, finishes and materials for the Shamsian Collection of furniture, inspired by the Omani fort at Nizwa and traditional Dhow boats.

Bethan says: ‘Oman is an incredible place – the fort at Nizwa really captured my imagination. I love working with Omani craftspeople – their techniques are incredible. Reinterpreting what they do for a contemporary and global audience offers a rare opportunity to champion skilled craftsmanship.’

The new finishes will be shown at Decorex during this September’s London Design Festival. For more details on where to find us during the show, please visit the website or sign up to their newsletter.