In UK developer news, a new venture by Sir Stuart Lipton (at left) and his brother architect Lord Richard Rogers is in the offing. Lipton leaves Chelsfield Partners LLP  to pursue the new venture, but will continue to be involved at the company he and partner Elliott Bernerd launched.

According to the news from PropertyWeek, Lipton’s new development endeavor will work on large scale projects in London, the company will also raise capital for said projects. The dynamic brother pair worked on the Broadgate complex in London back in the 80′s, one of the biggest such developments of the time. According to the reports, it appears Lipton sees a new era of design coming, he told the Times:

“…consumers don’t want plain glass boxes for offices. It is in the tough times like this that the property market gets innovative. We have to think about new ways of doing things, and large and complicated projects are our bag.”

Silvertown conceptualization – courtesy Chelsfield & e-architect

Lipton, seen as an innovative visionary by most, was at the center of some controversy where his former dealings with Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (Cabe) came into question. Lipton resigned as chairman, but not without some pain and agony. Despite any negatives though, all Lipton’s peers admire his creativity and resilience. Back in March of 2012, his efforts at the Silvertown (above) project near the airport drew accolades.

Set to attract the likes of Apple and Microsoft the  The 50,000-square-foot glassy pavilions there are all that’s fashionable for business folk. As for Lipton’s and Lord Rogers’ next creative play, is “the sky is the limit cliche?

Photo credits: Sir Stuart Lipton – courtesy University of Bath.

Overlook – courtesy Battersea Power Station Development Company (“BPSDC”)

The news tell of what will be the last riverside development in the city, an enormous project now selling the first phase known as Circus West. Agents will now be selling units to the Singapore and Hong Kong markets, according the news from Jones Lang LaSalle.

Residential and Development Director for the firm, Peter Murray, had this to say about the appointment of his company:

“We are thrilled to be associated with such a high profile and exciting iconic development and anticipate the development to be received with enormous success.”

The development will contain one, two, and three bedroom apartments, as well as; offices, shops, leisure and hospitality venues, not to mention some exclusive penthouses. The property’s design firm, Ian Simpson Architects and de Ryke Marsh Morgan (dRMM), have created smart architectural lines and function that will go from £338,000 for the studio apartments and range all the way up to £894,000 for a three bedroom apartments. The units are expected to be occupied some time in 2016. The image below shows a nice conceptualization of a part of the development.

The first phase of the project, eight core buildings to the West of the 39 acre site, will be complete sometime this year. The opening of these is slated to come along at the same time Europe’s largest brick building, Grade II listed Power Station’s renovation is complete. For those who do not know, this is the largest surviving example of Art Deco architecture in the world.

Extending the neighborhoods of Kensington and Chelsea, this vast and exclusive new neighborhood really transforms an industrial age unsustainable relic into homes and a community for the future. For those who talk about renewed developments, clearly this engaging new plan is a step above. With its own stage one station connecting Heathrow and Gatwick, boutique shopping galore, and a myriad outdoor and indoor entertainment array, it’s no wonder International sales teams were formed.

Those interested should visit the various websites mentioned, or connect via Twitter @Battersea_ICON with the developers.

The video below shows the vision.

A new Hammerson development – retail space

The CEO of Hammerson, David Atkins, elaborated on the move further:

“Following our investments in Value Retail, Victoria Quarter and the Whitgift Centre, this acquisition is another demonstration of Hammerson deploying capital into one of our three defined areas of retail focus. There is continued strong consumer demand for the ease and convenience of retail parks, and that consumer demand is being reflected in the increasing requirements of a range of fashion and catering retailers for space in retail parks. This portfolio acquisition on attractive terms enhances our income profile and will be actively managed to grow rents and capitalise on development opportunities, maximising returns for shareholders.

These moves by Hammerson appear to be part of a bigger trend in UK real estate to move investments into a more targeted space. Regional shopping and office space in and around London, being two areas Hammerson and others seem focused on. The so called Junction Fund is made up of shopping parks in Bristol, Glasgow, and Telford as well as retail giants like H&M, Gap and a few others.

The acquisition also speaks of undeveloped land as part of the deal, specifically the Oldbury Shopping Park Development. There, Hammerson has bought into roughly 16 acres of potential across the way from Oldbury town centre. That move along spell a ray of hope for industries tied to real estate development, namely the jobs sector.

For more information on this recent Hammerson investment, please visit the link provided or check out the firm’s Facebook profile for images.