Arcadis is one of the newest companies in the Enterprise Zone, having recently moved into 2 Glass Wharf alongside PwC and Ultrahaptics. It is a leading global consultancy firm, and works with clients to deliver sustainable outcomes through the application of design, consultancy, engineering, project and management services. We spoke to their UK Cities Director, Richard Bonner, to find out more.
Richard Bonner, UK Cities Director at Arcadis UK
Business age: We have a legacy of around 250 years of continuous business in the UK, and 12 months ago we brought our legacy brands together as Arcadis.
Number of employees: We have over 160 employees based in our office in the Enterprise Zone and are part of a 4,000 strong UK team.
Length of time in the Enterprise Zone: We completed our move to 2 Glass Wharf in June this year.
How would you describe what Arcadis does to someone who’s never heard of it? Whether it is building affordable housing, creating new transport links or regenerating contaminated land, we improve quality of life for our people, our clients and the communities in which we live and work.
Why did you choose 2 Glass Wharf for your new office in Bristol? Through moving to Glass Wharf, we were able to bring together teams from three offices across the city and purpose-design a new workplace that maximises collaboration and agile working. It also allows us to be part of a cluster that includes our clients and other leading organisations in a variety of fields.
On top of that, we also recognised that relocating to the Enterprise Zone presented a great opportunity to benefit from access to excellent regional and national transport links.
Who will be based at Glass Wharf, and what opportunities will it bring for the company? We have over 160 talented consultants, engineers, scientists, designers and support staff in Bristol. Being able to collaborate and bring together our deep sector knowledge and services to shape solutions for our clients’ needs is very exciting, and we expect that this new phase in Arcadis’ development will lead to accelerated growth for the company.
An event at Arcadis’ new office
Are Arcadis involved in any exciting local projects or initiatives? We are working across a multitude of sectors and clients, but notable commissions include the work we are doing with Bristol City Council and the Environment Agency to develop the city’s resiliency strategy in response to rising water levels in the Avon, Floating Harbour and surrounding areas.
We also work exclusively with Lloyds Banking Group, where we deliver all of their annual capital investment programmes throughout the UK.
Energy is another significant aspect of our workload, and we are working with the likes of Magnox, Horizon, EDF, RWE and Tidal Lagoon Company.
Finally, we have a large focus on housing, residential and strategic land, and are involved in numerous large housing developments in the surrounding areas, working to bring land forward to help solve the housing crisis across the region.
What are Arcadis’ plans for the future? We will continue to focus our strategy towards growth in the region through mobility, resiliency and regeneration markets and clients. We see innovations in technology and digital as key enablers to improve productivity and efficiency for our clients and for Arcadis.
Describe the business in 3 words. Breaking new ground.
Find out more about Arcadis on their website or by following them on Twitter. You can also email Richard about Arcadis’ work.
