Case Study
Three engineers, Tony Bailey, John Westmuckett and Richard Hawkes formed Edge Structures in 2005. The directors had previously worked in London and Leeds and that’s where they chose to open offices, with Holbeck Urban Village favoured in Leeds and Kings Cross in London.
The rapidly expanding company moved to Matthew Murray House in Holbeck Urban Village in August 2007; an apposite choice as the building is named after the eighteenth century engineer whose work in the area, developing mill technology and pioneering steam engineering for the railways, put Leeds on the world map as a centre of new industrial technology.
Edge Structures handles a varied range of projects that it approaches with the same enthusiasm, whether designing a wine rack or constructing a roof for Wimbledon’s hallowed centre court. “Our involvement in the moving roof for Wimbledon is without doubt one of our biggest achievements and we’re confident that rain will not halt play when the roof is in place for the 2009 championships.”
Close links with other built environment professionals are essential to Edge Structure’s business and the company has recently led the launch of the Yorkshire Property Network, a forum for property professionals which meets in local venues.
Karen Willey, business development manager says, “We really do feel part of a community here. We chose it because it has not finished developing yet. That feels exciting to us – we wanted to be somewhere that was attractive to other young companies who wanted to help create a vibrant, creative environment.”
“There’s no argument that being in this area is good for business – we invite our clients to visit us here because we’re in Holbeck and they’re as interested as we are to see how the historic architecture is being sympathetically restored without pastiche, but with pragmatism and integrity. It tells them something about us too – that integrity is important to us, and it is.”
