PRESS RELEASE
FIRST BASE STRENGTHENS SENIOR TEAM
First Base, the urban regeneration developer, has strengthened its senior management team with the recruitment of Phil Wade as Operations Director and Mark Shirburne-Davies as Development Director. The new appointments come at an exciting time for First Base, which has had a number of recent successes over the last 12 months.
Both new directors will support the management of the company and drive First Base’s expanding development pipeline. This includes successful planning applications for two schemes in Southwark, and further schemes at Trenchard House (Soho) and the Heart of East Greenwich (one of London’s first carbon neutral developments). Mark and Phil will also be integral to First Base’s work on two landmark consortium projects with Lend Lease: the development of Stratford City and the regeneration of Elephant & Castle.
In addition, Steve Evans, director, has decided to leave First Base to pursue new opportunities and challenges to broaden his career. Steve will be with First Base until the end of the year.
Elliot Lipton, Managing Director of First Base, said, “Our recent successes provide us with strength and credibility to move forward as a business, and all the additional expertise that Mark and Phil bring will add huge value to the exciting projects we currently have in our pipeline. I am confident that we have the right team in place to lead the company as we move into 2008.”
Mark brings extensive global property expertise to First Base, having worked with Terry Farrell & Partners for over 15 years and most recently with BAA plc as Development and Design Director. During his time at Terry Farrell, Mark was Project Architect on Kowloon Station in Hong Kong, one of the largest rail transportation, commercial, residential and retail infrastructure projects in the world. Mark has significant experience of urban regeneration and residential projects in London including Paddington Basin, Swiss Cottage, Westferry Circus, Canary Wharf and Marsham Street. At BAA, among other prestigious projects, he managed the delivery of Heathrow’s £5 billion capital programme including the redevelopment of Terminals 1 and 2 and the Central Terminal Area, leading a project team of over 130 personnel.
In his new role, Mark will be responsible for leading the development team. Mark said, “Having worked on various mixed-use regeneration projects, I am looking forward to lending my expertise to the portfolio of exciting and innovative projects that First Base is currently involved in. It is refreshing to be working with a company that is tackling London’s housing issues with such vision, resulting in such a pioneering set of developments.”
Phil brings over 20 years of experience within the property industry, 10 years of which were spent at Lend Lease. Phil is a career development, design and construction professional and was responsible for ensuring the successful delivery of Lend Lease’s retail assets, both in the UK and continental Europe. He set up Lend Lease Projects, the design, development and project management division of Bovis Lend Lease, leading a team of 300 people, was involved in the Masterplan for the Greenwich Peninsula, and was instrumental in the delivery of a major mixed use and retail scheme in Norwich. Immediately prior to joining First Base Phil was Chief Operations Officer at Bovis Lend Lease.
Phil will lead the design, project management, procurement and construction functions at First Base. Phil said, “Having worked with First Base during my time at Lend Lease, I am excited to be playing a bigger role in a company that is involved in some of London’s most high profile property projects. First Base takes a different approach from many developers I have worked with in the past, which for me is both refreshing and exciting.”
-ENDS-
For further information please contact:
Jessica Gooch / David Lucas
Tel: 020 7908 6447 / 020 7908 6422
Email: jgooch@lexispr.com / dlucas@lexispr.com
NOTES TO EDITORS:
First Base Limited
Transforming Urban Spaces and Building Communities.
First Base is the urban regeneration developer that creates stylish homes in great urban spaces.
- It transforms the way that properties are built - using best practice modern construction methods that keep costs low yet quality high, embracing sustainability and ensuring value for money.
- It transforms the way that communities are formed - with a mix of tenures, a range of homes, a commitment to high quality management and services that make friends of neighbours.
- And it transforms the way that style meets function - with attractive designs, inside and out, that do more than simply look good.
Designed by renowned architects, built by skilled craftspeople, managed by experts, First Base homes are quality, sustainable and affordable properties for purchase or rental.
First Base is currently involved in a range of projects that will deliver mixed-tenure housing in London and the South East. These include:
- Elephant & Castle regeneration with Lend Lease
- London’s first major carbon neutral scheme on the site of the former Greenwich District Hospital
- Stratford City including the 2012 Athletes Village, as part of the Lend Lease consortium
- On behalf of the Blackstone Group, the regeneration of a site in Kings Cross to provide affordable accommodation to over 900 students
- A number of schemes under English Partnerships’ London Wide Initiative including Adelaide Wharf in Shoreditch and two sites in regeneration hot spot, Elephant and Castle
The company was included in the RIBA ‘Top 50 Clients’ survey for its innovative approach to quality design, using renowned architects including, Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners, AHMM and Fletcher Priest for a range of projects across the capital.
First Base is also a founding member of the UK Green Building Council. The organisation, launched in the Spring of 2007, aims to provide leadership and cohesion to the UK Green building movement, provide a single, powerful pan-industry voice to Government, facilitate knowledge sharing and spread best practice and raise the international standing of UK industry.
For further information please visit www.firstbase.com