Insights
The latest from OFR

Helping colleagues enjoy a hybrid working future
Like many other businesses up and down the UK, we have been reviewing our day to day working practices since the pandemic and chatting with all members of our team about hybrid working; in this new blog our colleague Karen Hugh talks about the recent office moves that have empowered our people to work in an even more agile way.

How Sam’s Better Days supports Scottish Girl Guides
Our Better Days allowance enables all of our colleagues to support causes that are important to them within their own communities – by providing an allocated day of paid leave each year. Here, fire engineer Sam Bryant who is based in our Edinburgh office, explains how she has used her Better Days Days’ time to develop her skills and experience within the Girl Guides to help others.

Our first ever OFR scheme comes to fruition
Back in 2016, Simon Lay and Sam Liptrott founded what is now OFR Consultants. One of the first projects the pair took on was supporting the delivery of a £500m regeneration programme at Tottenham Hale. Now, as the first phase comes to completion, Sam tells us more about the creation of the scheme.

Fusing the old and the new
At OFR we are fortunate to work on a range of projects, covering all sectors, geographies – and architectural typologies. Here, our director Andy Passingham talks about the work we have been doing to support museums, galleries and other historic buildings as they undergo sensitive restorations and redevelopments, with safe design principles in mind…

OFR shortlisted for a Structural Timber Award
This year's Structural Timber Awards shortlist has been announced - with OFR nominated in the Pioneer category alongside project partners Stora Enso, binderholz group and KLH UK Limited.

OFR Consultants celebrates with further team growth
Leading fire engineering consultancy OFR has appointed five new colleagues to its UK wide team.

Topping out an exciting new development for Google at King’s Cross
Google's new King's Cross office officially reached its 'topping out' milestone this week as the final steel beam was put into place.

The International Women in Engineering Day Series: Meet Maisie
23rd June is International Women in Engineering Day and to celebrate, we’re hearing from the great women in our business, as they talk about their careers in this sector. We’re concluding the series with an interview today with our Graduate Fire Engineer Maisie Gleeson. Here, Bath-based Maisie tells us more about establishing her career, and why she didn’t want to be a doctor or a lawyer!

The International Women in Engineering Day Series: Meet Sam
23rd June is International Women in Engineering Day and to celebrate, we’re hearing from the great women in our business, as they talk about their careers in this sector. Today, we meet Sam Bryant who was last year crowned as the Women in Fire Safety Rising Star. Edinburgh-based Sam talks about her childhood love of Lego, and how her passion for seeing the end-product helps her today.

The International Women in Engineering Series: Meet Janine
23rd June is International Women in Engineering Day, and to celebrate, we’re hearing from the great women in our business, as they talk about their careers in this sector. We’re kicking off the series with Janine Kayode. A London-based principal fire engineer, Janine was a 2021 winner of the Women in Fire Safety Awards, and here she talks about her love for the industry, and the challenges she’s faced on her journey…

We’re working on the University of York’s Student Centre Contest
You may have seen in the architecture press this week that our clients O’Donnell + Tuomey and ADP Architecture have won The University of York’s competition for a ‘landmark’ £35 million student centre. Here our colleague Ryan McCreadie tells us more.

OFR contributes to evacuation research
Contributing their time to future fire safety and policy, our colleagues Amir and Luis recently volunteered in a high rise evacuation exercise. Here, Luis tells us more.

OFR ranked as one of the UK’s best companies to work for
OFR Consultants has been named in a list of the Best Companies to Work for 2022. The company ranked highly in the lists, earning a place in the top 10 Best Consultancies to work for. OFR was also ranked 41st in the UK-wide overall companies category - making it one of the best businesses to work for in the country.

Around the world in 80 ways: Nigeria, Africa
We are proud to serve clients all over the world, with projects spanning a range of countries and architectural types. In this new series, our colleagues will take you on a tour of the world, showcasing some of our work – starting here in Nigeria, where our colleague Ryan McCreadie gives us a brief tour.

We’re proud to work on these award winning schemes
Congratulations to our architect and developer clients who this month have won, and been shortlisted, for RIBA Awards for projects across the UK. The RIBA Awards are some of the most renowned accolades in architecture, and we’re proud to see some OFR projects on the winning lists.

Supporting the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity
We are proud to be cheering on our colleague Alan Curran - London technical director - who will use his OFR Better Days allowance to embark on a gruelling 210 mile cycle ride from Leitrim to Killarney in just three days!