Peter Verwer |
Monday, 4 August 2008 9:36 AM |
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Parts of the property industry have been in a darker mood of late and chat around town can dwell on black times, as in ‘management is the new black’, or ‘fundamentals are the new black’, or even ‘boring is the new black’.
What is common to the discussion is a back-to-basics attitude and a determination to make existing assets work harder.
There’s around 330 million sqm of existing space in Australia’s non-residential markets. Most of it is more than 20 years old.
The Property Council’s recent solutions summit for existing buildings developed a draft 10-point strategy that aims to revitalise the performance of existing assets.
We asked internationally renowned consultants Arup to research successful strategies for older buildings.
Arup scoured the globe and developed Existing Buildings Survival Strategies: a toolbox for re-energising tired assets.
Arup’s toolbox outlines a six-step program and includes more than 200 tested upgrade initiatives.
We’ve also worked with the Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation (CRC-CI), which has developed design and construction solutions for existing buildings.
The CRC-CI’s work on re-lifing buildings can be found on the www.yourbuilding.org website.
Here is a summary of the Property Council’s plan to breath new life into the sector’s tired assets:
1. Improve performance measurement:
- Identify key performance metrics that go beyond financial parameters to include productivity and consumption metrics
- Link the Property Council's Quality Grade Matrix design drivers to operational drivers/outcomes
- Re-cast the Property Council's benchmark service based on these metrics
- Introduce the IPD Occupiers service into Australia
- Agree on a model voluntary corporate responsibility reporting format for property stakeholders
- Develop a standard carbon reporting statement.
2. Publish diagnostics tools and ‘how to’ management guides:
- Publish a suite of leading practice management guidelines covering all aspects of property operations
- Develop diagnostic tools that aid management decision-making.
3. Publish insightful case studies:
- Identify and publish case studies that demonstrate innovative approaches to building design, management and retrofitting – frank descriptions of what was tried and what did/didn't work.
4. Establish a trusted portal:
- Build a portal that consolidates the best thinking in benchmarking, diagnostic tools, case studies and management trends.
5. Strengthen relationships:
- Develop strategies to improve the relationship between key stakeholders, starting with owners and occupiers
- Some potential actions include a guide to commonsense green leases, guides to green tenancies and greater certainty in 'make good' provisions.
6. Reform public policy settings:
- Advocate incentives for retrofitting buildings to higher standards, based on the Property Council priorities
- Reform national energy markets
- Harmonise regulation to a commonsense standard across the country
- Modernise OH&S rules
- Improve Regulatory Impact Statement processes
- Increase the dollars in the Green Building Fund
- Develop green chapters in the Building Code of Australia
- Launch a national building tune-up program.
7. Improve skills:
- Design a program that will address the skills shortage in the management and consulting sector, including both higher education and industry-based learning.
8. Increase practical R&D:
- Encourage applied R&D into priority targets for commercialisation.
9. Integrate rating tools:
- End the confusion in environmental rating tools.
10. Conduct foresight exercises:
- Commission long-range, strategic analysis of the factors that will shape the built environment in the future.
The Property Council's extensive strategy for existing buildings will be led by a high-level national roundtable.
We'll also engage with our international partners and local leaders, such as the Facilities Management Association and CoreNet.
Peter Verwer |
Monday, 4 August 2008 9:36 AM |
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