David Baker’s Post

Let’s talk about Embodied Carbon for Cat B office fit outs. Over the past few years, the construction industry has been focused on better understanding and measuring the impact of Embodied Carbon on total building carbon emissions. Several organisations in the UK have established targets for new builds for various building typologies, including residential and commercial office buildings. Where we have seen less progress is understanding and measuring the impact of Cat B office fit outs on total carbon emissions. This is a critical area to address because Cat B fit outs may be undertaken multiple times over a building's life cycle and involve materials that have a short life span. What’s more, separating the carbon emissions between shell and core, Cat A and Cat B works, is crucial for helping both landlords and tenants understand and reduce their carbon impact. Overbury has set up a task group with various industry specialists to better understand these carbon emissions and today sees the launch of a new report ‘Counting the upfront carbon in Cat B office fit out Part 1’ addressing what the current upfront carbon performance level for a Cat B office fit out should be: https://lnkd.in/gbAuBu-X Thanks to Overbury and Zoë Glander for setting up the task group, leading the production of this important report and driving the issue up the sustainable real estate agenda. Thanks also to all others involved, including Salem Qunsol CEng MCIBSE, Principal Sustainability Consultant at Verte, and experts from Grigoriou Interiors, Hilson Moran, Hoare Lea, John Robertson Architects, Landsec, Perkins&Will and SRE Ltd. #lowcarbonfuture #fitout #officefitout #UKNZCBS #EmbodiedCarbon #Sustainability

As we move towards a more sustainable future, it's important to ask: Are your office buildings future-ready? Click the link below to discover the key strategies for net zero success, by David Shaw. https://lnkd.in/erTzwvcG #netzero #futureready #retrofit #sustainability #commericalrefurbishment #officefitout #costconsultancy #construction #cost #clarity #project #commercialrefurbishment #costconsultancy #rics 

Exciting things happen when construction document technicians step in to reimagine empty office spaces into welcoming one. Learn how their expertise is turning the uninhabitable into habitable, creating new opportunities for living spaces in urban areas. Dive into the details in this insightful blog: https://lnkd.in/gMZSxD8J #NewBlog #AEC #CDset #UrbanTransformation #ConstructionDocumentation #HabitatRevolution #SmartLiving #UPPTEAM

From outdated offices to modern marvels, AI-powered elevators are revolutionizing real estate by optimizing space and efficiency. These elevator systems learn which floors have the most visitors during specific times and on certain days, says Otis Elevator Co.'s Lucien Wedzikowski. Read more from CoStar about smart elevators and how they're paving the way for sustainable, multi-use towers.

The changing landscape of commercial real estate presents a unique opportunity for innovation, especially in converting distressed office buildings. Instead of defaulting to residential conversions, why not consider life science facilities? Here’s why: Growth in Life Sciences: The life sciences sector is booming, driven by advancements in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare. This growth creates a significant demand for specialized spaces. Higher Returns: Life science facilities often command higher rents than residential properties due to their specialized nature and the value they provide to tenants in this industry. Flexible Infrastructure: Distressed office buildings typically have the structural flexibility to accommodate the specific needs of life science tenants, such as increased floor loads, enhanced HVAC systems, and lab spaces. Community Impact: Establishing life science hubs can stimulate local economies, attracting high-paying jobs, fostering innovation, and potentially leading to breakthroughs in health and medicine. Sustainable Reuse: Repurposing existing buildings is an eco-friendly solution that reduces waste and promotes sustainable development practices.

Wellbeing significantly impacts office design by enhancing productivity, engagement, and satisfaction. Thoughtful office design addresses physical, mental, and social needs, leading to improved employee health and reduced absenteeism. Incorporating wellness elements like quiet rooms and standing desks can create a happier, healthier workforce.

Will pre-built offices save the planet? As landlords look to woo employers back to the #office, they’re increasingly rolling out pre-built spec offices that are move-in-ready for tenants. That’s good for the #planet given office construction accounts for a third of all landfill waste. New on the #blog, learn why it’s crucial that we change the way we think about, design and build offices. #earthmonth #officedesign #workspace #work #madebyroom

How do we respond to evolving requirements for office buildings? Circotrade’s CEO, Tina Paillet, FRICS joined a Property Week/tp bennett expert panel to discuss the big question on the lips of architects, developers, asset managers and tenants, who face a fast-changing world that has seen not only work patterns, behaviours and office needs turned on their head by the Covid-19 pandemic but climate concerns brought to the fore, too. Tina Paillet said she believed the future would see more and more repurposing of materials, as technology and methods in the sector evolve. “You can now build a new build using secondary materials,” she said. “And reused steel is becoming more popular. There are all sorts of tools now to identify whether the reused steel can be used within your structure and your scheme. That sector is really moving fast. I think, to hit low carbon targets, we're going to see more and more reused materials.” With Julian Sharpe, James Elliott, Shane Kelly, Peter Bovill, Nick Clare, Aoife McEvoy, Rupert Perkins, Edmund Reed, Richard Saul, Edward Thomson, Melanie Flaherty and Lewis Berrill. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eUaGG6DM

On the road to decarbonise our buildings, change needs to be systematic. So how can office fitouts conserve resources under the constraints of constantly-shifting user demands? My AECOM - Buildings + Places colleagues Danielle Rowley, Lauren Lemcke, Dave Cheshire and Daniel Skidmore have prepared a cost model for Building Magazine that looks at solutions around a low embodied carbon fitout. Don't forget that the expenditure can be mitigated through #capitalallowances too! #circulareconomy #realestate #decarbonisation #costmanagement #fitout

Commercial #RealEstate is "at a turning point," with $1 trillion of investment needed to revitalize #OfficeSpace at risk of obsolescence, finds a new JLL report. 😮 #facilitiesmanagement #facilitymanagement #cre #realestate #office #design #buildings #sustainability