We believe that measuring the performance of buildings is an essential step in improving the built environment in our cities and in designing better workplaces for people. SHCA uses standardised techniques to provide a comprehensive evaluation of a building's performance. Our methods can be classed as measures of Efficiency, Effectiveness, Economics, Environment and Expression. In addition, we work with our clients to develop KPIs specific to their business, and we bring together sector-based clients to discuss and inform benchmarking data. Our approach is to -

• investigate how well an available building matches the needs of a prospective occupier;
• inform the design process by determining key issues and helping to focus expenditure;
• determine whether a building project has delivered the anticipated benefits to the business and provided sufficient value in return for the investment;
• provide feedback and lessons learned to facilitate continuous improvement and improve the performance of future workplaces;
• evaluate business-as-usual performance in order to identify any preventative maintenance or required changes.

Efficiency

We conduct workspace analysis and benchmarking to determine how efficiently a building has been planned. Our metrics include occupational density, tenant efficiency ratio and sector-based ratios for private offices, open plan and support spaces.

We conduct Time Utilisation Surveys to establish how well utilised a building is over time and to establish metrics for alternative working practices.

Effectiveness

To measure how effectively a building supports the occupier we use occupant surveys. These web-based surveys have been used for numerous building evaluations and provide a database for benchmarking. The survey determines the impact of building design, building facilities and environmental conditions on staff work activities, downtime and performance. Click here to try the survey

SHCA has co-developed the Office Productivity Network Index, which is an interview schedule for facilities managers which quantifies and scores the impact of a building design and operation on occupant productivity.

Economics

Our preference is to collaborate with cost consultants on constructions costs and with facilities managers on operational costs to determine the Total Cost of Occupancy of new workplace projects. These metrics inform real estate strategy and assist in faster decision-making.

Environment

We take our sustainability commitments seriously and have developed a bespoke and simplified index for quantifying the impact of a building on the environment. We also collaborate with trained assessors in BREAM and LEED if a more widely recognised evaluation method is required.

Expression

We use a blend of expert building walkthroughs and rating scales to assess how well a building expresses the brand, identity and culture of our clients' business. We assist our clients in identifying the key requirements for their buildings and then apply a weighted evaluation matrix to score each building and to make a comparative analysis with other buildings.

Our Related Publications

Summary of Building Assessment Tools - Estates Gazette, 2006

Post Occupancy Evaluation - Facilities Management, 2006

Post Occupancy Evaluation - Urban Land Europe, 2006

Downtime Measurement - Property & Facilities Management, 2003

Efficient Space Planning - Facilities Management Journal, 2002