Making your building more attractive to occupiers

Businesses are changing the ways in which they want to own and use their building stock.

This is not only down to the effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the environmental impact that buildings have on our planet as we work towards a net-zero carbon future.

The World Green Building Council requires all new buildings to achieve net-zero carbon by 2030 whilst all existing buildings need to meet the same standards by 2050. Any building falling short will require significant retrofits and upgrades to its existing systems. Highlighting the scale of the task is the fact that 70-80% of current UK buildings will still be in use by 2050 and that 18% of commercial real estate in England and Wales does not currently meet the minimum energy efficiency standards.

Expect to see an overhaul in the demand and provision of office space over the next 30 years.

Occupier needs are changing

The average person will spend one-third of their life at work, more than any other activity. Typically, the built environment ignores this fact as well as the needs of end-users by focusing on the financial impacts of projects, policies and investments.

The digitally connected society we live in must pay increasing attention to the changing nature of work alongside the changing demands of individuals and the requirements of occupiers. The need for green upgrades of existing offices has correlated with cultural change driven by technology and the changing nature of work.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a shift in the way we work with hybrid working growing in popularity, leading to the reduction of the average desk utilisation rate in London to 45%. This will result in significant losses on rent for investors and developers. Twinview can help a business to reduce or repurpose disused space using real-time data streams that offer insights into building occupancy and space utilisation, enhancing tenant wellbeing and productivity.

In recent years, there has been a renewed focus placed on the impact of job satisfaction and an individual’s well-being. Twinview’s digital twin puts user experience at the core of real estate occupation by giving users greater control over their surroundings by creating environments that enhance the productivity and social sustainability of the workforce.

Occupiers want sustainable workplaces

Occupiers are particularly influenced by higher BREEAM ratings. Research carried out by JLL on 120 new developments in Central London found that buildings that were ranked as outstanding or excellent had a higher rate of leasing. The implementation of digital twin technology within the workplace can help a building to achieve such certification.

Great Portland Estates (GPE) has integrated Twinview into its refurbishment of The Hickman, its smartest building yet. It recently became the first building globally to achieve the prestigious SmartScore ‘Platinum’ rating. Sensors are incorporated throughout the building to provide continuous feedback on occupancy levels, temperature, light levels, air quality, noise and energy use.

This allows GPE to identify patterns in how people use the workspace before rationalising and optimising space to result in happy employees and efficient use whilst reducing costs and carbon emissions.

Twinview is a browser-based digital twin platform for the property sector connecting building systems’ data to a 3D model viewed on a single dashboard. Twinview becomes your first step to achieving Net Zero by providing continuous live data and  optimised building performance whilst reducing costs and improving the user experience. Book a demo today.