rics modus - global edition, march 2014

Are we happy with the continued privatisation of public space?

wAy to work Offices and their effect on productivity p14the mAsterplAn What shape will our future cities take? p22perfect mAtch Neat solutions for challenging sites p26

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This is private land. Any licence to the public

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Vehicle shown is an L200 Warrior with optional accessories. Super Select 4WD is only available on the Trojan, Warrior, Barbarian and Walkinshaw variants. M-ASTC is only available on the Warrior, Barbarian and Walkinshaw variants. 1. 5 year/125,000 mile warranty (whichever comes first) is applicable to new Mitsubishi L200 retail and small business sales and selected Contract Hire agreements. 5 year/125,000 mile warranty excludes NI & Channel Islands, Terms and Conditions apply. Please see www.mitsubishi-cars.co.uk for more details. 2. L200 Warrior rental shown is for a manual transmission. Metallic paint extra. The Contract Hire Finance Plan shown is applicable to VAT Registered Business users only and is subject to status through Mitsubishi Contract Motoring (part of the official Mitsubishi Motors distribution in the UK), Watermoor, Cirencester, Glos. GL7 1LF. The rental is based on a repayment pattern of 12 rentals in advance, followed by 35 monthly in arrears, subject to VAT and based on an annual mileage of 10,000 miles and is non-maintained. Excess mileage will be charged for and indemnities may be required. Rental valid between 1st January and 31st March 2014 and is subject to change without notice, other terms and mileages are available upon request, available at participating dealers in the UK (excludes Channel Islands & I.O.M). Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. 3. The 0% APR Representative Finance plan is through Finance Mitsubishi, 116 Cockfosters Road, Barnet, EN4 0DY and is subject to status to customers aged 18 and over. Finance Mitsubishi is part of Lloyds Bank Asset Finance. 0% APR Representative Finance rate is better than rates available from high street lenders and requires a 50% deposit, other offers are available – ask for details. Indemnities may be required. Offer is only applicable in the UK (excludes NI, Channel Islands & I.O.M), subject to availability, whilst stocks last and may be amended or withdrawn at any time. Offers available between 1st January and 31st March 2014. 4. List price shown excludes VAT, VED and First Registration Fee and is for an L200 Single Cab 2.5 DI-D 4Work. Metallic paint extra.

Mitsubishi L200 range from £14,499+VAT4

Put it through its pacesVisit mitsubishi-cars.co.uk to fi nd your nearest dealer MitsubishiUKMitsubishiUK MitsubishiTV

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NO 3503.14 //

SPACE TO THINKWhen we think of the built environment, we tend to think in concrete terms of

buildings and the infrastructure connecting them. But underlying this is something

arguably more important: the space that these things occupy. It’s space above all

else that dictates how our workplaces, homes and neighbourhoods function. On a

grand scale, it’s a question of how cities use their space to serve the needs of their

many inhabitants. On a more local level, the question of who should own and

control our public spaces is an ongoing debate. And at the most local level of all,

there is the matter of how much space each person needs to live a healthy and

productive life. All of these are questions with multiple confl icting answers, but

in this ‘space’ issue, we’ll be trying to get to the bottom of at least a few of them.

OLIVER PARSONS EDITOR

03.14 // MODUS 03

Regulars04_FEEDBACKYour views on Modus and the surveying profession

06_INTELLIGENCEGlobal news, plus opinions, reviews and reactions

39_LAW ADVICENavigating the new legislation on town and village greens

41_BUSINESS ADVICELearn how to manage your tasks and time more eff ectively

Features14_THE RETURN ON HAPPINESSTo what extent can the interior of a building aff ect its occupants? 22_PEDRO ORTIZThe urban planner presents his radical strategy for how to tame urban growth in a sustainable way

26_STEP INTO THE VOIDMaking the most of peculiar or temporarily unoccupied spaces

30_PUBLIC OR PRIVATE SPACE?Is the creeping privatisation of the public realm a threat or a chance to provide better-quality space?

34_MEMBER PROFILEOrdnance Survey’s Dr Vanessa Lawrence FRICS on generating true and reliable geospatial data

36_SAFE KEEPINGA look at the opportunities in the burgeoning self-storage sector

Information43_RICS NEWSNews, updates and a message from the RICS President

49_EVENTSTraining and conference dates

52_RECRUITMENTThe latest job opportunities from across the industry

58_THE MEASURECompare population density and personal space in global cities

Contents

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Views expressed in Modus are those of the named author and are not necessarily those of RICS or the publisher. The contents of this magazine are fully protected by copyright and may not be reproduced in any form without the prior permission of the publisher. All information correct at time of going to press. All rights reserved. The publisher cannot accept liability for errors or omissions. RICS does not accept responsibility for loss, injury or damage or costs that result from, or are connected in any way to, the use of products or services advertised. All editions of Modus are printed on paper sourced from sustainable, properly managed forests. This magazine can be recycled for use in newspapers and packaging. Please dispose of it at your local collection point. The polywrap is made from biodegradable material and can be recycled.

Due to the volume of correspondence we receive, we regret that we are unable to print all letters or respond to every one individually.

Thank you for your feedback on legibility Malcolm. I’m pleased to say that we’re working on a new look and feel for the magazine, and as part of this we will be focusing particularly on ensuring legibility across the publication. The new look will be out for the May edition of Modus, and we’ll be very keen to hear members’ feedback at the usual email address of [email protected] Parsons, editor

culture is widely recognised, his work as a land surveyor is less well known.’

It is interesting to note that the national media picked up the story again in January this year, providing the surveying profession with yet further positive coverage. It has been an original idea developed into an inspirational piece of marketing. Many congratulations to those involved, including Sarah Speirs, Director RICS Scotland, who led the project, and her staff in Edinburgh.

I would hope that the person whose idea it was can be identified and receive the recognition rightly deserved.Thomas Inglis MBE FRICS, Fintry

BLACK AND WHITEPlease avoid small type printing on coloured paper. Revisit the article on geothermal energy (February issue, page 22), and ask if it would have been more legible on white paper. I know I am old, but my eyesight isn’t that bad.Malcolm Taylor FRICS

amanda_clack WOW Controversial - Building UK’s largest solar farm at Wymeswold at £355m 4MW photovoltaic farm covering 150 acres @modusmag Great article!

@MrGeorgeBull @guardiancities leads with Christchurch rebuild today. More on thinking behind its blueprint from me for @modusmag

@RICSnews // @modusmagnews // @modusmag

Feedback //

The MODUS team //

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JOIN THE DEBATE

:REACTIONS AND RESPONSES FROM PREVIOUS ISSUESDo you have an editorial comment about this issue of Modus? Please email [email protected].

HIGH PRAISEIn Edinburgh, on 19 November 2012, Scotland’s national bard Robert Burns [1759-1796, pictured] was posthumously awarded the title Honorary Chartered Surveyor by the RICS President Alan Collett for his work as a land surveyor. This was the fi rst award of its type given by RICS.

The award was presented to Derek MacKay, minister for local government and planning, who received the accolade on behalf of the nation. It will be housed at the National Trust for Scotland’s new award-winning Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway, Ayrshire. In his response, Derek MacKay said: ‘It’s a pleasure to receive this award in honour of Robert Burns. While his contribution to Scotland and Scottish

FOR SUNDAYEditor Oliver Parsons // Art Director Scott Bentley //

Contributing Editor Brendon Hooper // Deputy Editor

Samantha Whitaker // Junior Designer Isabella Fernandes

// Creative Director Matt Beaven // Account Director

Karen Jenner // Advertising Sales Director Charlotte

Turner // Advertisement Manager Victoria Cunningham

// Senior Sales Executive Angus Sharpe //

Managing Director Toby Smeeton // Repro F1 Colour

// Printers Woodford Litho // Cover Mira John //

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FOR RICSEditorial board Jaclyn Dunstan and Mark Goodwin

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COMING SOON:IN THE APRIL ISSUE OF MODUS

Food for thought: The twin challenges of climate change and population growth mean that innovation will be critical for the future of our food system. We look at three ways ahead

The rise and rise of rural land values: With restricted supply and seemingly insatiable appetite from investors, UK rural land values keep on rising. But where will it end?

Supermarket sweep: With the recent shift toward smaller, more local stores, it’s all change in the supermarkets sector. And the opportunities for surveyors are growing

Don’t gamble with yourfire risk assessment!...

Promoting Quality in Fire Safety

www.bafe.org.ukBridges 2, Fire Service College, London Road, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire GL56 0RH

Tel: 0844 3350897 • Email: [email protected]

If you are responsible for a businesspremises, the law requires that youhave a fire risk assessment. To find competent providers, you need BAFE.

Under the provisions of the Regulatory Reform (FireSafety) Order 2005, the Duty Holder or ResponsiblePerson for a building is required to make a Fire Riskassessment to clarify the fire precautions necessary toensure the safety of staff, customers and property.

At present there are no adequate means to ensure the competenceand reliability of a company commissioned to carry this out.

BAFE scheme SP205 has been developedspecifically to address this situation, andwill provide reassurance to theResponsible Person that they are doingeverything possible to meet theirobligations.

So don’t leave everything to chance.Make sure that your suppliers areregistered with BAFE.

Fruit Machine Ad 274x202 Modus:Layout 1 12/3/13 12:29 Page 1

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Don’t gamble with yourfire risk assessment!...

Promoting Quality in Fire Safety

www.bafe.org.ukBridges 2, Fire Service College, London Road, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire GL56 0RH

Tel: 0844 3350897 • Email: [email protected]

If you are responsible for a businesspremises, the law requires that youhave a fire risk assessment. To find competent providers, you need BAFE.

Under the provisions of the Regulatory Reform (FireSafety) Order 2005, the Duty Holder or ResponsiblePerson for a building is required to make a Fire Riskassessment to clarify the fire precautions necessary toensure the safety of staff, customers and property.

At present there are no adequate means to ensure the competenceand reliability of a company commissioned to carry this out.

BAFE scheme SP205 has been developedspecifically to address this situation, andwill provide reassurance to theResponsible Person that they are doingeverything possible to meet theirobligations.

So don’t leave everything to chance.Make sure that your suppliers areregistered with BAFE.

Fruit Machine Ad 274x202 Modus:Layout 1 12/3/13 12:29 Page 1


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Intelligence :news :reviews :opinions :reactions

Gently rising up out of the desert landscape, the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport is now open and operational. At 27,880m2, the site accommodates both vertical and horizontal space launch vehicles, as well as providing a unique tourist attraction for space enthusiasts. Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, the two biggest companies in the industry, have already moved in to the US$212m spaceport, and the world’s first commercial space flight is set to launch this year – on which Branson and his children will be passengers.

Due to the remote location, absolutely all of the infrastructure had to be built from scratch – including a new 30-mile road to the site from the nearby city of Truth or Consequences. But despite this, the spaceport is on track to achieve LEED Gold certification, with its minimal levels of embodied carbon and few additional energy requirements. Local materials, labour and construction techniques were used throughout, while the low-lying form exploits the soil’s thermal mass and also shields the building from the extremes of the New Mexico climate. Natural light enters via skylights and the westerly winds are captured for internal ventilation.

:spaceport americaNEw MEXiCo, US

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Over half of the UK’s commercial property lenders remain unaware of the potential implications of the Energy Act 2011 in the next few years, warns a survey undertaken by Cushman & Wakefi eld (C&W), in conjunction with RICS and the Association of Property Lenders. The government introduced the Act to help meet

its carbon-reduction target of 80% by 2050, and it includes a requirement to introduce regulations from April 2018 that will make it unlawful to rent out business premises, or private residential properties, that do not reach Minimum Energy Performance Standards (or MEPS). This is anticipated to

be an Energy Performance Certifi cate (EPC) ‘E’ rating. In the survey, more than half of respondents admitted that they had ‘no’ or ‘only limited’ awareness of the implications of the legislation, either in terms of new lending or their existing loan portfolios. Although the regulations have yet to be issued,

lenders are advised to take steps to review EPCs and examine the potential cost of improving a poor rating before fi nalising a decision on lending. ‘This is an important area for the profession and it’s clear that further investigation is required, in which RICS would participate,’ said Ben Elder FRICS, RICS Global Director of Valuation.

Commercial PROPERTY LENDERS UNAWARE OF ENERGY ACT CHANGES

Opinion

COUNTING DOWN TO ONE GLOBAL STANDARD

Something big is about to happen; the single biggest change the property world has seen in decades. Less than a year ago, RICS set out to convene professional

organisations from around the world with an ambitious proposal: for the benefi t of the profession as a whole, to work together to create a consistent, transparent and international standard for measuring property. On the face of it, this may not sound overly ambitious – but the potential impact of this initiative on the multi-trillion-dollar real-estate industry is huge, and the level of interest to date has far exceeded our initial expectations.

Measurement is at the heart of everything surveyors do. But it’s more than just a fi gure: measurements underpin valuations for global investment, inform business decisions relating to the use and occupation of buildings, and form a component part of international fi nancial reporting. But the way property is currently measured differs dramatically between (and even within) global markets. RICS has its own Code of Measuring Practice, for example, but so does BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Association), the Council of European Geodetic Surveyors and many other professional organisations. This wouldn’t be such a problem if all standards looked at the same things, but they don’t. Depending on which standard you use, the same building’s floor area measurement can deviate by as much as 24%, according to Jones Lang LaSalle. Some standards include columns and interior walls, for example, whereas others include lift shafts and common areas. Some even include hypothetical fl oors that don’t exist yet.

The reality is that too many standards mean there is no standard at all – which historically wasn’t a signifi cant problem, as local markets used local standards. But today, in a world where property investors, corporate occupiers and professionals operate across local, regional and international markets, these inconsistencies are at best a major headache and, at worst, a complete impediment to the investment, ownership and occupation of property.

In May 2013, RICS convened the inaugural meeting of the International Property Measurement Standards Coalition (IPMSC) at the World Bank headquarters in Washington. Since then, the coalition has grown to 28 professional organisations from around the world, which have all signed a declaration to help develop and then implement the International Property Measurement Standards (IPMS), which will launch in June 2014.

The public consultation closes on 4 April, so there is still time to have your say at ipmsc.org. RICS is excited to be at the forefront of this groundbreaking project, and we look forward to working with chartered surveyors around the world as we embark on this new chapter in our profession.ipmsc.org

Ken Creighton RICS Director of Professional Standards

SHIFTING SANDSBetween (and even within) global cities such as Hong Kong, the reported size of an offi ce can vary by up to 24%, depending on the standard of measurement used

Intelligence //

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01.11 // MODUS 09

RegenerationSEISMIC CHANGES IN NEW ZEALANDA multidisciplinary team has been selected to build a new sustainable, earthquake-resistant housing scheme in central Christchurch, New Zealand, following a global contest. ‘Breathe – The New Urban Village Project’ was set up in 2012, after earthquakes devastated the region in 2010 and 2011, and the competition sought ideas to turn 8,149m2 of repurposed land in the city into a new aff ordable housing development. Once the project is fi nanced, construction fi rm Holloway Builders, Anselmi Attiani architects and Cresco engineers will create 72 homes using sustainable and seismic-resistant materials.

:ONE BIG QUESTION IS BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING KEY TO THE FUTURE OF QUANTITY SURVEYING?

Take part in discussions by joining the RICS group at linkedin.com.

United Arab Emirates I think BIM is in its infancy and there is much more to come. But in the same way that the many reliable structural design software programmes have not substituted the structural engineer’s role, the QS’s sense will never be replaced.

Mahmoud Bader MRICS, Dubai Islamic Bank

West Midlands The QS profession should embrace BIM as a fantastic opportunity to integrate with and infl uence the design process, and to provide intelligent, timely and data-led cost advice. BIM is the key to a collaborative, open and coordinated future.

London BIM requires investment, but it also improves effi ciency and mitigates risk for the profession and clients. But for it to work, what’s needed is model content plan development and project enablement, because the data needs to be reliable: you are using not interpreting.

Mark Lacey MRICS, alinea consulting

Will Poole FRICS, Arup

03.14 // MODUS 09

ConstructionBELFAST REDEVELOPMENT APPROVEDPlanning permission has been granted for a £100m redevelopment of Belfast’s millennium project, the Odyssey complex. The 69,000m2 extension at Queen’s Quay will involve the construction of 798 homes, two hotels, a large multistorey car park, retail and leisure spaces and related infrastructure improvements. The scheme is expected to create more than 1,000 permanent jobs, plus around 800 more during the construction phase. ‘The planning for this scheme was submitted back in 2009, and we’re absolutely delighted with this decision. It’s the largest redevelopment scheme that the city has seen for many years, and it will both complete and complement Odyssey,’ says Sheila Murphy, associate director at Turley Associates, which is the planning consultancy behind the development.

CommercialOFFICE MARKETS REVIVALOffi ce take-up across the UK’s ‘Big Six’ regional offi ce markets – Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds and Manchester – was at the highest level for six years in 2013, according to Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL). ‘We’ve undoubtedly witnessed a revival in the fortunes of the key offi ce markets outside London, and this momentum is expected to continue in 2014,’ said Jeremy Richards, lead director at JLL’s regional offi ce agency team. As a result, the fi rm adds, the need for occupiers to act on offi ce-space requirements will become more pressing as the shortage of Grade A offi ce space in these cities intensifi es.

PREDICTED UK CONSTRUCTION GROWTH2015-16

Source: Construction Products Association

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App of the month

LIFECYCLEIt is: An iPad/iPhone app that calculates a building’s costs and CO2 emissions over its entire life cycle.Who’s it aimed at?: The app can help professionals predict a project’s life-cycle cost and carbon values across a range of building types. It can also benchmark information across various international locations and calculate costs over a chosen time period. Results can be displayed as tables, bar charts or pie charts.

Search ‘Lifecycle’ at the app store (free).

Land VITAL FUNDING GRANTED FOR RURAL SCOTLANDThe seven-year, £1.3bn Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) is being fi nalised to improve rural infrastructure and services in Scotland. The proposals include: £459m to the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS); £365m to climate change and agri-environmental schemes; £252m to the forestry sector; £20m to start-ups; and £9m for delivering enhanced broadband to rural areas. ‘The LFASS for marginal areas is vital, as is the proposed forestry funding,’ says Andrew Hamilton MRICS, partner in charge of Strutt & Parker’s Highlands and Islands operation. ‘But what remains to be seen is whether the government can live up to its promise to make the SRDP “simple, straightforward and eff ective”,’ he adds.

Reining in the extraordinarily loose monetary policy that was put in place to address the aftermath of the

global credit crunch was never going to be straightforward. The challenge that it might present became clear in the middle of last year, when the merest hint from the US Federal Reserve (Fed) that it could at some stage slow – and I mean slow, not unwind – the ongoing

quantitative easing programme was enough to send fi nancial markets into apoplexy.

In order to restore a measure of calm, the Fed chairman Ben Bernanke was forced to shift the tone of the message and rethink the broader communication strategy. This approach appeared to be vindicated when in December the US authorities scaled back their level of bond buying and managed, encouragingly, to do so with no further upset. However, the decision to reduce the programme by a further US$10bn in January to US$65bn proved too much for investors, who again began to fret about the impact of the gradual withdrawal of liquidity.

In the UK, meanwhile, the Bank of England has managed to halt its quantitative easing programme with much less fuss. But, then again, it has been of a considerably smaller magnitude (a total of £375bn), with far less signifi cance for the world economy. Instead, the key challenge facing Mark Carney, governor of the Bank of England, is how to respond to the much better than expected domestic economic news, as he, arguably, becomes a victim of his own success.

In both the UK and the US, the actual selling of bond holdings – that is, reversing quantitative easing – is likely to remain off the agenda for some time to come, for fear that it could be particularly disruptive. More pressing for Carney is the issue of forward

guidance on interest rates that he initiated only last summer, but which already looks to have run its course as the unemployment threshold is rapidly approached. He is also having to grapple with whether a small hike in the base rate from the historically low level of 0.5% may now be warranted.

The case for a small tightening in policy isn’t hard to make: the economy is on course for 3% growth this year (the best performance since 2007); asset prices are generally high and moving upwards; and employment is rising sharply, with many new jobs full-time, rather than part-time or temporary, and some skill shortages beginning to emerge. Yet doubts linger as to whether the recovery is fi rmly enough embedded to withstand a signal that borrowing costs are heading higher.

Carney, Bernanke and his replacement at the helm of the Fed, Janet Yellen, are all painfully aware of what happened in Japan following the unwinding of its asset price bubble more than two decades’ ago. Here, policy errors primarily, but not exclusively, related to the introduction of premature tightening measures resulted in a fitful growth performance subsequently, and an economy that, even today, is still struggling to overcome the spectre of defl ation. Because of this, it’s perhaps unsurprising that the Bank is likely to want to tread very carefully.

Simon Rubinsohn RICS Chief Economist

Intelligence //

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Column

THE BANK IS RIGHT TO BE CAUTIOUS


01.11 // MODUS 09

Discussion of the key elements that help to drive project success, such as measurement, procurement and contract administration. 19844 // £42.50

Provides explanations and worked examples to explain the fi ve recognised methods of property valuation and the ways in which they are interlinked.19845 // £29.99

Introduces students to the types of everyday issues faced by building professionals through 46 real-world construction problems with informative and concise illustrations.19839 // £26.99

Ideal for all valuation professionals, this practical guide on how to eff ectively apply the new Red Book standards to your practice will help to avoid negligence claims.19769 // £35

We like

THE S-IMPLER PROJECTWhat’s that? The ‘Solid Wall Innovative Insulation and Monitoring Processes using Lean Energy Effi cient Retrofi t’ project – a three-year project to investigate the best methods of retrofi tting 1950s solid-wall homes in the UK. Who’s involved? Carillion Energy Services, BRE and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE). The fi rst stage of the project will begin with a joint demonstration on seven NIHE homes. What techniques are they using? A combination of ‘lean and collaborative improvement techniques’. For example, led by VRM Technology, the project team will use an innovative surveying tool to provide dwelling-specifi c details of the labour and materials requirements across multiple green measures, and will use Building Information Modelling to assess diff erent cost and benefi t options. The team are currently seeking suppliers and installers of energy-effi ciency products. For more details, email [email protected].

03.14 // MODUS 11

ConstructionPRINTING HOUSES FOR THE FUTURERecently, small-scale 3D printing has attracted a lot of attention, but what if construction fi rms could ‘3D print’ entire houses? This is the dream of Dr Behrokh Khoshnevis from the University of Southern California, who has developed a ‘contour crafting’ technology that’s being considered by NASA as a potential way to build structures on the moon. Khoshnevis’ huge, robotic 3D printer extrudes concrete in layers to build walls to a set programme – and if made more aff ordable, it could massively reduce construction costs and times, particularly on large-scale, low-income housing projects.

EducationTHE POWER OF THREE FUNDS NEW FACILITYIn one of the fi rst projects of its kind, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, the University of Essex and South Essex College all agreed to fund and share the use of The Forum, a £27m research and education centre. Designed by architecture practice ADP, and with cost consultancy from EC Harris, the main building has a raft of energy-saving features, such as using exposed in-situ concrete for the structure to absorb heat during the day, which it’s hoped will help the project achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating.

BOOKSOrder from rics.org/shop

Innovative ideas

CAPITALISING ON SURPLUS STORAGE SPACEAdam Johnston MRICS, managing director of AKJ PM Ltd, has launched a new service to help commercial owners convert unused storage space into apartments. Johnston has noticed an increasing demand for this type of conversion, particularly in London and the South East: ‘With demand for residential lettings at an all-time high, it makes sense to bring in an expert to make the process easier and speed up the rate of return,’ he says.

What other innovative conversion ideas have you come across? Email [email protected]

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Forest lossResearchers at the University of Maryland in the US have compiled a high-resolution online map that studies the changes in global forests since 2000. Using data from Landsat, the team found that 2.3m km2 of forest was lost between 2000 and 2012, while 800,000km2 showed new growth. View the map at bit.ly/ForestMap.

Buoyant moodOptimism is growing among investors as the global property investment market picks up momentum, says Cushman & Wakefi eld. This year, volumes are expected to rise 10-15% to above US$1tn for the fi rst time since 2007. This comes after an estimated 8.4% increase delivered 2013 investment sales of US$978bn.

Fuelling demandThe burgeoning aviation and hydrocarbon sectors in Oman are bringing stability and growth to the country’s property market, according to Cluttons. Due to heavy investment by the government in both industries, the fi rm has noticed a rise in demand for residential and offi ce space from expatriate workers relocating to Oman for jobs.

Job surgeIn order to meet the demand, 52,000 additional construction professionals will be required annually in the UK by 2018, according to the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB). In addition, CITB predicts around 340 surveyors per year will need to be recruited.

Opinion

TO BE TRULY SUSTAINABLE, ALL BUILDINGS NEED TO HAVE A DEMOLITION PLANMichael Ulyatt MRICS Institute of Demolition Engineers

Sustainable-construction literature emphasises such things as carbon footprint reduction and minimising

waste – but it never elaborates on an important part of true sustainability: deconstruction. To deliver a complete sustainable-construction agenda, deconstruction that has minimal waste and environmental impact must become a core aspect of planning, design, and construction strategy and practice.

The demolition industry is already innovative in its approaches to recycling, reuse and reclamation from deconstruction. However, although manufacturing advances have led to the decreased use of non-renewable natural materials, which is a positive step, it also means that the use of manmade materials has increased, and these are diffi cult and costly to dispose of. Increasingly, building materials have little or no recycling or reclaim use – some are even contaminated – so incineration or landfi ll are the only options. And if landfi ll is to be phased out in the UK, as is proposed, there will be even fewer disposal options, rising costs and ever-increasing environmental concerns.

Hope rests in the hands of those who design and develop the buildings of the future. All building products are designed to fulfil a function, but they also need to have a suitable reuse after their normal life cycle has ended. Modern buildings with stored-up waste legacies abound, which will only increase as we aim for environmental targets in construction and use. Environmental targets should include end-of-life impacts, and hopefully by extending Building Information Modelling parameters to include deconstruction data, designers and end-users will become more aware of the legacy impact of widely used products and processes.

Ultimately, good design practice must include considering the end of life of all building products, irrespective of their material base or manufacture process. This will require a seismic shift in the design and construction mindset if we are to engender design change that will deliver truly sustainable construction.

MICHAEL ULYATT is on the Institute of Demolition Engineers’ management council. demolitionengineers.net

LATEST NEWS

One thing I know...

THINK ABOUT FM FROM THE STARTDavid MacDonald MRICS, director of strategic facilities management, Turner & Townsend‘Eff ective facilities management (FM) is driven by a focus on space as a contributor to effi ciency. FM professionals, therefore, should be involved in projects at the earliest opportunity to infl uence the building’s design to maximise its long-term operational benefi t.’

What’s your business tip? Email [email protected]

LONDON OFFICE SPACE: WHO IS SET TO DOMINATE IN 2014

Source: Deloitte London Crane Survey Winter 2013

38%Technology, media

and telecommunications

27%Financial

21%Insurance

4%Government 9%

Corporate0.7%Other

0.3%Charity

12 r ics.org


01.11 // MODUS 0903.14 // MODUS 11

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The reTurn on happinessHow does an office sHape a business? does space affect tHe bottom line? and can a better building really boost productivity?words by Stuart Watson illustrations by Jack Hughes

14 r ics.org

a common element in many modern offices, breakout areas provide a comfortable space for staff to chat, relax, think quietly or conduct informal meetings

MODUS_MAR14_P14-19_Productivity_v2.indd 14 18/02/2014 14:39

The reTurn on happiness

03.14 // MODUS 15

Office productivity //

For the growing number of built environment professionals studying the relationship between buildings and organisations, the connection between office design and business performance

is the Holy Grail. And if they can demonstrate that link to financial directors dithering over whether to relocate their companies into a better space or refurbish their existing accommodation, the argument would be over in a moment. But productivity is notoriously difficult to measure. How well is the company run? Has it got the skilled people it needs to perform well? Are those people satisfied and happy with their jobs? How many of them argued with their spouses this morning? All of those factors probably affect individual and group productivity more than the office’s air-conditioning, but that doesn’t mean it has no effect at all. ‘The relationship between the physical environment and the effectiveness of a workforce isn’t an exact science,’ admits Richard Kauntze, chief executive of the British Council for Offices (BCO). ‘Office environments are hugely disparate – they’re not like a sausage factory, where you can measure output in absolute terms. But there is a lot of science that supports the argument.’

Nigel Oseland has been studying the connection for 25 years – first at the Building Research Establishment and now with his own consultancy, Workplace Unlimited. He argues that it’s time to stop saying the link is too difficult to prove, because the evidence already exists, compiled by a number of different researchers over the past century. Last year, Oseland reviewed more than 200 different research reports, but there was something of a credibility problem in that the body of research as a whole showed productivity gains ranging from 0.3% to 160%, depending on the methodology and subject under examination. Oseland analysed 75 of the most robust reports, using a weighting system to take into account the strength and relevance of the research, and found that carrying out improvements in each of the principal factors affecting employee performance can produce productivity gains in the region of 2-4%. Those figures cannot be added up to produce a total figure, but Oseland calculates that together they can improve productivity by more than 5%. And because building costs are a relatively small part of a company’s operational expenses, he concludes that those savings are more than enough to offset the entire construction and operational cost of the building over its lifetime. >>


16 r ics.org

– to more complex issues that influence behaviour, such as controllability, workstation design and the layout of the space. In a new building, some of the basic factors can be addressed early on at the design stage: ‘It’s about the quality of the environment in simple physical terms – light, height, temperature – those aspects of the base design are very important,’ explains Simon Rawlinson MRICS, a partner at consultancy EC Harris and a member of BCO’s management executive committee. ‘Then, you have to consider if the floorplate supports effective space planning and encourages a collaborative flow of people with natural visibility across the space.’ Buildings with large floorplates are often popular with occupiers partly for that reason, but they also have potential drawbacks in terms of lighting and ventilation. ‘The depth of the floorplate will determine whether or not you can naturally ventilate the space [instead of using air-conditioning]. Usually, it can’t be done at more

Furthermore, Oseland contends that office occupiers should be measuring their revenues per square metre to determine the effectiveness of their property – in the same way that retailers measure sales per square foot. ‘The focus of our industry is on cost per square metre, and if we use that it will always be about reducing cost,’ he says. ‘Let’s stop thinking about our industry as cost-cutting, and start thinking about it as generating revenue and helping businesses.’

Brian Thompson MRICS, head of strategic property services at consultancy Babcock, produced a report on workplace design and productivity for RICS in 2008. He also believes that there is currently too much focus on cost: ‘The property profession is obsessed with cost per square metre and per workstation, rather than the output of people, because it’s easier to measure.’ Thompson observes that in an economic environment in which companies have been taking advantage of the growth in the use of mobile technology to squeeze more employees into buildings, it’s surprising that so little attention has been paid to the effect this might have on business performance. Kauntze adds that the effect could be significant in financial terms: ‘Property is a relatively small proportion of the overall cost of a business – 15% compared to payroll’s 85%. So if you spend your 15% wisely, it can have a big effect on your far bigger cost – your people.’

While the private sector is slowly emerging from recession, this potential increase in efficiency could be particularly beneficial in the public sector, where many organisations – both in the UK and elsewhere – are still tightening their belts. The UK government, for example, has halted the signing of new leases on property and is trying to drive more intensive use of space through its workplace standard, which it claims saved £454m a year between May 2010 and March 2013. Meanwhile, the Way We Work programme is trying to ensure smarter working so that more can be delivered with less. ‘But if you only squeeze down on the space, you can have an impact on productivity so we are trying to make sure that isn’t the only factor,’ explains Bridget Hardy MRICS, workplace transformation strategist for the Government Property Unit in the Cabinet Office. For example, breakout areas have been created in atria and more project spaces are being introduced to enable civil servants to use their

offices more effectively and intensively. And although capital budgets for workplace improvements that might improve productivity are tight, Hardy says that they can generally be paid for by releasing space as part of a rationalisation programme.

Design factors that have been shown to have an impact on employee performance and wellbeing range from the basic – such as air quality, light, noise and temperature

‘The drive to open up spaces has been poorly interpreted as open-plan, without any regard to issues such as concentration and confidentiality’


03.14 // MODUS 17

Office productivity //

Lighting (potential change in performance: up to 2%) For optimum performance, the lighting must be appropriate to the task and situation. If the level of artificial illumination is the same at the core of an open-plan office as it is by the windows, some workers may complain about dimness while others suffer from glare. Natural light is also a factor: a 1980 study of occupants in windowless offices found increased levels of anxiety, hostility and depression.

Noise (up to 1.7%) Anyone who has ever worked in an open-plan office knows about the potential for distraction and loss of concentration caused by ringing phones and colleagues shouting across the room. The increased use of mobile phones and higher workstation densities may be exacerbating this problem.

Temperature (up to 1.9%) Many research projects over an extended period of time show that performance drops when the subject gets either too hot or too cold – but the temperature band for optimal performance is wider for office-based tasks than for manual ones. A study in 1974 found that typewriting speeds were around 40-50% slower when temperatures rose from 20°C to 24°C.

Ventilation/air quality (up to 1.7%) Research suggests that around a third of all sick leave is due to symptoms caused by poor air quality. In a 1988 survey of around 4,000 space-planning executives, carried out by the Building Owners and Managers Association, the worst problem for most respondents was heating and ventilation issues.

Controllability (up to 2.1%) An individual’s perception of control over their environment has a significant impact on self-reported productivity. A report in 1998 by behavioural scientist Adrian Leaman and building physicist Bill Bordass, concluded: ‘In study after study, people say that lack of environmental control is their single most important concern, followed by lack of control over noise.’ The report goes on to say that many people oppose the idea of open-plan working because they will lose control and privacy.

Furniture/workstation design (up to 2.1%) Many office workers are likely to spend almost a third of their lives at their desks, and several studies have found a correlation between the introduction of ergonomically designed furniture and an increase in productivity. It may also be the case that poorly designed furniture demonstrates a lack of concern on the part of management, which can negatively impact on employee motivation.

Space (up to 4.4%) Following the financial crash, many companies and public sector organisations have sought to reduce property costs by increasing the density with which they occupy buildings. In some cases, more breakout space has been provided within existing offices simply by pushing desks closer together. But while a dense open-plan environment may potentially foster greater communication, it can also hinder tasks that require more concentration. No single layout will suit all organisations or functions best.

than 15-18m across,’ explains David Clark, a partner at engineering firm Cundall and an expert on the design of low-energy buildings. ‘That is also true for daylight, so you should limit your building width if you can.’

However, since most improvements are likely to be carried out on existing buildings, there are also measures aimed at creating a more productive work environment that can be incorporated as part of a refurbishment. For example, when the Institute of Civil Engineers wanted to create a refurbished office space in a 19th-century, Grade II-listed building at 8 Storey’s Gate in Westminster, the designer, Black Architecture, included a range of improvements to help increase employee performance. According to managing director Paul Hinkin, these include: a mixed-mode ventilation system that allows workers to control the temperature and air quality by opening windows, while still providing air-conditioning for very hot or cold conditions; bulbs of different >>

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brightness to provide more light for those sitting away from windows; and a layout that promotes interaction between people on different fl oors by incorporating deliberate ineffi ciencies to make staff pass through communal areas to reach toilets and meeting rooms.

Current thinking holds that more breakout spaces for social interaction within offi ces boosts productivity, particularly in the more creative and information-based industries. Ken Giannini, a director at architecture fi rm Scott Brownrigg, worked on the design of Google’s offi ces in Victoria, which include a gym, a pilates studio, two restaurants and massage rooms. ‘Not that long ago, it was all about cramming in as many desks as possible. But these days, almost every client is more concerned about things away from the desk – amenities, breakout areas and quiet spaces,’ he explains. ‘For Google, the key was creating a huge amount of variety: Generation Y want to move around and work in different places.’

Since offi ces often accommodate a huge variety of different companies, employing people to perform a wide range of tasks, Nicola Gillen, an architect and director at Aecom, says that no single approach will fi t all situations. ‘You need variety, not just open space,’ she argues. ‘And not just informal space, but formal space, too. The drive to open up spaces has been poorly interpreted as open-plan, without any regard to issues such as concentration and confi dentiality.’

However, making the appropriate design changes alone may not be enough. Breakout and meeting spaces are only worthwhile if employees use them, so the business attitude must also change in order to utilise a space more productively. ‘The fi nal piece of the jigsaw is about staff engagement and change management,’ explains Rawlinson, who claims that when EC Harris

moved to a new offi ce in King’s Cross, the business seized the opportunity to not only save money, but improve productivity, too – and within a year, the increased fee income had offset the cost of moving.

Unfortunately, one of the reasons there is so little comprehensive data linking workplaces and productivity levels is that on the rare occasion an evaluation is carried out, it’s usually linked to a move rather than being conducted on an ongoing basis. To remedy this, in 2010 Tim Oldman,

a management consultant with an architecture background, created the Leesman Index to measure the effectiveness of workplaces via a questionnaire, which asks employees if their workplace enables them to work productively. The research can be repeated annually, and the Leesman team is gradually building up a database of post-occupancy evaluations that could help to demonstrate the extent to which a better offi ce space offers ongoing improvements in productivity, even after the novelty wears off.

According to Oldman, the older spaces consistently score lower on the index, and he speculates that the new offi ces now being handed over to occupiers could show diminishing returns year-on-year unless something is done to continually evaluate and improve them. ‘Often, the built environment community delivers something good, and is then told to come back in 10 years’ time,’ he says. ‘How do we stop these spaces drifting away on a 10-year write-down? That is the challenge for surveyors who really understand the value of an asset and how it changes over time: to build a relationship with the occupier that is ongoing.’

‘Traditionally, developers have focused on delivering plain vanilla workspace: that is cat A BCO (British Council for Offi ces) spec, with tenants given a detached white box and left to be creative. The focus is on maximising desk numbers and reducing communal wasted space, with effi cient open-plan fl oorplates – which tackles property costs, but ignores the much bigger issue of making sure employees are productive. Payrolls have always dwarfed corporate property costs – in 1984, a study showed that employee salaries were around 13 times building costs, which implies that over the life of a building a 13% increase in

construction costs would have been justifi ed if it increased employee productivity by 1%. Therefore, if we build more productive offi ces, it’s probably worth the additional cost.

‘So why is now the time for the property world to take note? First, at around fi ve years, lease terms are shorter than ever before. Tenants want an exciting workspace, but can’t justify the capital cost. Plus, a greater share of the value lies in the reversion – ie with the landlord, who increasingly needs to maintain Grade A offi ce rents and reduce reletting risk.

‘Second, as the TMT sector (technology, media and telecommunications) grows,

there is an exceptional demand for fl exible workspace. TMT occupiers recognise that mobile technology lets employees work just as well away from their desks. Plus, the fi ght for TMT talent is particularly fi erce, so innovative buildings can help attract the brightest, most productive workers. And don’t forget the impact on other sectors: legal and fi nancial service providers, for example, increasingly want to emulate their TMT clients’ style.

‘Finally, post-recession, the sharp focus on corporate costs remains. It’s often assumed that creative space will cost more, but actually the opposite may be true. Occupiers don’t necessarily

want less space, they want fl exible space that can provide greater densities as sharing becomes the norm.

‘It’s these factors that are driving developers to produce thoughtful and stimulating workspaces to respond to the growing creative sectors, reduce reletting risk and increase value to tenants – and, therefore, the rent payable. The demands of end-users should be absolutely fundamental to building design, rather than a superfi cial fi nishing touch. In the end, developers are still economic animals – but in the current climate, it may well pay to be creative.’prptblog.com@prptblog

Opinion

‘The demands of end-users should be fundamental to building design’

‘These days, almost every client is more concerned about things away from the desk – amenities, breakout areas etc. The key is creating variety’

O� ce productivity //

18 r ics.org

HOW MUCH DOES

SPACE AFFECT THE PRODUCTIVITY OF STAFF IN YOUR

WORKPLACE? Email editor@ricsmodus.

com or tweet @modusmag.

The trusted partner of The homebuilding indusTry

“�My�advice��hits�the�spot.”

Lee NHBC�Building�Control�Surveyor��and�mixed�martial�arts�fighter

To�find�out�more�about�the�services��we�offer,�visit�www.nhbc.co.uk�or�call�

0844 633 1000

With the pace of change to Building Regulations,

it gives you confidence to have people like Lee to

help you grapple with the challenges of compliance.

Lee and his surveying colleagues are on your side,

providing you with consistent performance and

interpretation of regulations nationwide.

H66a - Modus March - PP - Lee RHP_FINAL.indd 1 2/10/14 9:12 AMMODUS_MAR14_P14-19_Productivity_v2.indd 18 17/02/2014 11:52

The trusted partner of The homebuilding indusTry

“�My�advice��hits�the�spot.”

Lee NHBC�Building�Control�Surveyor��and�mixed�martial�arts�fighter

To�find�out�more�about�the�services��we�offer,�visit�www.nhbc.co.uk�or�call�

0844 633 1000

With the pace of change to Building Regulations,

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Lee and his surveying colleagues are on your side,

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H66a 02/14

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08 r ics.org

MINI has now added a business specification that saves your drivers £1,365 and has less impact on BIK tax. The MINI Cooper D Countryman Business comes with MINI Navigation System, 17" alloy wheels and PEPPER Pack, which includes Automatic air-conditioning and Rain Sensor & Automatic Lights-On. Not forgetting the rather impressive figures of 64.2mpg (combined) and 115g/km of CO2, resulting in BIK as low as 18%.

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01.11 // MODUS 09

MINI has now added a business specification that saves your drivers £1,365 and has less impact on BIK tax. The MINI Cooper D Countryman Business comes with MINI Navigation System, 17" alloy wheels and PEPPER Pack, which includes Automatic air-conditioning and Rain Sensor & Automatic Lights-On. Not forgetting the rather impressive figures of 64.2mpg (combined) and 115g/km of CO2, resulting in BIK as low as 18%.

To find out how to give your business an advantage, visit www.mini.co.uk/corporate or call 0800 777 113.

Official fuel economy figures for the MINI Cooper D Countryman: Urban 60.1mpg (4.7l/100km). Extra Urban 67.3mpg (4.2l/100km). Combined 64.2mpg (4.4l/100km). CO2 emissions 115g/km. Figures may vary depending on driving style and conditions.


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Pedro ortiz has a radical solution to save the world’s fastest-growing cities from gridlock and squalor. But are we ready to listen?Interview by George Bull Photograph by Stephen Voss

Pedro Ortiz, like the cities he advises, rarely stays in one place for long. On the day that we speak, he is preparing to spend a month travelling between Guatemala, Kigali, Dakar,

Nairobi and Monrovia – five metropolises that are growing at such an unprecedented rate they are set to double in size every 14 years, and much of it in unplanned slums. There are a further 595 cities just like this – but Ortiz, a senior urban planner at the World Bank, is on a mission to save them all from gridlock and squalor before it’s too late.

It’s the pace of urbanisation across Latin America, Africa and Asia that makes this a race against time. Over the next 20 years, some two billion people will swap the countryside for the city as part of a trend that will make 75-80% of the world’s population city dwellers by 2050 – a trend that Ortiz says governments have denied for the past three decades. ‘A way of trying to stop people coming to the city is to not provide adequate services for them – but they will come anyway,’ he says. ‘This is the rule of development: it has been the rule for the past 30 years and will be the same for the next 30 years. And because the administrations in these countries didn’t provide the necessary land or infrastructure, we’ve been building slums instead of acceptable urban environments.’

Ortiz believes trying to reverse this trend, while also preparing these cities to be able to accommodate rapid growth of 5% every year, is a challenge that has rendered traditional metropolitan planning models obsolete. He likens the traditional model of planning to a game of darts, where the centre of the board is the heart of the city surrounded by concentric circles of development. Naturally, everyone wants to be in the best-connected place, the centre, which creates a land market driven by supply rather than demand – what Ortiz regards as the ‘worst kind of market’. So, instead of playing darts we

must play chess, he says: ‘We must transform the orbital model of metropolitan planning into a reticular one, where every square on the matrix has a role and every piece has a different strength. Then, you move the pieces according to the overall strategy of the game.’

The ‘reticular’ is Ortiz’s trademark approach to city planning, which he first developed for Madrid in 1996. At that time, Madrid was growing at a pace of 50% every 20 years – but with no corresponding population growth. ‘That was the most interesting part,’ Ortiz explains. ‘It showed me that growth isn’t only population, it’s also wealth. The wealthier you are, the larger you want your house to be, the more you consume in commercial centres, and the better you want your hospitals, schools and universities to be. So I had to invent a system that would accommodate all that growth.’

For years, Ortiz had a metropolitan plan of Madrid in his office with actual chess pieces stuck to it: the king was the centre, the queen was the airport, the castles were strategic cities, and the bishops were interrelated towns that made up the industrial and economic fabric. There were 180 mayors in the region and Ortiz met with all of them over six months. Each time, he would bring out the map: ‘Some of them didn’t like it – for example, the pawns wanted to be kings, with airports and >>

Interview //

22 r ics.org

World-renowned plannerPedro Ortiz has developed a unique blueprint for the world’s future megacities

MODUS_MAR14_P22-25_Pedro_v2.indd 22 17/02/2014 12:13

Interview by George Bull Photograph by Stephen Voss

03.14 // MODUS 23


24 r ics.org

universities. But slowly, they realised that if they played their role to the best of their abilities, everyone would win.’

The reticular, or the grid, is not a new idea – after all, it’s the urban response that allowed New York and Barcelona to grow so rapidly during the industrial revolution of the 19th century. But what Ortiz has done is to develop a new way of applying the reticular that goes beyond a rigid urban grid to function as a flexible framework at a regional scale. He calls this the Metro-Matrix, a concept that allows the city to ‘unpack’ in a linear, sustainable fashion, by encouraging multiple centres to emerge – such as housing developments, airports and commercial parks – connected by a network of public transport and highways. It’s this concept that he believes will provide the solution for developing cities – as long as they’ll listen.

Forward planningN’Djamena, the capital city of Chad, is growing at a rate of 10% a year – almost all in slums. Ortiz describes this process as ‘a cancer of the mechanisms of growth in a city’, and it’s easy to see why. If you look at the city using Google Earth, you can see where the historic city centre is because it has structure. Then, as you zoom out, you can see the cells of the city start to distort into a kind of magma creeping out into the countryside. The message Ortiz is trying to get across to the governments he visits is that this doesn’t have to be inevitable – no matter how under-resourced they are. ‘We must realise that upgrading a slum is three times more expensive than doing things the right way from scratch – and it will never be as good,’ he says. ‘Even if administrations can’t afford to put in infrastructure or services, the most important thing is to get development happening in the right locations. Obviously, that requires negotiations with landowners, or through compulsory purchase orders, but then you can draw up plots and give those to the families that are spreading to the city.’

Ortiz calculated that N’Djamena could provide plots for 20,000 dwellings (each adequate for a family of five) through compulsory purchase with just 5% of Chad’s annual income from oil. ‘Often, the issue isn’t a lack of money but of political priorities,’ he explains. ‘The most difficult part of my job is the lack of governance in these countries, rather than building highways or airports.’ But inaction points to a stark future: ‘In 30-40 years, Chad’s oil income could have disappeared and N’Djamena will be left with a legacy of slums that will cost three times more to upgrade. Instead of being a developing city for 30 years, it will be developing for a century.’

Ortiz came up against the same political inertia and entrenched planning models in Madrid 15 years ago.

But like any good chess player, his solution was to move one key piece on the board to change the game. In Madrid, he introduced the M-45 highway, which is linear and runs tangential to the centre, linking two strategic cities. Constructing this new highway introduced the DNA of the Metro-Matrix system almost without anyone noticing, relieving congestion in the city centre while also opening up connections between formerly isolated suburbs. Now, Ortiz is taking the same tack in Nairobi, by introducing the commuter

train as the element that will hopefully redefine the city: ‘The railway tracks are in a strategic position, and we’re changing the circular structure of the city into a linear one by creating centralities along the train line,’ he explains. ‘The reticular then comes from repeating that pattern in parallel waves.’

In the 19th century, what we now regard as developed cities faced similar problems as the industrial revolution attracted rural labour to cities that were not prepared, which led to revolution and upheaval. But the speed at which this is happening in the world’s 600 metropolises means that the task now is immense – so can we really pull them back from the brink? ‘What we can do is to allocate this growth rationally, and use the reticular to organise development in a way that can be improved in the future,’ Ortiz believes. ‘Plan the whole system, then see what you can do first with the money you have.’

instead oF darts, we must play chess, transForming the orbital model oF city planning into a reticular one, where every square has a role and every piece a diFFerent strength

Interview //


smarter buildingsBMS iS the Market to watch, SayS Bill wright, eca head of energy SolutionSover the next five years, use of computer-based Building Management Systems (BMS) to control and monitor the mechanical and electrical equipment in a building is set to escalate, with predicted growth of almost 12%* in the global building automation and controls market, according to recent analysis. But how will this growth impact the uk?

the potential for an earlier BMS boom was stunted by the economic climate, with reduced public expenditure and a number of construction projects put on hold due to a lack of financial support. But after falling to below 1% growth in 2012, building retrofit and refurbishment in the uk is starting to move again. renovation in the non-domestic market is expected to rise by up to 2% over the next two years – and we believe it will continue to grow at an accelerated rate beyond that.

Positive signsthere is great potential in both the domestic and commercial BMS markets. the price of basic BMS has come down, while capability has improved – meaning that it’s now much better value for money. also, BMS is cheaper to install than a traditional relay-type system, and the implementation of smart metering and the Smart grid is likely to have a further positive impact, as building controls will need to interact with the energy supply.

as well as energy management, there is a noticeable trend toward the integration of technology and applications to centrally manage lighting, security, safety and hVac (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) too. with full data and control over all aspects of its operation, facilities managers are much better able to operate a building at maximum efficiency.

market driversunder the government’s environmental reporting guidelines, which were introduced on 1 october 2013, all ftSe-registered companies must declare their greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption and

other environmental factors in their annual reports – a step that will undoubtedly fuel BMS installations. also, looking ahead, the requirement for all new homes to be zero- carbon from 2016, and all commercial and public buildings by 2020, will further this trend. and, of course, the universal shift to digital technologies will see increasing numbers of consumers reaching for the latest innovations.

as a result, the opportunities for working with BMS look good – but there remains a national shortage of engineers and skilled operatives who are appropriately trained and experienced in this area.

For the gold standard, hire an ECA member on your building project: Work guaranteed by ECA Thoroughly vetted Rigorously inspected and tested Working to the latest standards Safety compliant and/or SSIP assessed Adhere to ECA’s Code of Fair Trading Full support and backing of ECA

Visit eca.co.uk to find an eca contractor in your area.

free technical helpline free h&S advice free subscription to ECA Today eca website login for exclusive

member-only content access to eca’s BiM and energy

Solutions e-forums discounted BSi and iet publications Preferential rates on training

call eca Membership on 020 7313 4800 quoting ricS 4, or visit eca.co.uk/client.

:building services contractors you can truSt

:Join eca free aS a client aSSociate

to find an eca Member firm that has expertise in the installation of BMS, use the advanced search function on the eca website: eca.co.uk/advanced-search. you can also join our free client associate scheme to benefit from a wide range of support and guidance on BMS installations. Visit eca.co.uk/client.

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Advertorial //


Finding tenants For tricky, unusual or unwanted sites

demands innovative and creative thinking. But with

commercial space now oFten at a premium, some enterprising property

proFessionals are rising up to this challenge

words by Simon Creasey

26 r ics.org

Space innovators //

It’s early afternoon on a Saturday in mid-December, and the main shopping strip in Reading is teeming with consumers on the lookout for a Christmas bargain. For retailers, it’s the

busiest time of year; however, the corridors inside the town’s Friars Walk shopping centre are deserted and it’s eerily quiet. Suddenly, without warning, the centre comes to life as hordes of the living dead emerge to battle against the elite Zombie Bashing Unit.

The shuffling ‘zombies’ are professional actors, and the ‘zombie police’ are bloodthirsty horror film fans who have each paid £139 to take part in ‘The Mall’ – a participatory experience organised by a company called Zed Events. The chosen battleground, Friars Walk, is scheduled for demolition, and will be replaced by a brand-new mixed-use development, which received planning permission in December 2013. But while the derelict property sits empty, the site owners are generating additional income by renting it out to Zed.

Although this is an extreme example, immersive zombie experiences are just one of many creative approaches landlords and surveyors are employing to fill vacant land and properties. Sites can be empty for any number of reasons: it might have been earmarked for future development, which is currently going through the lengthy planning process, or perhaps it has a problematic footprint, unique characteristics or is in a challenging location. But whether it’s a derelict shopping centre, an empty business park or a redundant military bunker, there are often all kinds of occupiers queuing up to take the space, says Dean Speer MRICS, partner at Myddelton & Major in Salisbury. ‘With a difficult property, you have to offer the opportunity to the market, and explore how different [tenant] requirements could be accommodated in different ways,’

Speer explains. ‘Sometimes, you have to consider the problem from the other end: so rather than thinking about who would want a space, think about who you could change a space to suit.’

As an example of this, Speer cites a recent piece of work he undertook for a client who bought a site from the Ministry of Defence (MOD), which included a number of Second World War underground storage bunkers. ‘They immediately lent themselves to long-term storage space, because of how they were constructed, but you couldn’t drive a van into them – they had to be serviced by tunnels and narrow gauge railways. We took the blinkers off, thought about all the possibilities and then approached parties we thought might be in the market for that type of space.’ The strategy paid off, and the bunkers were eventually let on long-term >>

Clockwise from above: a disused warehouse where virgin media filmed its tivo commercials; a character in a Zed events zombie experience held at the disused Friars walk shopping centre in reading; a lab at discovery park, a scientific research site that has become popular with film and tv production companies; the interior of Friars walk; inside the harris + hoole coffee shop in uxbridge

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Finding tenants For tricky, unusual or unwanted sites

demands innovative and creative thinking. But with

commercial space now oFten at a premium, some enterprising property

proFessionals are rising up to this challenge

Temporary’ has become something of a buzzword in construction and property. Transient structures present new and interesting ways to plan, cost, construct and

use buildings – but what is their advantage over permanent bricks and mortar? The most familiar forms of temporary buildings stay for only a few weeks or months, and are then removed when no longer needed. These are ideal for one-off events, or to house staff or stock while an old facility is demolished and a new one is built. They also allow a client to test a location to assess how successful a permanent outlet would be.

However, temporary is now taking on new forms. A key development is the demountable building, which is currently being used in Qatar as the country prepares to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. ‘Qatar doesn’t need all the venues it’s building for the World Cup, so some elements will be dismantled after the event and shipped to emerging countries, where they will leave lasting legacies,’ explains Barry Winterton MRICS, projects director at Franklin + Andrews. ‘These buildings are quite different to standard temporary buildings that are removed and never used again, or moved continuously from location to location,’ he adds. Similarly, the Rio >>

step into the void


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Space innovators //

Clockwise from above: members of the elite Zombie Bashing Unit at Zed Events’ zombie experience in Friars Walk disused shopping centre in Reading; the former army camp at Penhale in Cornwall, which had to be sold at auction due to its unique properties and range of complexities; the rundown interior of Friars Walk has proved the ideal location for the zombie events; Brad Pitt as Gerry Lane in World War Z, part of which was

filmed at Discovery Park in Kent; some vacant buildings are being offered to small and upcoming businesses on a temporary basis while a permanent occupier is found Opposite page, top: a former MOD storage bunker, which demanded a degree of imagination to find an occupier; Opposite page, below: inside one of Harris + Hoole’s quirky coffee shops, which is styled to match the surroundings


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Space innovators //

leases to tenants with very specific storage needs that were perfectly matched to the unique characteristics of the space.

But while quirky buildings can present a greater challenge in terms of finding potential occupiers, uniqueness can also have its merits – as the owners of a business park in Kent discovered. In 2012, the consortium Discovery Park acquired the former Pfizer site in Sandwich, to turn it into a hub for science and technology companies. When it was brought to the market, the park attracted a wide range of tenants, but a lucrative upside that the new owners hadn’t anticipated was interest in the site from film and TV production companies.

After a Discovery Park employee had a chance encounter with someone who worked in the UK film industry, the owners registered the premises as available for hire to film crews with the Kent Film Office. ‘Within a couple of weeks, Derren Brown, who was looking for a vacant lab to stage one of his stunts, spent a weekend filming at the park,’ recalls Discovery Park’s estate manager Andrew Ronchetti. ‘From there, word got out and we had a visit from the main location manager for World War Z.’ Discovery Park’s lab space was used to film the movie’s dramatic climax and, since then, the BBC Top Gear crew, numerous independent filmmakers and the team behind the Anglo-French Sky TV drama The Tunnel, have all made use of the site’s unique facilities. Ultimately, the aim is to fill all of the vacant office space with permanent tenants, but until then the financial rewards of hiring out the site are worth it, particularly for bigger budget productions.

Leasing out empty or problematic space for film and TV shoots is an option that has also been exploited by vacant property management company Camelot, according to its marketing manager Fiona Hanley: ‘In the UK, we’ve coordinated several film shoots for commercials and TV series, including the BBC comedy Some Girls, which was shot at a former school pending sale; Virgin Media’s TiVo commercials, which were set at an unused warehouse; and a VO5 commercial at a former British Library storage unit, which was pending demolition prior to regeneration.’ As part of its service offer, Camelot oversees

insurance and the drawing up of contracts on behalf of the property owner or the surveyor tasked with managing a building.

Furthermore, Camelot also offers a workspace solution to property owners targeted at start-ups and SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) looking for short-term leases: ‘This involves us managing a floor or a building where a long-term tenant hasn’t yet been found, and setting up a number of short-term leases and contracts,’ Hanley explains. ‘It means that the property is maintained and utilised, but also the owner can continue to earn revenue while a permanent use is found.’

Singular SiteSFor the property teams of some organisations, dealing with challenging commercial space is part of their day-to-day jobs. The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), which is responsible for the management and maintenance of MOD land and property, oversees around 230,000 hectares of land and £21bn worth of assets worldwide. As the UK military has been significantly downscaled in recent years, the DIO has been tasked with selling any surplus land and property on the

open market – but due to the unusual nature of the organisation’s

portfolio, this presents numerous challenges. The sale of a 16-hectare

former army camp in Penhale, Cornwall, particularly illustrates the complexities

of the task: ‘As well as having former owner legal issues that had to be resolved,

the site wasn’t allocated for development and was designated, among other things, a Special Area of Conservation and a Site of Special Scientific Interest – plus it was bombed in the Second World War,’ explains DIO estates surveyor John Taylor MRICS. The site also had old lead mine workings underneath, a requirement for future public footpath access, and the buyers had to sign a covenant not to make any electronic noise.

As a result of its unique properties and associated complexities, Taylor says that it was almost impossible to value the site, so it was decided to sell it by public auction, with a price of £1.5m achieved in September 2010. Exactly how the new owners will use it remains to be seen – but it shows that regardless of how quirky a property or piece of land may be, there’s always a potential suitor out there searching for that type of space.

In fact, a growing number of conventional businesses are actively seeking out slightly out-of-the-ordinary commercial space – for example, to house a temporary pop-up shop or click and collect lockers. Sometimes, it’s because the company simply wants to stand out from the crowd – an approach embraced by the fast-growing UK coffee chain Harris + Hoole, according to its property director Thomas Springett MRICS. Operating in a highly competitive marketplace, the chain, which is backed by supermarket behemoth Tesco, is looking to create stores that are completely different from what consumers have come to expect. ‘Rather than standardising the layout and interiors of our shops, we tailor the appearance of each shop to its surroundings,’ Springett explains. ‘Our criteria are simple when it comes to looking at spaces: we require a property with power and water supplies. Beyond this, we’re open-minded about viewing all types of properties, providing that we’re happy there is a coffee market in each location.’ And as a result, Harris + Hoole is willing to consider properties and locations that might be dismissed by other retailers.

Whatever the reason for a property void, the good news is that for every empty unit or slither of land there are likely to be occupiers such as Zed Events or Harris + Hoole that are willing to consider a wide variety of options. It’s just a case of keeping an open mind, thinking outside the box and matching the right tenant with the right property – even if that does mean allowing zombies to run riot through your building.

‘The property is utilised and maintained, and the owner can continue to earn revenue while a permanent use is found’

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Public space

OR

Private space? the increasing corporate control over our public realm is the subject of heated debate. Katie PucKett considers the impact of

this widespread, recession-induced trend

in 2011, occupy activists were legally prevented from entering paternoster square, london, which is entirely private property

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The Occupy movement may have yet to topple global capitalism, but its four-month encampment outside St Paul’s Cathedral did raise awareness of something else: the growing power of private corporations

over apparently public space. Originally, the protesters intended to pitch their tents outside the London Stock Exchange at Paternoster Square, but were swiftly moved on when the owner secured a court injunction. It turned out that this space was actually private property, which the public use only as a ‘privilege’ – and that privilege may be revoked at any time.

The private ownership of public spaces is not a new phenomenon; the UK has always been a rich tapestry of leaseholds and freeholds held by landed estates, fi nancial institutions, and private and public sector organisations. But what is new is the large-scale management of the public realm by private companies, and the ambiguity over whose rules apply in any given space. This has been the subject of significant debate in recent years, as privatised open space has become the default model on large developments and the genuinely public realm has shrunk. The earliest examples were London’s Broadgate Centre and Canary Wharf, developed in the 1980s for the fi nancial services boom. More recently, swaths of UK cities have come under private management, from plum

waterside spots in the capital, such as Paddington Basin and More London, to the major new districts at King’s Cross and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, and open-air shopping centres including Bristol’s Cabot Circus and the 42-acre Liverpool ONE. There’s also a growing number of Business Improvement Districts – an idea imported from the US, where local businesses pay for improvements or services such as cleaning or security.

Supporters of privatising public space argue that it doesn’t matter who is responsible for an area, as long as it is maintained

properly and managed with the community in mind. And it’s true that landowners and businesses have a greater interest and deeper pockets than local authorities when it comes to keeping spaces clean and putting on events. But critics fear that privatisation suppresses democratic freedoms, pointing out restrictions on cycling or taking photographs, and an often overbearing security presence.

Ironically, the privatisation of public spaces has been driven, in part, by a growing awareness of their importance, as well as the rise of ‘placemaking’ as a mainstream concern for developers. The ambiguity stems from a deliberate move away from enclosed shopping malls, which were obviously private property, towards mixed-use developments, where integration into the urban street

pattern is considered key to economic and social success. The other factor is that, as public sector funding fal ls , local authorities are unable to maintain spaces to the desired standard. In the past, it was assumed that on completion of a development, the local

authority would ‘adopt’ the streets and public spaces surrounding it. The landowner still owned the subsoil beneath, but the council owned the tarmac and was responsible for cleaning it, policing it, lighting it and so on. But over the past decade, cash-strapped councils have been more than happy to let developers do this themselves.

Paul Wilcock MRICS, a director at Aecom, says there has been a sea change in developers’ attitudes, and that alternatives to adoption are now always at least discussed on medium to large schemes. ‘Before, there was an assumption about what developers did and what local authorities did,’ he explains. ‘But as money becomes tighter, people are looking for innovative ideas. Rather than paying the local authority an adoption fee, they see it as an opportunity to not only save, but to make money.’ This is not only the case in cities – Wilcock says that similar conversations are taking place on major housing developments in Alconbury, Cambridgeshire, and Fareham in Hampshire. And surveyors are now expected to advise clients on the costs and benefi ts of all the options.

The bottom line is that a building is more likely to let if there is good-quality public realm next door, says Alex Davey MRICS, partner at Gardiner & Theobald. ‘Public spaces can be as much of an attraction to occupiers and owners as the buildings themselves. For developers >>

Local authorities are handing the public realm to the private sector, and they’re handing over our

democratic rights

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YES Daniel Moylancouncillor for Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and board member at Transport for London

‘The increasing privatisation of public space is a matter of concern. I think people are entitled to know when they are in a public space and subject to the general laws of the land, or in a private space and subject to additional

regulations and private enforcement. But drawing the line between truly private space and private space that is masquerading as public space can be a challenge. It’s easy enough when you’re in a shop, for example, which is clearly private property, and it’s even easy enough in an enclosed shopping mall – but when large outside spaces are policed by private companies, which have the right to exclude people, that naturally discriminates to

some extent against the poor and vulnerable. People may say it’s okay – because they don’t like beggars on the streets, for example – but I wouldn’t be one of those.

‘Traditionally, local authorities adopted new roads and public spaces and the rates income covered the costs of maintenance. But the link between development and rates income has largely broken down, despite a limited attempt by this government to revive it. It’s much easier for local

authorities to privatise the roads and spaces so that the maintenance burden stays with the private sector – although when I was responsible for planning in Kensington and Chelsea, we did insist that the highways in new developments were adopted. It’s a matter of principle, but it’s easier to do here, where development is very dense and the new roads are short, than it may be where large new estates are being constructed.’

looking at a long-term investment, managing the spaces gives them control of the maintenance and upkeep.’

‘It’s about risk,’ adds Philip Black FRICS, UK head of public sector at EC Harris. ‘The commercial value of a scheme relies on maintaining the quality of the environment. If you’re a developer, why would you want to trust that to the public sector?’

For local authorities, this is a way of securing good-quality public realm without any additional burden on the taxpayer. At Southwark council, the decision to either adopt new spaces or to leave them in private hands depends on a range of factors, including cost, says its head of property Jeremy Pilgrim MRICS. On large regeneration projects, such as at Elephant & Castle and the Aylesbury Estate, developers must provide and maintain public realm as a planning requirement and as part of the developer agreement. ‘Council resources are not infinite,’ he says, ‘so partnerships and trusts can be a positive way of increasing open space and maintaining high standards.’

ACCESS ALL AREASPrivatising public spaces isn’t the only answer. Grosvenor, for example, owns and manages 300 acres across Mayfair and Belgravia, and has developed an innovative funding model with Westminster City Council to improve the area’s streets. ‘We had some lovely buildings, but the streets were not so great,’ explains Nigel Hughes FRICS, estate surveyor for Grosvenor. The problem was that the streets were managed by Westminster, which couldn’t afford to make the necessary investment. So in 2007, Grosvenor and the local authority signed a joint agreement that saw the council use £7m of low-interest loans to provide initial funding for improving two streets, which Grosvenor will repay five years after the works’ completion.

On the other hand, for Grosvenor’s mixed-use development, Liverpool ONE, the intention wasn’t to

:gRound ConTRoLShoulD we be concerneD about the privatiSation of public Space?

improve what was there but to create a new, dramatically different piece of city centre. There, Grosvenor manages the whole site, with a 250-year headlease from the council: ‘For our investment to work, perceptions of the city had to change and the management of public spaces was crucial, as shoppers make decisions based on the environment,’ says Miles Dunnett MRICS, head of asset management. But this arrangement was controversial, with locals fearing the site would be exclusive. ‘That’s a difficult argument to make now,’ says Dunnett. ‘There are no gates or boundary lines: you can’t even tell you’re in a different space, other than that it’s cleaner or better quality.’ Yes, there are uniformed staff, he adds, but they are there to greet visitors and offer information, rather than to enforce the rules.

Aecom’s Wilcock points out that the commercial success of a development relies on it being as open and accessible as possible. ‘Why would a developer want to make a space exclusive? They’re in it for the long term, so there wouldn’t be any benefit in upsett ing loca l people.’ But does relying on the goodwill and business sense of developers offer sufficient protection of our rights? Private owners may not want to exclude or over-regulate a space, but the fact is they could if they wanted to. And developers inevitably prioritise profit over other motives. So do we really want our city centres to be managed solely in line with commercial objectives, rather than wider civic concerns?

The commercial value of a scheme relies on maintaining the quality of the environment. Why would you want to trust that to the public sector?


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NOMatthew CarMonaprofessor of planning and urban design at the Bartlett School of Planning, University College London

‘There’s a huge diversity of spaces, particularly in big cities like London, and private and public have always worked alongside each other. My research shows that users of public space care less about who owns a space, and much more about their

experience of using it. Privately owned or pseudo-public spaces are often just as vibrant as many public ones, and although there are restrictions on privatised spaces, there are often restrictions on public ones, too – for example, there are many restrictions in London parks.

‘What’s important is that the strictures don’t become petty or needless. The time to guarantee the rights of users in privatised spaces is when planning permission is given, because afterwards

it’s too late. Generally, local authorities don’t use this power very well: they’re interested in whether or not a space is safe, clean and accessible, but they won’t consider whether people can play football, take photographs or cycle through it. My research suggests that there’s a strong case for a charter of public rights and responsibilities that would apply everywhere, which would be enacted through either national legislation or local policy.’

This is the point made by photographer John Davies, who runs the Our Ground website documenting the privatisation of space in Merseyside. ‘In subtle ways, the use of a public space changes so that nothing gets in the way of the consumer,’ he says. ‘It’s different from the experience on a traditional high street, because people deemed antisocial or distractions to shoppers aren’t welcomed.’ Anna Minton, a campaigner who published a book on this subject in 2009, adds: ‘Liverpool ONE is a highly controlled, high-security environment. But I’m not saying it isn’t popular.’ She blames local authorities for shirking their responsibilities: ‘They’re handing the public realm over to the private sector, and handing over our democratic rights.’

An alternative now regarded as a potential model for development elsewhere is King’s Cross, where 40% of the site is public realm. After much negotiation, it was agreed that developer Argent would retain public spaces such as Granary Square, while Camden council adopted the street network. This is for reasons of both practicality and principle: a local authority has greater powers to manage streets than a landowner would – towing illegally parked cars, for example. But also, as Argent director Robert Evans FRICS points out, the development comprises 67 acres of central London entirely owned by a private entity: ‘Having a street network to punch through that private space and interact with it makes sense for the civic good of the city.’

Ultimately, however, Evans takes the pragmatic view that it’s the quality of public spaces that’s important, not who runs them. ‘I defy anyone to walk into Granary Square and not consider it a public space,’ he says. ‘It wasn’t open to the public and now it is. It just happens to be very clean and managed by uniformed staff. What’s not to like?’ And if Occupy decided to pitch up, would Argent welcome them, too? ‘There’s a difference between protest and occupation. What about the rights of the people who want to use Granary Square but can’t because of people in tents?’

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recently awarded a Green Flag for its

excellent upkeep and facilities

Pancras Square is managed and carefully maintained by King’s Cross estate Services


DR VANESSA LAWRENCE

Member profile

34 rics.org

been an incredible journey: the staff at OS did an outstanding job of understanding the changing market and modernising the data structure, and it was a privilege to lead them. OS was a 200-year-old business that had never been profitable, but we now have annual profits of more than £30m and our profitability grows every year.

We make around 10,000 changes a day to the map of the UK. Our topographical information is accurate to within 40cm, and we ensure that we have at least 99.6% of significant real-world features on the mapping database within six months, exceeding government targets. We provide geospatial data to three markets: the public sector, the private sector and our leisure customers. Alongside our catalogue of iconic paper maps, it’s incredible how many people now use our digital products, including our mobile app OS MapFinder. Every weekend, around 3m people use our digital products to help with anything from planning a walk in the country to locating a restaurant. Accurate, reliable geospatial

information is of enormous economic benefit to a nation, and we now have an international division to export our services worldwide, providing advice at the highest levels of government.

I have a very full diary, but I always try to be at our head office in Southampton every Monday to chair our executive board meeting. The rest of the week, I could be at external meetings to discuss the needs of our many customers throughout the UK, at a solutions meeting for a multinational corporation, or working for Ordnance Survey International. I’m a patron of several charities, including MapAction, which is part of the first response network for international crises such as the recent catastrophic floods in the Philippines. MapAction is always looking for more volunteers, and there are many young people from the geospatial industry who get involved with their work.

During my time at OS, we have seen a massive revolution in the use of geospatial information. We are always looking for new ways of collecting data, and use UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) to gather information where it’s too dangerous to send a surveyor – for example, to monitor cliff erosion on the east coast. Many of us at OS have backgrounds in satellite technology, and we were the first organisation to fulfill OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium) standards. At present, there’s a limit to how much satellites can be used to detect change because of cloud cover, but we are continually experimenting to find new ways of using satellites in the future.

I’m privileged to have received several honours, including Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and Honorary Colonel of 135 Independent Geographic Squadron Royal Engineers. As organisations, RICS and OS share similar values, and we always encourage our network of around 250 field surveyors to look out for professional development opportunities within RICS. ordnancesurvey.co.uk mapaction.org

I was a very average student at school, but I had a wonderful geography teacher, Mrs Dover, who was inspirational, and from an early age I wanted to be a geographer. Once I’d got my BA degree in geography at Sheffield University, I worked for the educational publishers Pearson – which is where all my business training came from that I still rely on today. Later, I was lucky to be offered a scholarship for my MSc in satellite earth observation and remote sensing at Dundee University. Pearson allowed me time off to study, and I spent a fascinating six months travelling around Japan, Australia, New Zealand and North America, looking at how geographical information could transform people’s lives. After 10 years at Pearson, I worked for the IT company Autodesk for four and a half years in a global role that included looking into how geographical information underpins economies.

When the role of director general at Ordnance Survey (OS) came up, the chief surveyor of the Cayman Islands, which is where I was at the time, insisted that I apply. I’d never have put myself forward otherwise, and it was a massive surprise to be offered the job. My role was clearly set out: OS was a highly respected organisation, but the world was moving from mapping towards digital information, and I had to make OS suitable for the future customer, while still preventing it from being a drain on the public purse. The past 13 years have

Director general and chief executive, Ordnance Survey

Interview by Cherry Maslen Photograph by Glen Burrows

‘Accurate, reliable geospatial information is of enormous economic benefit to a nation’

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Mapping //

Dr Vanessa Lawrence FRICS advises the UK government on mapping, surveying

and geographic information

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keepingWith ever-smaller homes, ever-more possessions and an ever-groWing online retail sector, it’s no surprise the self-storage sector is thriving

Words by Brendon Hooper illustration by Lucy Vigrass

safe

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Bright yellows, vivid blues and blazing reds: you can’t miss the façades of self-storage centres. Inside, behind the uniform rows

of padlocked doors, boxed-up items are stacked neatly and securely: precious family heirlooms that people can’t bear to throw away, household possessions waiting to be moved to a new home and, increasingly, goods ready to be sent to customers around the world.

Self-storage is traditionally associated with the domestic market, but now people are using it for a greater variety of reasons. In particular, there’s a growing trend for businesses to rent space: 42% of occupied self-storage space now comes from businesses, up from 36% in 2010, according to the Self Storage Association’s (SSA) annual UK survey, compiled by Deloitte Real Estate. Ollie Saunders MRICS, a partner and head of self-storage at Deloitte, believes there are two reasons for this growth: ‘Currently, residential transaction volumes in the UK are lower, so we’re naturally seeing a higher percentage of commercial self-storage transactions,’ he explains. ‘But alongside this is a growing need for businesses – especially start-ups or internet retail entrepreneurs – to keep their stock in a flexible storage space.’

Saunders has been involved in the self-storage sector since 1997. He helped advise Big Yellow on the funding of their first stores in the UK market 15 years ago, when the sector was relatively small. Now, there are more than 400 self-storage companies in the UK operating around 800 facilities – roughly the same as the rest of Europe put together – with large operators, such as Safestore, Big Yellow and Access, dominating around 40% of the market. For most self-storage customers, moving home remains the primary motivation to rent self-storage space, but for small business customers – such as online retailers, or those selling and trading items on eBay or similar websites – the flexibility, short notice periods and low overheads offered by the self-storage industry are increasingly attractive. ‘Ten years ago, retailers may

have rented storage space in a secondary location on the high street to store their goods,’ says Andy Brandwood, UK operations director at Safestore. ‘Now, their “shop” is online and all they need is a secure storage space, which can also double up as a convenient location to distribute from.’

Founded in 1998, Safestore is the largest operator in the UK market. In 2005, the company had 74 centres – this has since risen to 134, plus a further 25 in Paris. Unsurprisingly, operators such as Safestore have been keen to capitalise on the fast-changing business needs of online retailers, who may require a range of storage unit sizes in the run-up to high sales periods, such as Christmas. Indeed, self-storage can also be ideal for smaller businesses to reduce overheads, as staff can pack, manage and distribute items from their unit, while rents, maintenance fees and taxes can all be managed in a single monthly bill.

With more business and domestic customers considering self-storage space than ever before, the siting of a facility can be crucial – but this doesn’t always mean the bigger and more noticeable it is, the better. ‘It used to be very important to have a highly visible storage building on a main trunk road to capture people’s attentions,’ says Brandwood. ‘But today, most customers find out about self-storage on the internet, and are perhaps more interested in how close and accessible the self-storage facility is.’ This growing online interaction is being aided by the development of smartphone apps that make it even easier for customers to gauge the kind of self-storage unit they might need, and then reserve space, such as Big Yellow’s Space Kit. ‘Getting a prime spot by a main road can be pretty expensive, so it has to pay the rewards,’ Saunders adds. ‘The old mantra of “location, location, location” is still crucial, but now more operators are realising that their online presence is just as, if not more, important.’

As business customers increasingly turn to self-storage as a flexible solution for diversifying storage needs, awareness of self-storage as an ‘everyday’ domestic service also seems to be rising, with the average length of stay among UK customers almost doubling since 2007 to 41 weeks in 2012. It’s useful to compare the awareness of the service to the US, where the industry is far larger and more

developed than in the UK or Europe. The SSA estimates there are more than 48,500 self-storage facilities in the US, which generate an astonishing US$24bn (£14.6bn) in annual revenues. Here, self-storage is considered to be much more of a ‘lifestyle’ product, and is used to store an ever-growing number of personal possessions, such as seasonal sports equipment, or to store documents and other office essentials when expanding a business. As the fastest-growing sector of the US commercial real estate industry during the past 40 years, self-storage is even considered by some investors to be recession-proof.

In the UK, perhaps one significant influence is the lack of storage space at home. A recent RIBA report noted that the average size of a new house in the UK is now 76m2, with 4.8 rooms, down from a 2002 average of 85m2, with 5.2 rooms. Furthermore, 69% of people surveyed for the report, who >>

Self-storage //

As the fAstest-growing sector of the Us commerciAl reAl estAte indUstry, some investors consider self-storAge to be recession-proof


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Self-storage //

were moving into a newly built home, said that it did not provide enough space for all their possessions. ‘For a lot of people, particularly those living in cities, the cost of hiring a storage unit is probably a lot less than extending the house or renting a larger flat to store their possessions,’ says Oliver Close MRICS, a partner in valuation and advisory at Cushman & Wakefield. Heading up a team of four surveyors who provide valuation services in the self-storage sector, Close believes what’s really important for a prime store is its catchment area: ideally sited stores tend to be in wealthier areas that have a smaller-sized average home, and where people experience a lot of change, such as having children or getting divorced.

Of course, as the average amount of space in the UK home declines, this will create further opportunities for the self-storage sector, and some operators are now looking to become a greater part of the residential mix. Access Self Storage, for example, set up a unit recently within a large residential development in Croydon, offering storage facilities for both personal and business use. With individually alarmed storage units, 24-hour CCTV monitoring and free, extended-hours access, it’s an attractive solution for residents. ‘Self-storage then becomes more of a lifestyle choice for a customer, rather than a one-off use,’ says Saunders. ‘Most firms are interested in gaining customers who will permanently rent a 30ft2 unit – for their sports equipment, barbecues or whatever – and then use it continually for years to come.’ This could mean that we’ll soon start to see more self-storage operators involved in the early stages of mixed-use schemes, building bespoke units or reserving ideal storage areas, such as basements or units close to ground-floor entrances.

box cleverAs the self-storage sector matures, and operators look to expand their facilities, build new centres or purchase existing buildings for development, opportunities as well as new challenges will emerge for the surveying profession. Despite 81% of operators saying they were unlikely to open a new facility, the 2013 SSA/Deloitte survey notes that there is a potential expansion space of around 149,000m2 within the UK’s existing facilities. ‘Our primary focus has been on filling up our existing space,’ adds Brandwood. ‘But, meanwhile, Safestore has grown by acquiring other businesses, and converting what we call “heritage” buildings – old warehouses or even underground car parks – into self-storage centres.’

However, a concern for surveyors is the lack of information on the sector. Because

‘We have a lot of trading data at Cushman & Wakefield to help inform our opinion, but if you’re a surveyor just doing a one-off valuation job, it’s more difficult. However, unfortunately I can’t see this changing soon, as private operators clearly have no interest in revealing their trading data to others.’

Recently, this data gap hasn’t been helped by many self-storage operators keeping their cards close to their chest to overcome one of the sector’s biggest challenges. In October 2012, the provision of self-storage became subject to VAT at 20%, as part of a government plan to address VAT anomalies in the sector. ‘Yes, we were grateful to the chancellor for that,’ comments Brandwood wryly. ‘Of course it had an impact on the business, but operationally it went pretty smoothly and in line with our estimates. Plus, we actually benefited in some ways,’ he adds. ‘For example, we made some property savings by reclaiming VAT on the capital expenses we had on previous years.’

Many operators challenged the speed at which the legislation was introduced, but most simply passed on the VAT change to customers without witnessing a significant loss of business. Furthermore, the VAT change didn’t apply to business customers – which could be another reason for the continued growth in this area. In fact, it seems the self-storage sector generally is proving pretty adept at adapting to change. ‘Some operators lost customers with the price rises, but the cash flows are pretty robust,’ says Saunders. ‘I’m inclined to take the view that it was also an interesting pricing experiment: what is the true price of self-storage that the customer can bear? The answer is that it seems to be relatively “price inelastic” within certain parameters. In fact, self-storage is turning out to be quite a resilient industry all-round.’

‘I’ve worked at Safestore since 2008, coming from a background in retail and leisure. The team, which includes three chartered surveyors, covers almost every aspect of managing property for Safestore. This could mean buying new sites and developing new stores, upgrading and maintaining the estate, reducing operational costs via rent rates and service charges, or driving more income by activities such as sub-letting space. We also look to create more value from our existing estate – for example, we’ve just sold a three-acre site in London’s Whitechapel for around £41m, and taken a leaseback on the store for two years. This deal also included selling some spare land for a residential development. Direct employment opportunities from self-storage operators are quite limited, because teams tend to be quite small, so I’d say there’s perhaps more indirect work for RICS members in the sector, as operators continually need building surveyors, rent review specialists, or brokers to dispose of land.’

For a lot oF people, the cost oF hiring a storage unit is probably a lot less than extending the house, or renting a larger Flat to store their possessions

Surveyor’s view

‘Operators need building surveyors’

david penniston Mrics property director, SafeStore

most valuation data is dealt with in strict confidence, published research on key information, such as rent levels, is scarce: ‘You can get a broad idea from the results of the public companies, and from surveys such as the one from the SSA/Deloitte, but it doesn’t give a good indication of what’s being achieved overall,’ Close explains.


Previously, town and village greens have created a real headache for developers – inflating project costs, causing delays and sometimes even thwarting projects. But now, relief is finally in sight in the shape of the Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013.

The difference between town greens and village greens is simply their geographical location, and a green doesn’t necessarily have to be a grassed area – it could be a tidal beach, for example. There are three classes:A class A green: land that has been allotted by or under any act of parliament for the exercise or recreation of the inhabitants of any locality A class B green: land on which the inhabitants of any locality have a customary right to indulge in lawful sports and pastimes A class C green: land on which a significant number of the inhabitants of any locality have indulged in lawful sports and pastimes as of right for not less than 20 years – and either they continue to do so, or they have ceased to do so for not more than such period as may be prescribed in regulations.

In 1965, it was recognised that town and village greens were in danger of being encroached upon by developers. Often, it was unclear who owned the land and, therefore, whose consent was needed for maintenance, which eventually led to the Commons Registration Act, which also provided for county councils to set up registers of

town and village greens detailing who owned them. All town and village greens had to be registered by 31 July 1970, and from then on those involved in property transactions became used to carrying out ‘commons searches’ to reveal whether or not land was registered.

In 2006, the 1965 Act was superseded by the Commons Act, which aimed to improve and modernise the law on the registration, management and protection of town and village greens. Under section 15 of the 2006 Act, new greens could be registered if the land had been used by local people for recreation ‘as of right’ (without permission, force or secrecy) for at least 20 years. Furthermore, even where land was no longer being used for recreational use, applicants had a grace period of two years to apply for

registration, increasing to five years where recreational use ended before 6 April 2007 – which proved troublesome for developers. Thankfully, the five-year period was reduced to two years in April 2012, and then just one year under section 14 of the Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013, significantly reducing the risk to developers.

The changes to town and village green legislation are part of a raft of measures brought in by the Growth and Infrastructure Act, which the government hopes will put developers in a better place and help to make the planning system work proactively to support economic growth.

However, it is still possible for a developer to buy land not being used as a town or village green only to find an application is made after the purchase, scuppering their development plans. Pre-contract enquiries therefore include questions to draw out information that alerts a buyer to possible town and village green claims, and where reliable information isn’t available – for example, where land is sold by receivers or executors – developers should inspect the site for clues and enquire with local residents.

This is a delicate process, as developers must walk the fine line between obtaining the relevant information without prompting locals to mount a claim that the land is a town or village green. But to help avoid the latter, the 2013 Act excludes the right to register land as a green when a ‘trigger event’ has occurred (such as publicity for a planning application), and only becomes exercisable again following a ‘terminating event’ (such as the application being withdrawn or declined).

IngrId SaffIn is partner and head of commercial property at Mundays law firm.mundays.co.uk

the government hopeS that the 2013 act wIll help the plannIng SyStem Support economIc growth

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New thinking on

town and vIllage green developmentSBy real estate lawyer Ingrid Saffin

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Advertorial //

What do designers Aecom, Aedas, BDP, TMA (UK), Grimshaw Architects, Pascall+Watson and John McAslan + Partners all have in common? They sit on the successful Early Design Framework (EDF). Set up in August 2012, the framework is the brainchild of Mark Henn, head of development and third party projects at London Underground (LU). The idea was to gain quick access to a list of imaginative designers that not only had one foot fi rmly placed in the reality of designing for an operational environment, but which also understood the commercial imperative for TfL and LU to generate more from its asset base.

To date, the framework has proved an excellent way of working, providing effi ciency and adding value. The LU Development and Third Party Projects Team has demonstrated strong relationship management, working closely with the designers and managing 26 commissions leading to a spend of £1.9m.

‘With increased customer journeys, and the need to increase our revenue base, it’s

becoming increasingly important to be able to understand, explore and visualise what’s possible on a site to help unlock the potential that has been latent for too long,’ Henn explains. For example, a successful short study on a development at the existing Whitechapel station helped LU appreciate what could be achieved, informed local planning policy and has since become an important part of the jigsaw of the future vision for the Whitechapel area. Furthermore, the framework has formed the bedrock of an array of designs for the next

series of major capacity upgrades at key locations, such as Camden Town, Holborn, Victoria, Paddington and Elephant & Castle.

The London Underground Development and Third Party Projects Team brings together the commercial and operational benefi ts that add business value and create opportunities to improve Tube infrastructure.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED in working with the team or would like further information, please contact Jacqueline McLeod on 020 7918 3150.

EARLY DESIGN FRAMEWORKFORWARD-THINKERS UNLOCK POTENTIAL

© 2014, Trimble Navigation Limited. All rights reserved. Trimble and the Globe & Triangle logo are trademarks of Trimble Navigation Limited, registered in the United States and in other countries. Access and VISION are trademarks of Trimble Navigation Limited. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. PN GEO-015

Tired of going back to the field to gather missed data? Then, you need the Trimble® V10 Imaging Rover.

Extending Trimble VISION™ technology further, the all-new Trimble V10 is an integrated system that captures 360-degree digital panoramas for precise measurement of the surrounding environment. Work faster in the field and avoid rework. With the V10, you are sure to leave the site with everything you need.

Whether your need is for project planning, inspections or investigation, this radical new solution provides previously unavailable data that will make your job more efficient, no matter what industry you’re working in.

Together with Trimble Access™ field software and Trimble Business Center office software, the Trimble V10 is a professional solution that fits surveying workflows. See it yourself at Trimble.com/V10

CAPTURE EVERYTHING NOW, MEASURE LATER.

MODUS_MAR14_P40-41_Business advice.indd 40 17/02/2014 13:53

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We talk about managing time, but that’s a misnomer – we can only control how we use time. So it’s important to consider if there are better ways to organise the tasks we have to do.

Clarify goals and prioritiesThe adage ‘if you don’t know where you’re going, anywhere will do’ applies here. Without clarity, it’s easy to spend time on things that don’t contribute towards what we want to achieve. Knowing your goals will help to give you direction.

Control how you spend your timeKeeping a note of how you spend your time over a week will help to reveal ‘time robbers’ – that is, things that take up time in a way that diverts us from our goals. And once time has gone, we can’t get it back. Examples include interruptions, people dropping by for a chat and attending unnecessary meetings.

Noting that, ‘what is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important’, former US president

Dwight D Eisenhower devised a tool to help focus on the best use of his time. The Eisenhower Matrix (which is also known as the Urgent/Important Matrix) plots high and low level of urgency against high and low level of importance to create four categories into which tasks can be arranged:

1. Urgent/important: these are crises and unavoidable, pressing matters that must be dealt with straight away – but spending too much time here can lead to burnout. You should deal with these things immediately.2. Not urgent/important: defining goals and priorities, forming a strategy, people development and dealing with important tasks. Plan, schedule and do these things before they become urgent.3. Urgent/not important: not all emails and phone calls require a prompt response, and dealing with unimportant tasks immediately diverts us from what we should be doing. Tasks in this category may be urgent and/or important to others, but they’re not to us – so try to push back or delegate to others if you can. 4. Not urgent/not important: these tasks may offer light relief, but they are often procrastination and may be an indication of ineffective line management. Try to resist wasting time on these.

Often, people rush to deal with the category 3 tasks, but it’s the category 2 activities you should aim to spend most of your time on, as these are proactive, rather than reactive. Therefore, find ways to reduce time lost through time-robbers and plan ahead so that you can hopefully finish all your tasks before they become urgent.

delegate to othersSpending time training staff members means you’re able to delegate future tasks, leaving you free to deal with essential matters or proactive tasks. However, it’s important that you only delegate to people who have the required skills and knowledge, as redoing a task is a poor use of time. Staff training also builds on people’s individual strengths, which upskills the whole team and increases operational flexibility. It can also provide more variety and responsibility for team members, which increases staff engagement and can reduce staff turnover and recruitment costs.

make a startThis can be the hardest thing. Perhaps we don’t fully understand what needs to be done or how to do it, or we’re afraid we may fail. Generally, tasks don’t just go away, and by doing nothing, it may become urgent and important, and then has to be rushed. First steps might be to ask for help, clarify what needs to be done or break the task down into manageable chunks. Once you get started, the momentum should kick in, making it easier to keep going until the task is complete.

It’s impossible to do everything, and there will always be more to do. The key is to prioritise the most important things and use the time available to your best advantage.

anne whitham is a principal and executive coach at Cross the Line. cross-the-line.co.ukIll

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Too much to do?

how to prioritise your tasksBy executive coach anne whitham

define the priorities, form a strategy and deal with important tasks Before they BeCome urgent

MODUS_MAR14_P40-41_Business advice.indd 41 17/02/2014 13:53

:rics news :diary :benefits :resources

Are you thinking of a change of scenery? e.surv are offering generous packages for Valuation Surveyors looking to relocate to the South of England. We currently have vacancies in London, Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall.

We’ll give you all the support and assistance you need to make your move as stress free as possible for you and your family, allowing you to concentrate on beginning your brand new career with e.surv.

Send your CV and covering letter [email protected]

or call us on 0191 233 4002www.esurv.co.uk

At e.surv Chartered Surveyors we understand that it takes all kinds of people to make a successful business, and our team is as diverse as our customer base. One thing is consistent, and that is our approach to providing customers with outstanding levels of service.

e.surv is the UK’s largest distributor of valuation instructions. Our business is growing, and we need to employ high calibre, passionate people to grow with us. We are currently recruiting for M/FRICS/Assoc RICS qualified Valuers and Chartered Building Surveyors to work across both our private and lender client-base.

When you join e.surv you’re guaranteed:• Excellent rewards including a first class salary, pension and holiday entitlement• Help and advice to further your own continuous professional development• A supportive working environment with open and honest communication

Part of the LSL Property Services plc Group

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Information :rics news :diary :benefits :resources

In February, RICS hosted the Qatar World Cup 2022 Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy. The committee was visiting at the invitation of the UK government, and requested an opportunity to meet and learn from chartered surveyors who had worked on the delivery of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Joining the committee were some senior representatives from Qatar, including the CEO of Qatar Rail and the head of the Qatar Tourist Authority. Committee members met representatives of some 20 international construction and quantity surveying firms. rics.org/worldcupcommittee

world cup summit useful numberscontact centre +44 (0)24 7686 8555

General enquiriesAPC guidanceSubscriptionsPasswordsLibraryBookshop

regulation helpline +44 (0)20 7695 1670

confidential helpline +44 (0)20 7334 3867

dispute resolution services +44 (0)20 7334 3806

switchboard +44 (0)20 7222 7000

this meeting signifies the value the world cup committee gives to rics and chartered surveyors

abdulaziz al-mulla Chair of the RICS Qatar Board

03.14 // MODUS 43

more than

700 chartered surveyors are now based in Qatar, with more from the uK soon

to relocate there

Are you thinking of a change of scenery? e.surv are offering generous packages for Valuation Surveyors looking to relocate to the South of England. We currently have vacancies in London, Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall.

We’ll give you all the support and assistance you need to make your move as stress free as possible for you and your family, allowing you to concentrate on beginning your brand new career with e.surv.

Send your CV and covering letter [email protected]

or call us on 0191 233 4002www.esurv.co.uk


e.surv is the UK’s largest distributor of valuation instructions. Our business is growing, and we need to employ high calibre, passionate people to grow with us. We are currently recruiting for M/FRICS/Assoc RICS qualified Valuers and Chartered Building Surveyors to work across both our private and lender client-base.



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more respondents reported rising tenant inducements in Russia – the highest reading

post-crisis

more respondents in New Zealand expect capital

values to rise during the next 12 months

more respondents in the UAE expect investment

transactions to rise – the highest reading

post-crisis

58%

Housing shortage slows property marketa lack of homes coming onto the uK housing market is seriously hampering growth and pushing prices higher in many parts of the country, according to the latest rIcs uK Housing Market survey. In January this year, the number of houses coming up for sale

across the uK hit its lowest point since July 2012, despite the number of potential buyers continuing to increase in most areas. However, despite the fact that vendor numbers have not shown a sustained increase for several months, some surveyors believe that supply

will increase as we enter the traditional ‘spring bounce’. With the gap between listless supply and rising demand not seeing any considerable change, prices continued to grow in every part of the uK. rics.org/marketsurveys

Lenders should help maintain the competitiveness of the valuation sector by instructing their solicitors to withdraw ‘confetti letters’ to valuers, says an independent report commissioned by rIcs on the valuation profession. Panel managers should also be bound to a code of practice to ensure market transparency, according to the independently chaired commission into the future of the valuation profession.

commissioned by rIcs to address concerns throughout the property industry, the report includes a series of recommendations to help ensure that the future of the valuation profession is sustainable. the commission chair, Dr Oonagh McDonald cBe, studied evidence from representatives of the insurance, banking and property sectors on addressing the balance of risk and reward, and how best to maintain standards in valuation. these elements are vital for underpinning economic stability and consumer confidence in the uK and overseas. rics.org/valuationreport

rIcs hosted a reception on behalf of the uK India Business council last month in honour of ranjan Mathai, Indian high commissioner to the uK. Patricia Hewitt, chair of the uK India Business council, and the high commissioner addressed the business audience and answered questions at rIcs HQ. rIcs vice-President amanda clack and Global Director of external affairs Mark Goodwin discussed our activities in India, notably the rIcs school of Built environment at amity university in Delhi. a first for rIcs and for India, the school welcomed its first students in summer 2013. It has been acclaimed by the Indian government and industry as a major breakthrough in the drive to bridge a professional skills gap in real estate, construction and infrastructure.

INDIA cOOpERAtION

save tHe MarKet

45%11%


01.11 // MODUS 0903.14 // MODUS 45

more respondents expect rents to rise during the next 12 months in China

more respondents reported falling occupier

demand in Brazil – the weakest reading

since 2005

more respondents reported falling occupier

demand in India

Taken from the Q4 2013 RICS Global Commercial Property

Monitor. Download the full report at rics.org/marketreports.

Michael Newey FRICS RICS President

‘I would love to live in a world where everyone knew the full richness and diversity of our profession’

Why is it that the man or woman in the street doesn’t know what a surveyor does? It’s a question that I’m frequently

asked, and I can understand the general public’s ignorance. It’s partly to do with stereotypes and terminology. The word ‘surveyor’ isn’t widely understood in some countries, where ‘engineer’ or ‘built-environment professional’ may be more appropriate. But even where the term is well-known, many people think only of land surveyors, armed with theodolites, and building surveyors valuing a house for a mortgage.

I would love to live in a world where everyone understood the full richness and diversity of our profession. It would instil even greater pride, enhance the status of surveyors and attract more new talent. But how do we get there? The first step is to convey the value of what we do. Land, property and construction accounts for 70% of global wealth, with surveyors involved in every aspect of creating places where people live, work and spend their leisure time. The second step is to recognise that our communication needs to be targeted – hence the enormous effort we put into gaining recognition with governments, investors, financial institutions, industry employers and global organisations such as

the UN and the World Bank. The more they recognise our value, the more the public will understand what we do.

Celebrating our profession is crucial. The increasingly high-profile RICS awards around the world convey to the public the message that projects are not only about visual impact, but also about conservation, community benefits, innovation, regeneration and sustainable resource use. These are all important areas to our society in which surveyors’ expertise – alongside that of other built-environment professionals – makes the difference between a good project and a great one.

In recent months, we’ve had some notable media coverage. Market surveys, such as those on commercial property, residential property, construction and rural markets, are respected and generate significant interest. They provide a valuable basis for RICS experts to speak directly to the public within a clear context that helps to position surveying as a profession.

Our contribution to policy debates, including infrastructure and housing supply, puts surveyors more firmly in the public eye. Not only that, but it has enabled us to deepen our conversations with policymakers – which takes me full circle to where I began, with the need for targeted recognition.

TV presenter George Clarke has become RICS’ youngest ever honorary member. Just 200 people, including the Prince of Wales and Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud, hold the position.

RICS President Michael Newey said: ‘There are few people in the UK who are as recognisable or influential as George when it comes to the built environment. He is passionate about the way

architecture can transform everyday lives, and aims to make architecture popular and accessible. This passion and focus aligns closely with the aims and goals of RICS, which looks to promote the

very best practices in land, property and construction. George is one of the most sought-after individuals in our profession, and we hope that he will continue to be an ambassador for RICS.’

AMAzIng SPACeS PReSenteR hOnOUReD

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

43%8%

15%


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Last November, I took my Assessment of Professional Competence. On the interview day, at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton, two lovely ladies greeted me warmly at the sign-in desk. Apart from myself, they were the only two females I saw in the stadium that day. The atmosphere in the waiting room was tense and I felt like one of Sir Alan Sugar’s budding apprentices preparing to enter the dreaded boardroom. My nerves were running high as I was introduced to the assessors, and I was conscious of my every move: was I playing with my pen? Shuffling my papers? Tapping on the table? But I soon got into a rhythm as the interview progressed – my answers instinctively following as the questions bounced around.

Five days later, an email popped into my inbox called ‘RICS APC Result’. Thankfully, I had passed. After months of pressure and an hour of terror, I could put MRICS after my name and a certificate on my wall to prove my knowledge and skill, not just to clients, but also to more experienced, sometimes sceptical colleagues. Because, unfortunately, there remains a stigma that the construction industry is very much a man’s place. Perhaps it’s the association with bricks and mortar – physical work that, on the whole, men are more suited to. But there’s so much more to building surveying: people think homes are designed only by architects, and planning applications submitted only by town planners – but these are just two of many projects we’re involved in. So although building surveying might not be an obvious career path for most 16- or 17-year-old girls to embark on, the wide variety of skills required and the vast scope of possible work makes it an exciting choice.

The opportunities for women in the industry should be endless, but there is still a widespread lack of women holding posts, particularly at senior levels. Last year, two women were elected onto the Leadership Team at the 2013 RICS Governing Council – an important sign that women are finally breaking through that glass ceiling. But with groups called ‘Women in construction’ still required on social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn, it’s clear that there are still many women who would like to be better supported within the industry.

If you are interested in being a secret surveyor, email [email protected].

‘there are many women in the industry who’d like to be better supported’

46 r ics.org

RICS news //

According to new RICS research, Building Information Modelling (BIM) can help quantity surveyors speed up the estimating process by supporting the use of the New Rules of Measurement.

the research, which was conducted by the university of salford, and the subsequent riCs report, entitled How does Building Information Modelling (BIM) support the New Rules of Measurement (NRM1)?, finds that the main advantage of bim is its capability of capturing, managing and delivering quality information. For quantity surveyors, the efficiency and accuracy of functions can be significantly improved by aligning

the bim-based cost estimating and planning processes with nrm1, as it resolves the problems related to the quality of the bim models and the issues created by the variations of design details. the research also notes that bim delivers a more efficient operational solution for quantity surveyors for cost estimating, with its ability to link the relevant quantities and cost information to the building model, and then update them simultaneously according to design changes.

alan muse FriCs, riCs director of built environment professional Groups, commented: ‘there has been an ongoing debate within the quantity surveying profession about the impact of bim, with some claiming it will render the profession redundant. at riCs, however, we have long held the view that bim will enable and support quantity surveyors to provide more reliable and accurate data – and this new research fully supports that view.’rics.org/bim

After the floodUnfortunately, we are now all used to seeing images of flooded streets, where water levels reach half the height of the front door. In these circumstances, much of the damage is apparent – however, water can also affect a property in ways that may not manifest for several months. So, once the water has receded, what are the less obvious areas of potential damage to look out for? Where walls have become saturated, it’s necessary to remove the

plaster, because the damp, salts and chemicals contained within will prevent the wall from drying out. Insulation within the cavity may have slumped as a result of being

saturated, and you may need to have it removed and replaced. Timber within old walls that was originally installed to provide fixings

for subsequent joinery, such as dado rails or skirtings, may need to be removed where the walls have become totally saturated. The condition of the rear face of the timber will not be apparent from the front. Flood water may have entered an under-floor void, but not appeared

above the floor board. In this case, there may be damage to timbers below floor level or to electrical services that run over the floor slab.rics.org/flooddamage

BIM Is the key

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with confidence growing, salaries rising and recruitment levels up, it looks like this is going to be a healthy year for the property industry

Outlook good for 2014

now in its 15th year, the annual rics and macdonald & company rewards & attitudes survey is the largest and most comprehensive survey of its type undertaken within the property sector in the uk. for the 2014 survey, 8,209 surveying professionals participated online between november 2013 and January 2014. as well as statistics on current salaries, recent salary increases, bonuses and employment package benefits, the survey results provide an insight into wider issues that are important to professionals and their attitudes toward employment.

growing confidence in the market is leading to improved salaries and more recruitment opportunities in the uk property industry

Highlightsconfidence in the market has improved significantly – by 42% – with 70% anticipating further improvement in economic activity during 2014, compared with just 28% last year. in the uk, the average salary of a property professional has increased from £48,901 in 2013 to £51,179 (up by 4.7%), which is the highest level seen for the past seven years. at £60,089, respondents working in greater london continue to earn the highest salary on average across all the regions – £7,865 more than the south east in second place, and £21,027 more

‘The average salary is at the highest level in seven years’

than ireland, which is at the bottom of the table. however, all regions have experienced year-on-year growth in average annual salaries, with ireland (+9.9%), greater london (+6.6%) and east anglia (+6.3%) showing the largest growths. the percentage of respondents who secured an increase in their base salary was 54% – up from 43% in 2013, and the highest level since 2009. of those, the average increase was 6.6%.

during 2014, 55% of respondents believe their organisation will increase headcount. of those, 37% anticipate their company hiring for graduate and entry-level roles, while 44% believe their company will be looking for qualified or experienced professionals. it’s interesting to note that within the property industry, rics membership always leads to higher remuneration: for example, an frics

earns £64,755, compared with a non- rics counterpart who earns on average £44,870, which represents a 44.3% premium. at executive and board level, respondents highlighted that the key skills often lacking in people at the top of an organisation are communication skills (74%) and having the right attitude and personality (67%).

To read more of the survey findings, visit rics.org/2014salarysurvey. the results of the global survey will be available in april.

‘RICS membership leads to higher remuneration within the property industry’

‘54% of property professionals secured a salary increase last year’

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Advertorial //

Benefitsrics.org/benefitsplus

The UK’s small business owners could see savings of up to a quarter or more on their energy bills by upgrading their equipment, improving energy efficiency and changing staff behaviour. That’s according to E.ON, which has launched a range of tailored measures and advice designed to help companies have greater control of their energy consumption and costs.

Depending on the type of business, E.ON estimates that by looking across the range of energy-saving options that are available, small manufacturing companies could save up to 26% on their energy bills, while office-based firms could potentially see savings of up to 38%. E.ON’s Energy Toolkit is a new advice package for small businesses that’s designed to help companies understand where and when energy is used in a way that

doesn’t disrupt normal business. By using a free wireless energy monitor, customers can see a real-time display of how their energy use stacks up, and then receive appropriate energy-saving advice that’s relevant to their specific industry and company size.

‘Small business owners are tied up doing lots of things – often they are the boss, accountant, secretary, sales agent and procurement department all in one,’ explains Anthony Ainsworth, business energy director at E.ON. ‘It’s safe to say that no business owner wants to waste money, yet that’s exactly what using unnecessary amounts of energy does. Our customers told us they wanted help with this, and that’s why we’ve created our new Energy Toolkit – to help them use no more energy than they need, and to do it in a way that fits in with their busy lives.’

Regardless of the sector, the top three draws on power for most small businesses are room and water heating, air-conditioners, refrigerators and lighting. But by simply monitoring and comparing where energy is used, business owners can learn exactly where they’re using the most power and identify where they can make the biggest savings. For example, across all small business sectors, the proportion of energy used for lighting can range from 6% in agricultural businesses to 28% in retail. But around three-quarters of that energy could be saved immediately by installing low- energy LED lighting. Similarly, the proportion of energy used for heating is typically between 35% and 58%, with savings of up to a third achievable by installing an efficient, modern boiler.The total potential savings a business can make – assuming that all the recommended energy-saving measures are implemented – are as follows*: Manufacturing and workshops 26% Pubs, clubs and restaurants 34% Agriculture and horticulture 29% Retail 35% Office 38%

To find out more, visit eonenergy.com/energytoolkit.

*Percentages are indicative, assuming that a business adopts every recommended energy- saving measure and achieves maximum savings from each measure, having started with no measures implemented. Savings calculated by aggregating Gateway Energy Solutions’ estimates. For a breakdown of energy-saving measures and statistics visit eonenergy.com/energytoolkit.

Saving businesses energy

To view all the latest offers, new partners and monthly and seasonal promotions, visit rics.org/benefitsplus.


01.11 // MODUS 0902.13 // MODUS 49

initiatives impacting practitioners in the construction industry. The programme includes an introduction to the new payment regime provisions, plus the new standard forms of building and engineering contracts.£150 + VATrics.org/legalissues

RICS Wessex Briefing27 March, WinchesterEssential updates for all construction and building surveying professionals, including RICS technical guidance on BIM, restoration and maintenance of existing buildings and energy-efficiency retrofit solutions.£100 + VATrics.org/wessexbriefing

RICS Building Surveying Conference2 April, LondonPacked full of presentations from industry leaders and an inspiring keynote address from Wayne Hemingway MBE, a fashion designer turned social housing innovator. Plus gain technical updates and insight into recent legal case studies to help you build the latest market thinking and developments into your business

strategies.£220 + VAT rics.org/bsconference

RICS Infrastructure Conference 3 April, LondonExamine the whole life cycle of infrastructure projects, from inception through to post-completion, with greater insight into the core disciplines that are necessary for achieving success. The day includes sessions on accurate programming, planning and forecasting, project and cost management, procurement and supply chain engagement.£245 + VAT rics.org/infrastructure conference

RICS Environment & Resources Conference3 April, NottinghamAn in-depth discussion on the current debate and thinking around shale gas, and comments on government policy objectives. Plus sessions on odour monitoring and management, the corresponding legal and regulatory framework, and changes to the planning act.£80 + VATrics.org/envandresources

RICS West Midlands CPD Day9 April, BirminghamGet started on your CPD requirements for 2014 at our annual CPD Day. The programme includes essential updates

McLeod + Aitken, and celebrating its 40th anniversary, the evening will be a great opportunity to reflect on last year’s achievements, and catch up with friends and contacts from the North East. The drinks reception is sponsored by Pinsent Masons LLP, with Bancon Construction providing the menus.Individual ticket £64 + VAT per person; £60 + VAT per person for tables of 10 or 12 rics.org/aberdeendinner

NortherN IrelaNdRICS Northern Ireland CPD Day20 March, BelfastGain six hours of formal CPD with essential updates on a range of topics, including a government review of facilitating and funding development growth, updates on CDM regulations,

contract law, and updates on planning policy frameworks, land tenure and development sites. £135 + VAT – full day£80 + VAT – half dayrics.org/nicpd

MIddle eastInternational Property Show8-10 April, DubaiRICS is the official knowledge partner of the International Property Show 2014. Speakers will include RICS President Michael Newey FRICS. For more information, emailmembersME @rics.org.

Cityscape Abu Dhabi22-24 April, Abu DhabiThis event is Abu Dhabi’s most significant annual gathering of UAE real estate professionals and investors. For details about RICS’ role at this event, email membersME @rics.org.

Eventson the impact of HS2, changes to building regulations, the Green Deal, and a planning reform update. £135 + VAT – full day£80 + VAT – half dayrics.org/westmidlandscpd

RICS Awards Regional CeremoniesApril to May, various locationsJoin the celebrations at these regional awards ceremonies, and be among those to discover the successful projects in each category, as well as the overall Project of the Year in each region. Lunchtime ceremonies from £45 + VATEvening ceremonies from £70 + VATrics.org/awards

scotlaNdRICS Aberdeen and North East Scotland Annual Dinner28 March, AberdeenSponsored by

RICS CPD SERIES april to July, various locations

With more than 250 seminars that cover a range of topics tailored

to individual regions, the CPD (continuing professional development) series ensures you are kept up to date with market developments, risks and opportunities. It is also an affordable way for you to meet your RICS CPD requirements. £30 + VAT (one session); £25 + VAT (three or more)rics.org/cpdseries

eNglaNdRICS New Rules of Measurement 3 Launch RoadshowMarch to April, various locationsAn introduction and in-depth discussions on the content of the new suite of measurement rules that will be used to quantify and manage the life-cycle costs of constructed assets. £175 + VAT rics.org/nrm3

RICS East Midlands CPD Day13 March, LoughboroughTailor your programme with a choice of 18 breakout sessions, including an update on HS2 and its impact on land values, and how to overcome the planning and development challenges of affordable housing. Plus gain updates on dilapidations, building regulations, and valuation best practice.£135 + VAT – full day£80 + VAT – half dayrics.org/eastmidlandscpd

RICS North Legal Issues in Construction Conference25 March, ManchesterThe latest legal developments, new trends and

Book RICS EvENtS oNLINE rics.org/conferences For enquiries, call +44 (0)20 7695 1600

Imag

e iS

tock

03.14 // MODUS 49


Membership

surveying: the top degree choice down underAccording to a new study by McCrindle Research, surveying is the smartest choice for students in Australia – making it the country’s most underrated degree. Currently, Australia is suffering from high levels of youth unemployment, with more than a quarter aged 17-24 not in full-time work or study. But with surveyors, however, nine out of 10 graduates found full-time work in their chosen field, with a median starting salary of around A$52,000 (£28,000). Adam Brown, a surveying recruitment specialist, says that 2014 should be a boom year for graduates, with building approvals at levels not seen since 2010: ‘Last year was tough for building approvals, but that is set to change. There will be an urgent demand to fill holes in surveying staff, and clients will prefer graduates to train, as they give more bang for their buck.’

RICS has recently published the third edition of the Code of practice for service charges in commercial property. With poorly managed service charges a frequent cause of dispute between owners and occupiers, this code has been developed with, and endorsed by, leading property bodies to help improve standards, and promote fairness, consistency, transparency and best practice in management and administration.

Following an industry summit, hosted by RICS, it was clear that there were areas of the code that required greater clarity – particularly those in relation to service charge accounting, environmental sustainability, sinking funds and fees. Peter Forrester, who is the lead author of the code, and director of service charge consultancy at Savills, commented: ‘This latest

version is a response to industry feedback and consultation, and reflects discussions with other bodies involved in the service charge process. The aims, objectives and core principles remain unchanged, but it’s hoped the improved clarity and additional guidance will be welcomed.’rics.org/standards

New service charge code

CPD ReMInDeR

ConductDisciplinary hearing by way of written representations 11 December 2013

James askew, leicestersummary of finding: contrary to Bye-Law B5.2.2(d) of RICS Bye-Laws 2009 penalty: reprimand/costs

registration panel hearing 11 December 2013

John hepburn-wright, invernesssummary of finding: application successful

Disciplinary panel 11 December 2013

peter hicks & co ltd, tamworthsummary of finding: contrary to Rule 8 of Conduct for Firms 2007 penalty: reprimand/condition on firm’s continuing registration/costs

Disciplinary hearing by way of written representations 13 January 2014

Kim lydon, hampshiresummary of finding: contrary to Bye-Law B5.2.2(d) of RICS Bye-Laws 2009penalty: reprimand

Disciplinary panel 15 January 2014

salter rex llp, londonsummary of finding: contrary to Rule 8 of Conduct for Firms 2007penalty: fine/condition on firm’s continuing registration/costs

Disciplinary hearing by way of written representations 15 January 2014

Darren wright, londonsummary of finding: contrary to Bye-Law B5.2.2(d) of RICS Bye-Laws 2009penalty: expelled/costs

For full details, visit rics.org/conductcases.

The deadline to complete 2013 CPD has now passed. Over the past six months, we’ve been in contact with many members to discuss their CPD (continuing professional development) obligations, and to answer any questions they have about the new system. To make sure you’re not contacted with regards to your 2013 CPD requirements, ensure you

have recorded your CPD online at rics.org/cpd. If you have completed your CPD record for 2013, now is the time to start recording what you have already undertaken in 2014. We’ve put together a short mythbuster to dispel misunderstandings about the RICS CPD requirements. Head to rics.org/cpdmythbusters to find out more.

RICS news //

50 r ics.org


01.11 // MODUS 0903.14 // MODUS 51

EastErnWilliam s Duncan FRICS1930-2013,RainhamJohn Martin Mannering MRICS1937-2013,Brentwood

LonDonLaurence Martin Glynn MRICS1938-2013, LondonMartin Hayes MRICS1946-2013,LondonMorris Leslie Jacobs FRICS1936-2013,London

nortH WEstGeoffrey Carr FRICS1948-2014,Lancs John William Green FRICS1936-2013,Glossop

John thomson MRICS1937-2013,CreweEric Ward MRICS1938-2013,Kendal

nortH EastBrian story FRICS1942-2013,MorpethIain Wallace FRICS1933-2013,GreenockKenneth John Mullen Whitehead MRICS1953-2013,Gateshead

soutH EastChristopher r Brian MRICS 1948-2014,Leatherhead sidney John Gerrard FRICS1920-2014,Crawley

Frederick W Harket FRICS1938-2014,Sidcupalan Millwood FRICS1929-2013,Berkhamstedrobert Mitchell MRICS1943-2013,Kingston-upon-Thamesstephen oakes MRICS1953-2013,WokingJohn E Price MRICS 1926-2013,Guildford David rawson FRICS1943-2013Guernseyalan roper FRICS1923-2013,RedhillJohn springett FRICS1928-2013,Reading

ObituariessoutH WEstDavid aird-Hughes FRICS1928-2014,Cullomptonalbert Becker FRICS1922-2013,Clevedonthomas William rook FRICS1928-2013,Mineheadstanley raymond spooner FRICS1919-2013,Torpointannette Mary Waldram MRICS1956-2013,Tetbury James Ward MRICS1932-2013,Cheltenham

WEst MIDLanDsrobert royston orr FRICS1935-2013,Broadway

East MIDLanDsJohn t Clarke FRICS1922-2013,DerbyMarcus F H English FRICS1928-2013,Stamford

YorKsHIrE & HuMBErrichard Mowberry MRICS1926-2013, Leeds

sCotLanDDouglas Farrow FRICS1928-2013,Tayport

EuroPECallum Forsyth MRICS1957-2013,Khimki

Please email obituary notifications to rICs, including membership number if known, to [email protected] or call +44 (0)870 333 1600. If you are facing hardship following the loss of a family member, or if you are considering leaving a legacy, please contact LionHeart, the charity for RICS members and their families. Call +44 (0)24 7646 6696, email [email protected] or visit lionheart.org.uk.

UAE AnD JApAn AHEAD In GLOBAL pROpERTy MARKETThe RICS Q4 2013 Global Commercial Property Market Monitor suggests there is a more positive sentiment across much of the real estate world, helped by a generally improving macro climate. Momentum is strong in the UAE and Japan, where both the Occupier Sentiment Index (OSI) and the Investment Sentiment Index (ISI) are firmly positive. Significantly, 12-month projections for both rents and capital values are also upbeat, reflecting the feeling that the economic recovery in both markets will gather pace.

Other markets with positive occupier and investor sentiment include the US, New Zealand, South Africa, Russia and China. In the US, strong numbers suggest that there is little concern about the Federal Reserve’s scaling back of quantitative easing. Singapore is also

improving, with tenant demand and rent expectations rising for the third consecutive quarter and investment enquiries increasing.

In Europe, key indices are negative for Greece, the Netherlands and Italy, with some Swiss data also downbeat. The OSI in France is still weak, consistent with the economy’s lethargic performance, although ISI figures suggest an improvement in sentiment in the investment market. Twelve-month projections for both rents and capital values indicate little material improvement in many of these markets in 2014, although the recovery in capital values in Spain and Portugal is projected to gain momentum. Germany and the UK are likely to be the strongest European performers, with confidence up in both the occupier and investment markets.

Brazil’s deteriorating economy is taking its toll on its real estate market, notably in the occupier segment, where tenant demand continues to soften and rental expectations are weakening. Although investment appears to have stabilised recently, the sector remains vulnerable, and over the next 12 months capital values are more likely to fall. Hong Kong also remains downbeat with a flat trend in the occupier segment and concern among investors about government measures to cool the market. In terms of sector performance, the results point to a faster improvement in sentiment in retail real estate compared with office and industrial but this masks divergent performances at local level, with retail sentiment generally more cautious in the weaker European markets.


Recruitmentricsrecruit.com // To advertise, email [email protected] or call +44 (0)20 7871 2667

The April issue will be published on 7 April

Recruitment copy deadline Monday 10 March

Helping you find the right opportunity!Residential Valuation Surveyors

Full-time and part-time positions exist in: all areas of London, M25 and the Home Counties, Bristol, Berks, Bucks, Cambs, Cheshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, E Midlands, Essex, Hants, Kent, Lancs, Leics, Manchester, Merseyside, Norfolk, Northants, Oxon, Staffs, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex, Teesside, W Mids, Warks, S Wales, Scotland and Yorkshire. Plus 2 x Area Director roles in South/SE London and Essex/Herts.

Existing or past experience of undertaking mortgage valuations and Homebuyer reports is preferred. Also MRICS with sound knowledge of building pathology and defect analysis will be considered. The high demand for surveyors is reflected in excellent remuneration packages.

We are experts at finding you the right job in the residential surveying sector. We discuss your objectives and advise you with the most suitable and widest choice of employer opportunities. We then take away any pressure and stress by arranging job applications and resulting interviews for you.

To discuss your immediate goals or register for future requirements, please call:

Jeff Johnson on 07940 594093 or email your CV in confidence to: [email protected] www.mlarecruit.com

Commercial Property Surveyor Vickery Holman Limited is a well-established, multi-disciplined commercial property company trading across the South West of England.

The position requires a candidate to:-

Please reply in confidence to: Katie [email protected] www.vickeryholman.com

» Have a minimum of two years PQE and a good experience of the commercial property sector.

» Have the ability to deal with a large workload on valuations or lease consultancy from commencement and have up-to-date technical skills.

» Work efficiently, be well organised and be able to adapt to bespoke systems and established procedures.


e.surv Chartered Surveyors is the UK’s largest distributor of valuation instructions. Our business is growing, and as it does we need to employ high calibre, passionate people to grow with us. We are currently recruiting for M/FRICS/Assoc RICS qualified Valuers and Chartered Building Surveyors to work across both our private and lender client-base.

We are looking for additional full and part time professional people throughout the UK. Current vacancies include roles in Birmingham, Manchester, Hereford, Northampton, Norwich, Swindon, Bristol, Portsmouth, Slough, Dorset, Cornwall, Kent, Surrey, Sussex and London.


Generous relocationpackages are available

We’d love to hear from youSend your CV and covering letter [email protected] orcall us on 0191 233 4002National Operations Centre, Lahnstein House, Gold Street, Kettering, NN16 8AP


Send your CV and covering letter [email protected] or call us on 0191 233 4002

Modusesurvhalfpager.indd 1 14/02/2014 12:18

89,820 average net circulation 1 July 2012 – 30 June 2013

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03.14 // MODUS 53

Recruitment //

RESIDENTIAL VALUATION, HOMEBUYER AND

BUILDING SURVEYOR

Opportunity for contract surveyors/consultants to join a nationwide firm of surveyors. Opportunities exist in specific postcodes throughout England and Wales.

Please forward your CV and contact details by email to:[email protected]

NEGOTIATING A FLEXIBLE OR PART-TIME ROLEBy Linda Whitney

Part-time or fl exible chartered surveyor jobs are often hard to fi nd – but according to Stephanie Coombs, head of marketing at construction sector recruiters The Shore Group, more should begin to emerge as the construction and property markets surge. Although employers will usually advertise for full-timers or self-employed contractors, there are ways to access a hidden market of part-time and fl exible work.

To start with, don’t wait for part-time jobs to be advertised: make speculative approaches to companies directly, beginning with previous employers who may be willing to consider requests for part-time work now that demand is rising. Also, even though their advertisements may not say so, there are some companies that will consider part-timers – particularly large and expanding employers in property and construction. For example, Connells Survey & Valuation plans to employ 100 additional chartered surveyors this year: ‘Most of our surveyors are employed full-time, but we also off er fl exible, part-time and consultancy contracts,’ explains managing director Ross Bowen. ‘Anyone interested in this should talk to us about their individual circumstances.’

Survey and valuation specialist e.surv is also looking for at least 70 more chartered surveyors this year, according to fi eld operations director Paul Trott: ‘As well as full-timers, we will consider people willing to work at least three days a week part-time, as well as those on zero-hours contracts, or self-employed consultants.’ The company pays the professional indemnity insurance for all except self-employed consultants, and already employs people working part-time, including some working around caring for elderly parents. ‘We expect to see more people looking for part-time work, particularly as more women move into surveying,’ Trott expains. ‘Interviews with trainees and graduates indicate that people are being attracted to surveying by television property shows fronted by women such as Sarah Beeny and Kirstie Allsopp, who show that the property sector isn’t only for men.’

BE ADAPTABLE AND AVAILABLEBefore you apply for jobs, work out the ideal hours you would like, but also try to be fl exible about your availability. ‘Projects move on 24/7, so off ering to work fi ve half-days a week might actually be better than three full days,’ says Sara Burton, operations director at Cobalt Recruitment. Also, stress that you can be contactable even when you’re not working – to pick up new appointments, for example, and to follow project progress.

Finally, don’t neglect recruitment consultants, as they can help place good candidates. ‘I have negotiated part-time hours for experienced quantity surveyors, and I will put forward strong candidates looking for part-time work to companies that I think may consider it,’ says James Blaber, principal consultant at recruiter Eden Brown. Coombs agrees: ‘I’d put forward quality candidates for part-time work and even put together a job-share.’

However, don’t expect companies to simply off er you part-time or fl exible work out of generosity. Your CV must demonstrate high levels of effi ciency to convince employers that you can deliver the goods on target despite working fewer than fi ve days a week.

Careers advice

Sonas Surveyors is a privately owned, passionately independent national surveying businesses, with a reputation for delivering service excellence.

If you are an experienced residential surveyor wishing to maintain a healthy work/life balance, please email your CV to:[email protected] call for an informal chat on:07852 172702

…because we’re different


54 r ics.org

To view more jobs online visit ricsrecruit.com

Residential surveying opportunities - UK WIDE - Top employers

Greg CoyleHead of Property RecruitmentDirect: 0208 514 9116

Email: [email protected]: www.bbltechnical.co.uk

Whether you seek a route in, step up, route out of corporate life or simply a more traditional service focused role in independent practice, we fully understand that “one size doesn’t fit all” and as such carry a wide range of vacancies for local, regional and independent firms.

Full time permanent positions exist in the following locations for a wide range of employer types and in some locations (for those entering the sector for the first time or returning after a break) training is offered: All London Postcodes (N,NW, W, SW, SE & E), Essex (SS, CM, RM, CO, IG & E), Hertfordshire (AL, SG, WD, EN), Bedfordshire/Luton (LU, MK), M4 Corridor Generally (SL, RG, OX, SN), East & West Sussex (BN, TN, RH), Dorset (DT, BH),

Hampshire (SO, PO), Surrey (CR, BR, KT, SM, GU), Kent (ME, TN, CT, BR, DA), Plymouth/South East Cornwall (PL, TR),East & West Midlands, Gloucestershire (GL), Bristol (BS), Cardiff/South Newport (CF, NP), Chichester, Basingstoke

Freelance and zero hours opportunities exist nationally. We are happy to discuss locations and terms on application so please get in touch for further information.

BBL is a long established supplier to the property and related technical sectors worldwide, with offices throughout the UK and Europe. Our service is thorough and consultative with all enquiries treated in accordance with REC codes of conduct and standards. We understand surveying and the career aims of those within it, we do NOT act as a CV brokerage submitting applicants to positions based on limited knowledge of “key words”.

If you would like to discuss or express your interest in one of our immediate needs or indeed register your details for future requirements please call or write direct in absolute confidence.

We are looking to recruit home based Regional Surveyors to cover regions across South London/Surrey, Midlands and East Anglia/South East. If you are fully qualified (MRICS) with post qualification experience and wish to join our growing national team this may be the opportunity for you.

The position requires the successful candidates to undertake mortgage valuations and security assessments on residential property in support of Buy to Let lending applications and support the Group’s property management function. You should have a commitment to best practice and possess excellent IT and commu-nication skills.

If you can use your initiative whilst working under pressure, enjoy a challenge, are adaptable and looking to work for a professional team, supported by our head office staff, then we want to hear from you.

Positions are available with a salary up to £55,000 pa dependent upon experience, with benefits including prestige company car, extended holidays, Private Medical Insurance and pension provision.

To apply please email your CV to [email protected].

For further information on Paragon please visit our website www.paragon-group.co.uk

Three regional surveyors (one for South London/Surrey, Midlands and one for East Anglia/South East)

Gloucestershire-based Chartered Building Surveyors

require Director Designate

To join an established and busy small practice, which is developing and expanding

its existing client base. The successful applicant will have drive, enthusiasm and ambition for good, long-term prospects.

Replies via Kirkham Pryer Chartered Surveyors, 7 Rodney Road, Cheltenham, GL50 1HX

[email protected] 01242 221771


03.14 // MODUS 55

Recruitment //

Residential Valuation Surveyors

London, Home Counties, South East, South West, East Anglia,East Midlands, West Midlands, North West, North East, Wales, Scotland.

High Basic salary plus generous commission and benefit package.

As Spring approaches the need for Residential Valuation Surveyors is ever growing and the situation remains fluid meaning different

locations are becoming available all the time.

My clients are seeking MRICS qualified Surveyors with experience of Mortgage Valuations, Homebuyers reports and ideally Registered Valuers. However because the requirements are so high, there are opportunities for

Surveyors returning to the industry, following the recession, Surveyors with relevant experience and small training requirements

will be considered in some geographical areas.

Consultants and zero hours also needed.

Please call Sheila Difford or Danielle Mynard on01233 643422 / 07436 583005 / 07776 117003 or email your CV to [email protected]


56 r ics.org

To view more jobs online visit ricsrecruit.com

Residential Valuation SurveyorsDo you want to work for a private firm with a corporate attitude and national coverage - a firm that is quality driven.

A firm that has a strong tradition of VALUING its surveyors as INDIVIDUALS.

Valunation is growing rapidly and we’re looking to further expand and strengthen our national team of residential valuation surveyors.

This is your opportunity to make a positive change and join a leading name in the residential surveying marketplace where we pride ourselves on the emphasis we give to the quality, rather than the quantity, of what we deliver.

We have immediate vacancies for experienced, highly motivated individuals who are RICS qualified and a registered valuer. We are happy to consider part-time or flexible working.

If you are interested in joining us we would be delighted to hear from you.

Please email your CV, including your RICS membership number, directly to [email protected] or call Paul Lancaster on 07974-090113 or David Atter on 07973-543010 for a confidential chat.

PLANNING/ESTATES SURVEYOR East Midlands - 12 month temporary contract

Reporting to the Area Estates Manager, you will deliver specific planningand estates-related projects to meet strategic development objectives inrespect of mineral acquisition and gaining of planning consents, as well asadministering compliance with planning and tenure agreements. The rolemay also include specific responsibility for discrete operational sites.

You should be ambitious, enthusiastic, self-motivated and able tocontribute to our continued success and help us develop the business ina fast-moving and challenging environment. Applicants should be degreequalified and will ideally be MRICS with experience in mineral and wasteplanning.

The position is based at Syston, Leicestershire, although it may bepossible for the appointee to be located at one of the company’s otheroffices in the Central & Wales region.

To apply, please send a copy of your CV and covering letter, quoting vacancy reference number PH/ES/0214, [email protected].

Closing date: 22/3/14.

No agencies, please.

An equal opportunities employer.

www.lafargetarmac.com

3 More Residential/Commercial Surveyors Needed

• £100,000+Packageisprobable

• CoveragePrimarilywithinM25

• OxfordStreetandHomeBased

• FriendlyandSupportiveEnvironment

• CentralLondonBackgroundPreferred

SendyourC.V.toandfurtherinformationfrom:[email protected]


03.14 // MODUS 57

Recruitment //

Surveyors• Harrow • Bexley • Bromley/London SE • Bath

• Nottingham • Leicester • Manchester (North)• Preston

Landmark was established at the beginning of 2007 as the professional services arm of Andrews & Partners Ltd. Still managed by its co-founder Steve Hardwick, the company remains truly independent neither owned by nor allied with a lending institution or large corporation.

We’re growing, and business is booming. Following significant expansion in 2012 and 2013, we are now able to offer our specialist residential survey and valuation services from over 30 locations in England & Wales and are looking again for MRICS/FRICS qualified surveyors, experienced in carrying out mortgage valuations, homebuyer, and building surveys.

We look after our staff as well as we look after our customers, so we’re offering competitive basic salaries, an excellent and transparent commission structure, and car or car allowance. We are intent on maintaining a sustainable business and, as this develops further, there will be potential career progression opportunities for the right candidates.

If you’d like to work for an ethical company run by surveyors for surveyors, with a culture of partnership and fair play, make the first move now by going to http://andrewsonline.co.uk to find out more or to apply.

If you’d like to speak with someone directly about these exciting opportunities, please call Steve Hardwick on 01293 820233, or e-mail him at [email protected]

Illustration copyright - © Workbrands Ltd

If your area is not listed above, we would still like to hear from you, the emphasis for us is as much about the individual as the location, and we do offer a range of flexible working options including part time or zero hours’ arrangements.

www.landmarksurveyors.co.uk www.andrewsonline.co.uk


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BEIJING192.3

TOKYO227.3

PARIS263.2

BERLIN344.8

LOS ANGELES416.6

NEW YORK 555.5

SYDNEY526.3

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MOSCOW277.8

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MANILA67.6

DELHI84.7

SEOUL94.3

LIMA68.9

ISTANBUL104.2

MEXICO CITY102

HO CHI MINH CITY144.9

SÃO PAULO153.8

LONDON169.5

CAIRO109.9

RIO DE JANEIRO175.4

SHANGHAI161.3

58 rics.org

Illustration by Ian Dutnall

CLOSE QUARTERSCOMPARING POPULATION DENSITY AND PERSONAL SPACE IN GLOBAL CITIES

Measure //

MODUS_MAR14_P58_Measure_v2.indd 58 17/02/2014 13:59

What we can offer you

First class employment package including:

• substantial salary + bonuses + car/allowance• full technical and administration back-up• excellent CPD + career prospects

We now have opportunities nationwide and are especially keen to recruit Surveyors covering these postcodes: AB, B, BD, BS, CA, CM, CR, CV, DT, E, G, GU, HA, HX, IP, LA, LS, LU, M, N, NR, NW, OX, PO, PL, RG, RH, SA, SE, SO, SS, SW, TW, W, YO

About you

We are seeking MRICS/FRICS/AssocRICS and trainee Surveyors, ideally with recent experience of carrying out Mortgage Valuations, Homebuyer Reports and Building Surveys. We will consider applications from those working outside the Residential sector but with the desire and commitment to make a career change. You will need a sound understanding of residential building pathology and defect analysis.

We are also extending our network of Consultant and Zero Hours employed contractors.

About Us

Our track record for first class service is recognised by all our clients and has helped secure many new major Lender contracts. We are now recruiting more Residential Surveyors throughout the country to service this work and the significant Private client work available to us.

To register interest or for more information, please contact Tim Jones:

or scan the QR code

by [email protected]

visit our websiteconnellsgroup.co.uk

or scan the QR code

The UK’s premier Chartered Surveying and Valuation Panel

Management company

Residential Surveyors

So if you share our passion for delivering quality service and believe you have the right skills, then we want to hear from you.

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