Offices must improve or become redundant

17 February, 2022

Office buildings that fail to demonstrate how they support the health and well-being of users will swiftly become redundant, according to a group of building services engineers.

A webinar hosted by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) heard that the pace of change in workplaces over the next decade would be “astounding”.

Frances Brown, Senior Associate at the engineering practice Hoare Lea, told the webinar that people now had far greater choice over when, where and how they work, which was fundamentally changing the way offices were used.

“Employers now need to treat staff as customers…and health and well-being is a big selling point,” she said. “We are moving towards a service model for workspaces and people will want to get what they are paying for, including the right indoor environment, rather than just a physical space.”

She said future workspaces would have to use digital systems to provide users with up-to-the-minute information about indoor conditions so they could decide “where to work and what is best for the planet” on a day-to-day basis.

BCIA welcomes tougher commercial building energy standards but calls for greater ambition across the wider sector

The Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) has welcomed the government’s confirmation that privately rented non-domestic buildings over 1,000 square metres in England and Wales will be expected to achieve a minimum EPC B rating by 2031, describing the move as an important step forward in improving the energy performance of the UK’s commercial building stock.

GOLDBECK commits to three-year schools partnership to inspire Cardiff’s future construction talent

GOLDBECK has launched a new long-term education initiative in Cardiff, committing to support three local primary schools as part of a programme designed to introduce young children to enterprise, careers and the wider world of construction.

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