30
commercial property roundtable ... continued from previous page
Hiatt: “It’s back to the basics of location. You can’t lift a building. It is where it is.”
Peacock suggested ratings would only come into the decision-making process for many occupiers when comparing two similar buildings in the similar locations.
Bates said BREEAM is less valuable as a qualitative benchmark, for buildings when occupied and in use and needs to continue to evolve or be superseded.
Durbin thought occupiers needed more education about BREEAM ratings – which are attractive from a marketing point of view, but may not provide what occupiers actually want.
PwC’s Richmond agreed with more education, but considered BREEAM a useful framework. “It sets people down the road to understanding what their different impacts can be to a building’s environment.” He also admitted that More London’s BREEAM Outstanding classification had been “a tremendous advert, and good for our business.” PwC had staged 3,000 More London tours over the past year. Perhaps businesses should also look at their buildings in terms of brand enhancement. “It’s not all about costs, it’s about a business doing the right thing.”
which staff could access amenities such as shopping, lunchtime leisure, and travel options for getting to work. “Occupiers are looking for the whole basket. It’s about providing a pleasant working environment inside and outside the building.”
Hiatt: “Green-space is not necessarily good. It’s about public realm and that can be hard or soft. You want to give something to people that excites them and motivates them. Employers want their people to be productive, so they have to provide them with ‘labourtainment’.”
Dean highlighted that the Chinese and Asian business cultures were unlike those in the West. “The Chinese don’t understand our hours of commuting. They like their housing to be close to their business, so they can walk or cycle to work.”
Murray wondered if ‘living above the shop’ housing might come to Thames Valley business parks. Bates felt it was very unlikely. “The emerging ‘live-work’ requirement is still very small and not one that I see influencing the mainstream Thames Valley office market.”
Dean felt increased mixed-use would be good. “It would provide more choice, and give more of a 24-hour culture to business parks and workplace environments which are often deserted after 7-8pm.”
Peacock: “So, out-of-town will become small city?”
Jeremy Bates
Peacock: “I think cities have raised their game over the last 10 years. There has been in-town regeneration and maybe out-of- town has not yet done enough.”
Dean felt out-of-town property was “still on its journey”. Easy access, ample car-parking and big floorplates were not enough. It needs to offer more amenities in its business parks – leisure, shopping, hotels, bars. “It’s got to be a lifestyle experience. It’s not simply about getting to work, doing eight hours behind your desk and going home again.” Some older business parks would find that change very challenging.
Carl Blanchard
Bates: “It is great to hear that occupiers like Telefonica and PwC have a property strategy driven by the needs of the business, but I would be curious to know at what point financial considerations constrain their ability to fully implement this.”
Early agreed that buildings needed to fit into a wider business context, but suggested that individual companies had to determine their own sustainability objectives as a balance of green ethics and cost-effectiveness.
‘Labourtainment’ and guilt-free golf
Murray queried if ‘leafy-view’ surroundings to buildings were now becoming more important.
Dean said nearby greenery was important, but more relevant was the ease with
www.businessmag.co.uk
Early: “Cities are more attractive now and that’s where the talent pool is, and wants to be. I do wonder if some outlying business parks will ever get filled.”
Hiatt: “The challenge to the cities is to provide housing that is affordable for its workers.”
Hiatt jestingly chided Early and the IT/ telecoms industry for “giving us the wonderful ability to work anywhere anytime, but not giving individuals the confidence to feel guilt-free about playing half a round of midweek golf.”
Out-of-town small cities?
Murray asked the Roundtable to predict any other changes to commercial property requirements.
Bates pointed out that the Thames Valley was very much a first generation TMT region housing north American corporates, but now witnessing newcomers – “customers who need to be served” – from emerging nations.
Ian Durbin Messages to government
Suggesting the possible creation of a minister for commercial buildings, Alker said: “Commercial buildings don’t really have a home or a champion in government. That’s reflected in a lot of decisions coming out that are fragmented, confused or overlapping. We need clarity of the policy landscape. I think the industry would swap a degree of stretch for certainty. By all means be ambitious, but let’s be transparent, and informed: What are we expected to achieve, by when?”
Peacock added: “The planning system is under-resourced and confused. The market needs clarity.”
Blanchard noted that Canary Wharf had done just that in recent years, introducing more residential, leisure, retail, and hotel options to the area. A good example of this kind of thinking is Willis who created its own ‘hotel’ in its City of London offices. “It’s used as overnight accommodation for internal business and has proved to be a great use of space.”
Dean said SEGRO’s IQ Slough business park would have two hotels, transport hubs, convenience shopping, restaurants, cafes and leisure facilities.
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – SEPTEMBER 2012
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72