Redefining Building Performance
As a certified benefit-for-all corporation, we place the wellbeing of people and the performance of buildings at the heart of everything we do.
That’s why we work alongside property owners, investors, and tenants to maximise the commercial performance and sustainability of their buildings, including the reduction of embodied and emitted carbon.
Health and wellbeing
The safety of buildings and their impacts on user health and wellbeing is under more scrutiny than ever. It’s time to look beyond regulation.
Sustainability
The property sector still has a narrow view of sustainability, placing future assets at risk and missing the full opportunity for sustainable buildings.
Flexibility
Disruption happens fast, but buildings change slowly. Creativity and agility can be built-in and retrofitted to meet the needs of a dynamic world.
Measurement
Better data is critical for better performance. But only with the right metrics and the right tools to gather it.
Collaboration
The property industry is complex. Every stage of a building’s life relies on interconnected parties, with high stakes for cohesive and well-lead relationships.
Key findings
Health and wellbeing: risks ahead
We asked about the greatest risks to our respondents' property portfolios. Standards of both health and wellbeing and sustainability top the chart, overshadowing more recent and potentially short-term changes to building usage. While dealing with the impacts of the pandemic, building owners and occupiers can't lose sight of those long-term risks. Both issues overshadow more short-term changes to building usage chiefly brought on by Covid-19.
Health and wellbeing: more information needed
All respondents largely agree that more information about building safety will be needed, with occupiers appearing slightly more concerned about the issue. Transparency around health and wellbeing information is applicable across the building lifecycle, from project teams to building management and through to technical due diligence reporting at the point of sale or acquisition.
Sustainability: standards on the rise
Our research found there is a growing importance of sustainability, but relatively little action. Our respondents predict that sustainability targets will become stricter in the next three to five years. For those not already on track to meet higher sustainability standards, they will be faced with additional works in the near future.
Sustainability: risks ahead
When asked how building performance is likely to change over the next three to five years, 76% of investors and developers view stricter sustainability targets as the biggest risk ahead for their property portfolio. Taking the right action today is the best way to mitigate those risks.
Flexibility: future investment priorities
We asked respondents about their building investment priorities over the last 12 months and for the future. While location seemed to decline in importance, we saw significant growth in the role for flexible design, and greater emphasis on material resilience.
Flexibility: future changes
When asked how building performance is likely to change over the next three to five years, 84% predict space and lease flexibility will become vital.
Flexibility: are you ready?
40% ranked building design and construction flexibility as a future building performance challenge they feel least prepared to act on.
Measurement: performance metrics
50% of respondents measure building performance in terms of maintenance and building costs.
30% of respondents measure occupant experience as a building performance indicator.
Measurement: funding difficulties
44% of respondents rate funding as a significant challenge when it comes to improving buildingperformance.
Measurement: powered by technology
74% of respondents predict technology will become an integral part of building performance. The right tools can create a more accurate and useful picture of how buildings are used and how they need to change.
Collaboration: plans or no plans?
88% of building occupiers have a plan to improve building performance until at least 2030. Only 50% of investors and developers have such a plan in place.
Collaboration: barriers to building performance
We asked about the greatest challenges faced by respondents when it comes to achieving their building performance goals. Concerns about specialist resource and return on investment are significant, but organisational issues - internal politics, lack of leadership and siloed working - are deemed the greatest challenge.
What does building performance mean for your organisation, sector, or building? Which trends are most pressing, and how should you respond?
Send your building performance questions to TFT’s expert team. We’ll get back to you with our answers as soon as possible.
Explore Redefining Building Performance
Find out more about the changing commercial property landscape, and how better building performance drives value and resilience in a changing world.
Click through to explore the themes in our report and read more insight on how TFT can help you meet the challenges ahead.
