A Case Study of the Metrics of Capturing the ‘Green’ Improvements on a New Office Building

Abstract

In 2014 Skanska sponsored a WGBC report; ‘Health, Wellbeing, and Productivity in Offices; a new chapter for green building’. This proposes a framework of metrics for monitoring green building performance relating to the physical environment, employee perceptions, and financial costs/benefits of variation in occupant health and wellbeing as a result of occupying green office buildings. This paper sets out a methodology in a case study of a recently constructed Skanska office in Bentley (Yorkshire) called Neelands House, where these metrics are being applied in a state-of-the art green facility. This will provide before and after comparisons of how the old/new buildings affect employees, as well as a form of web-based Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) which could begin to change the way investors approach green refurbishment opportunities. This paper sets out the methodology adopted, lessons learned, and outputs from the initial occupant surveys, however, this research process is ongoing, with the first conclusions on financial and physical metrics to be drawn 18 months post occupancy in the summer of 2016. Skanska are active in the refurbishment market in the UK, demonstrated through their presence on public procurement frameworks for EPC such as RE:FIT, Essentia, and CEF, as well as having carried out green refurbishments to a number of their own offices. A major deterrent for green build/refurbishment appears to be poor understanding of how to deliver projects successfully post-implementation through adopting the necessary operational procedures. Concepts such as the performance gap, and perceived poor ROIs make investment unattractive and a lack of understanding on how best to operate and evaluate sustainable buildings in use, are slowing uptake. The business case for green build/refurbishment is primarily based on operational savings. While significant, these only account for a fraction of an organisation ongoing costs, and the case for investment is far from compelling. Decision makers for Green interventions are not increasing uptake rates as quickly as desirable. We see a need to lead in this area, and are now applying this framework of metrics to Skanska’s own office buildings in order to develop the methodology further.