Inside Three Buildings Making Us More Resilient

“Pivot” and “unprecedented” were the buzzwords of 2020. In 2021, the new catchcries for the property industry are “flight to quality” and “earn the commute”.

The concept of quality means different things to different people, as International WELL Building Institute vice president, commercial, APAC region, Jack Noonan explores in this article.

In a recent industry summit, a session featuring Cushman & Wakefield’s head of research John Sears,and Stockland’s national leasing manager Charlotte Stratton contended that a high-quality workplace of the future would be one that focused on increased collaborative spaces, general wellness areas, greater flexibility and an overall invigorating space that is considered a destination. That sums it up pretty well.

What we might have considered to be a “quality” building in years past has changed.

There is now an expectation that these buildings have a focus on the health and wellbeing of all people that enter the space. Those buildings that do not are simply being left behind. However, it is also unrealistic to think that every “quality” commercial office building is a premium-grade asset. Many existing spaces, such as Interface’s Sydney office or 500 Collins Street in Melbourne, can provide an exceptional experience to its people by getting the fundamentals of a quality healthy building right.

They provide “quality” in a pandemic era, despite, in some cases, being up to 100 years old. This is what resilience is all about. It’s about developing, refurbishing, repositioning or repurposing buildings to be able to respond positively in times of shock or disruption.

Buildings doing it well include:

1 Malop Street, Geelong

Owned by Quintessential Equity and home to anchor tenant, WorkSafe Victoria, 1 Malop Street has incorporated high-performing HVAC systems delivering increased ventilation and excellent indoor air quality, as well deliberate interventions for addressing chronic health issues, such as providing attractive and accessible internal stairs, end of trip facilities, and incorporating biophilic design for mental health benefits.

25 King Street Brisbane

Owned by Impact Investment Group and developed by Lendlease in partnership with Aurecon and Bates Smart, this building is an example of one that is resilient from both an environmental and health perspective. In addition to the WELL Core Platinum Certification, the building boasts a 6 Star Green Star Rating and at time was Australia’s largest engineered timber office building. Winner of a host of different industry awards, this building focused on creating spaces where people want to spend time and engage with others, leading to a more collaborative and innovative workforce.

485 Latrobe Street Melbourne

One of the most recent buildings in Australia to earn the WELL Health-Safety Rating for Facility Operations and Management, in addition to having achieved WELL Precertification, this Lendlease APPFC-owned and JLL-managed property has implemented several COVID-19 resilient measures, including plans for reducing surface contact, emergency preparedness, and healthy re-entry. Further, the building management team regularly monitors air and water quality data and has undertaken an assessment on air treatment systems. This building is well positioned to welcome people back following Melbourne’s health restrictions.

Ensuring the fundamentals of a healthy building will enlist our buildings in the fight against infectious diseases (such as Covid) and the more insidious and costly chronic diseases exacerbated by our buildings and workplaces.

This, in turn, results in healthier and more productive occupants, and happier and more committed tenants.

And this is why investors are asking about buildings’ “healthy” credentials in the context of social sustainability and broader Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance.

The Urban Developer is proud to partner with International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) to deliver this article to you. In doing so, we can continue to publish our daily news, information, insights and opinion to you, our valued readers.