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Targets and guidelines around sustainability, be it by (local) government or C-suite, are a major focus across commercial real estate portfolios. Our multi-disciplinary teams have extensive experience helping clients find the right balance between legislative requirements, user demands and considerations of timeline and budget. We work with you to select the right technologies and modifications for new or existing buildings and develop a roadmap to achieve your goals and implement changes.
In the battle for space, many eyes in the commercial real estate sector are looking upwards. Increasing the vertical extension of your building can be a cost-effective and more sustainable way to increase building capacity. By using existing buildings as the foundation for new floors, building owners can update and expand an existing structure without increasing the footprint. Our architects and structural engineers work in tandem, using parametric design techniques to explore options and create designs that offer a fresh perspective on your existing building.
The rise of hybrid working has led the commercial property sector to re-evaluate how people use their buildings. Whether it's a redesign to create more social or interaction space, or the creation of bespoke work zones to enable focused work alongside face-to-face meetings. We offer the full range of design disciplines, from lighting experts to structural engineers or workplace concept specialists, to help you design or redesign your workspace. In addition to changes in the working environment, the changing climate is also having an impact on commercial property. Ensuring user comfort and safety in extreme weather conditions is a key consideration. Our teams work with clients to understand their users' needs and create innovative solutions that support the long-term climate resilience of the building.
Redeveloping the Karel Doorman building in Rotterdam posed a considerable challenge. Was it possible for a new 16-storey apartment block to be supported just by the existing shopping centre? If so, the space could be used more intensively and wasted resources, noise and disruption associated with demolition would be avoided. We have approached the challenge by reversing the usual design process so that the capacity of the existing structure was the starting point from which all other decisions flowed.
We understand that in the commercial property sector, things must move fast. Using the latest monitoring, data collection and assessment tools, we implement the most efficient working practices, such as parametric design, to speed up processes and provide a seamless interface between engineering disciplines.
If you would like to discuss the latest challenges in your commercial property portfolio, get in touch with the experts.