Wakemans Trade Secrets
Insider information of general interest to the construction industry.

Take for instance, the manufacture of a car. Car buyers consider running costs as part of the purchase. Manufacturers have through the years, cut the capital costs and improved quality, cut fuel consumption, increased service intervals and reduced repair and maintenance charges. The building industry should follow this lead. Maintenance, repair and energy consumption of a building affects the asset's long term value. John Benson of agents, Alder King in Bristol, says "If running costs are less, then the tenant will pay less throughout his occupation of the building and therefore should be reflected in the rent tenants pay."
Birmingham City Council is keen to encourage more sustainability within building construction. Emrys Jones, Chief Planning Officer, at the Council said, "We would be delighted if someone proposed a truly sustainable building (more than just energy efficient) which could be held up as an exemplar of what can be achieved."
New Building Regulations aimed at saving energy will be introduced in February 2002. The property industry by then will need to be aware of the increases in the insulation value of walls, floors, roofs and windows, and be more in tune with energy efficient measures.
Wakemans, Construction Consultants, with offices throughout the UK, has first hand experience of project managing a "green" building from tailoring cost models to completion on site. In March 1998, Wakemans client, Birmingham based, Castlemore Securities Limited, approached Wakemans to put together a proposal for the provision of new office space for the relocation of the Government Department, DEFRA. The proposal called for a "green" building. A brownfield development site consisting of 23 acres was identified adjacent to Temple Meads Station in Bristol. The brief set for the project team, managed by Wakemans, was to provide the highest quality office environment whilst delivering the lowest energy consumption for a building on this site. The £23m Temple Quay building delivers energy consumption levels of approximately half that of a traditional air conditioned building, the reaction of staff working within this new office environment has been overwhelmingly positive.
Other energy efficient measures include intelligent lighting and contacts which detect movement and switches lights on and off accordingly. They are also daylight sensitive. Other measures include collecting rainwater from the atrium glass roof to flush the toilets.
In order to increase the momentum, to construct energy efficient buildings such as Temple Quay, Investment Surveyors will need to be convinced and in turn convince their clients of the benefits of green buildings, as a long term investment, for staff comfort and as a contribution towards saving our planet. The future is to provide market led solutions to build within a level of cost which can be funded, by sales and letting.