Architects and builders around the world are increasingly embracing sustainability and searching for ways to design buildings that are ‘green’, without sacrificing architectural excellence. Suntech has developed several products that enable architects, facility managers and building designers to achieve their greater architectural ambitions in a green way.
With respect to solar design, almost every building has three things in common:

• the need for a weatherproof skin
• the need for electricity
• the presence of energy in the form of sunlight.

It was our goal to combine these three common elements into a collection of building materials that are architecturally minded. The result is a design-enhanced weatherproof skin, or solar façade, that produces electricity for the building from the available sunlight. An example of this is our own headquarters (see description below), which incorporates a 1MW solar façade, supplying 80 percent of the total power demand for the whole building.

PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER
Why choose to integrate a photovoltaic system into your entire building? The benefits are as follows:
Form – highly aesthetic feature of the building
Function – weatherproofing, shading, thermal and acoustic protection
Sustainability – carbon-free electricity generated directly from sunlight
Economic payback – the only type of building material that generates revenue.

Let’s consider these points individually:

FORM
Your architect has the option to use BIPV modules as a striking and highly visible feature of the building, or to make it blend seamlessly into the design. Our see-through products, for instance, have been used as a substitute for tinted windows in an office environment, and come in a range of transparencies including one percent, five percent and 10 percent. A remote display unit, used in conjunction with a BIPV system, allows users to see in real time how much energy is being produced and the amount of carbon saved, making solar design a real talking point for building users.

Blair Pester.

FUNCTION
In the case of BIPV products, the module itself functions as a building material, providing the physical skin of the building, as well as offering shading, weatherproofing, thermal and acoustic protection. This removes the duplication of materials that occurs with standard solar modules, which are mounted on the top of an existing building structure; this efficiency obviously reduces costs and negative environmental effects. Our Just Roof products can be used in place of standard roofing, creating an extremely aesthetically pleasing finish.

SUSTAINABILITY
Our modules make a building more sustainable, and offer architects an opportunity to make a powerful environmental statement. In addition to generating electricity, our thin-film glazing BIPV also dramatically reduces the heat that enters a building, cutting the energy required for air-conditioning. In our experience installing a PV system also leads to a 5-10 percent reduction in energy usage, since occupants are invariably keen not to waste their ‘own’ solar-generated electricity. Solar systems are an excellent form of ‘green marketing’ and in many applications have an important educational function, heightening awareness of environmental issues.

ECONOMIC PAYBACK
In light of substantial increases in electricity costs over the past few years – and predictions that we can expect many more price hikes – companies should really consider the economic benefits of installing a PV system to subsidise each building’s energy consumption. The electricity that is generated by a building can be used or sold back into the grid, making it the only type of building that will pay for itself over time. In most Australian States there are rebates in place to reduce this payback time. Also, remember that most commercial buildings are not occupied during the weekends, and yet they will continue to generate power, allowing you to take advantage of the feed in tariffs. Since building integrated modules displace traditional building materials, only the incremental additional cost of the PV modules needs to be considered.

FULL SOLAR SYSTEM
Incorporating a BIPV system into your building will increase the resale value of your building, reduce cooling costs, improve your Green Star rating and act as a safeguard against rising electricity costs. BIPV facades are aesthetically pleasing and offer you an opportunity to make an environmental statement about your company while reducing carbon emissions and adding a sales point for potential tenants/buyers.
I believe that building integrated products are the way of the future and are achievable today. Why compromise on aesthetics when you install a solar s system?

CASE STUDY – SUNTECH HQ
Suntech’s own headquarters (pictured above), opened in December 2008 in Wuxu, China, features the world’s largest on-grid photovoltaic façade system.
The 18,000-square-metre Suntech Green Energy HQ Building has more than 2570 semi-transparent Light Thru™ solar panels within its facade. The panels, which cover an impressive 6900 square metres, produce a total of 730,000 kilowatt hours per year. Another 1800 roofing panels add 300 kilowatt hours to the total energy production, taking the aggregate annual production to 1,020,000 kilowatt hours. Panels measure 2.2m x 1.12m (façade) and 1.482m x 0.992m (roof).
Suntech’s Light Thru solar glazing product was chosen for its environmental and aesthetic strengths. Suntech chose Light Thru for its ability to generate clean power and contribute to the elegant design aesthetic they envisioned for their office building. The panels form the cornerstone of Suntech’s overall design strategy for an environmentally responsible headquarters.

Blair Pester is distribution manager for Suntech Power Australia Pty Ltd.

More information
Suntech Power Australia www.suntech-power.com
02 9695 8188

A memorandum of understanding between the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), which manages Green Star, the Commonwealth Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA), and the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW), which administers NABERS, outlines the parties’ commitment to share information on rating tool development, calculators, benchmarks and methodologies to strengthen both rating systems.
Green Star rating tools are used to assess the DESIGNED PERFORMANCE of new buildings and major new retrofits, whereas NABERS rating tools are used to assess the ACTUAL PERFORMANCE of existing buildings, based on real-life data collected on site.
Speaking at the opening session of Green Cities 2010 in Melbourne this week, the chief executive of the GBCA, Romilly Madew, said: “We are committed to working together to develop a common language for both rating tools and the metrics that underpin them.
“This will deliver greater compatibility between the assessment of building attributes covered by Green Star and performance of key impact areas such as energy, water and waste, which are assessed by NABERS.”
DECCW’s manager built environment, Matthew Clark, said the collaboration will help to close the loop between the design and construction professions and those who ultimately operate and occupy a building.
“This commitment to work together and share knowledge will result in more sustainable outcomes for Australian buildings,” Clark said.
The agreement has already received solid support from industry, with the chief executive of the Property Council of Australia, Peter Verwer stating that “the marketplace will welcome this strong signal of collaboration.”
The next step is the formation of a working group, which will consider, scope and direct specific projects to improve the technical consistency and general compatibility between the tools.
“By linking the design and performance of buildings, we will be able to clearly demonstrate the opportunities to reduce the environmental impacts that exist at different stages of a building’s life cycle,” Ms Madew said.

ABOUT GREEN STAR
The Green Building Council of Australia launched the Green Star environmental rating system for buildings in 2003. Green Star evaluates the green attributes of building projects in nine categories, including energy and water efficiency, indoor environment quality and materials. Green Star rating tools are currently available or in development for a variety of sectors, including commercial offices (design, construction and interior fitouts), retail centres, schools and universities, multi-unit residential dwellings and healthcare facilities. The GBCA has certified more than 220 Green Star projects, with a further 460 currently registered for certification.

ABOUT NABERS
NABERS, or the National Australian Built Environment Rating System, is a government initiative launched nationally in 2000. NABERS measures and compares environmental performance, communicating the actual impact of a building in a simple and intuitive manner to owners, tenants and the community. NABERS measures a range of environmental impact categories, including energy, water, waste and indoor environment, and offers tools for commercial offices, hotels, hospitals and homes. To date, office buildings containing more than 10.5 million square metres of space, or about 50 percent of the national office market, have rated their energy efficiency using NABERS Energy. On average, these buildings have reduced their
emissions by 13 percent. NABERS is managed by the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water on behalf of the federal, state and territory governments.

More information
GBCA www.gbca.org.au
NABERS www.nabers.com.au

Hotel, Hospitality + Design Expo 2010, to be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 24-26 May 2010, is aimed at hotel managers and design professionals who wish to maximise the appeal and performance of the assets under their care.
Hotel refurbishment is one of the most important factors in keeping a hotel appealing and contemporary to its customers. It was the original king of hoteliers and hotelier to kings, Cesar Ritz, who professed that a hotel must transcend the average living environment in order to satisfy a customer’s experience as something special. Today his musings are no less relevant.
Hotel, Hospitality + Design 2010 will include the Hotel Operations and Technology Show, as well as a rich conference program. Some of the most influential hoteliers and suppliers from around the world will reveal their secrets of success and offer advice for the future. Delegates will get an insight into gaining a competitive advantage in what is a broad and evolving industry.
The event is supported by the industry’s key associations and many are aligning established industry events with the program. The Australian Hotels Association (national and Victorian), the Hotel Motel & Accommodation Association, Liquor Merchants Association of Australia, and the Professional Executive Housekeepers Network and AAA Tourism have all pledged their allegiance to the expo. HHD is also thrilled to announce two significant suppliers, Dulux and Philips, who are supporting the event respectively as the refurbishment stage and LCD and lighting sponsors.
“We are spearheading this important side of the business for the hospitality industry,” says exhibition manager Michael-William Kelly.
“For the exhibitor it brings the market and the customer to them, presenting the opportunity to launch new products, build brands, support resellers, generate sales and receive valuable feedback instantly. We expect up to 10,000 bona fide decision-making industry representatives through our doors. For the hospitality industry representative it is a platform to learn new ways to improve business in just a few days.”

More information
Hotel, Hospitality + Design 2010 www.hhdexpo.com.au

Today’s buildings are becoming increasingly mixed with their uses – retail, office, hotel, apartment classifications are regularly combined within a multi-storey building. Larger buildings may also have crowd uses such as cinemas or conference facilities included. These mixed use buildings require significant pre-planning for alert systems and emergency procedures to get the desired outcomes in a fire emergency, as the response of the occupants will differ within each use classification.
In a fire situation a normal tone alarm system provides occupants of a building with an alert, but it does not provide them with any information. With the prevalence of car, security and false alarms that people are exposed to, a simple alert tone will have little impact for many occupants. To gain a desired response from the alert, the alarm must provide relevant information that is understandable and must also be supplemented with training through drills and information so the building occupants not only recognise the alert as being a fire alarm, but also have an understanding of the response expected from them.
Facility managers need to have a good understanding of the number of occupants within their building, the different classifications, and how those use classifications interact. Facility managers have typically concentrated in the past on the number of occupants but have not always considered the differences that mixed uses can introduce into a building and the influence on the motivation to evacuate.
A study that I undertook recently on behalf of the Fire Protection Association Australia has shown that a significant majority of occupants in high-rise residential buildings do not evacuate on hearing the fire alarm, unless they are directly under threat from the fire, i.e. it is in their unit or they can see/smell smoke within their common corridor.

LACK OF MOTIVATION
My research has shown that occupants in residential high-rise buildings are often reluctant to evacuate when a fire alarm sounds due to a lack of information, combined with a desire to stay within their unit where it is safe, if they are not directly threatened by a fire. This lack of motivation to evacuate is due to the occupant being within their home; their behaviour and response to a fire emergency is different at home than it would be at their place of work or another public setting, such as a shopping centre.
The motivation to evacuate has been studied in detail for residential high-rise buildings to understand the most appropriate strategy for fire emergency response. My research has shown that an expectation of evacuation for all building occupants is flawed with regard to high-rise residential buildings. A more pragmatic and efficient process is the so-called ‘protect in place’ approach, whereby occupants remain in their units on detection of fire and only those directly threatened by fire or requested to leave by attending fire-fighters need to evacuate. The protect in place strategy is combined with an alert system and simple emergency response procedures that are specific to high-rise residential buildings.
These fire protection measures, along with simple and clear instructions posted within common corridors, may provide an effective method for achieving better fire emergency response for occupants of high-rise residential buildings. The recommended measures also provide a system that meets with the underlying human behavioural aspects of occupants. The fire protection measures that I favour have been developed to provide an effective response strategy for the particular behavioural and motivational aspects specific to high-rise residential occupants.

POSSIBLE BUILDING CODE CHANGES?
The research undertaken has shown that the current approach adopted by the BCA (Building Code of Australia) of using one method of alert and expected evacuation response for all high-rise building use classifications needs further consideration and potential change, as the motivation to exit and occupant response differs within each use classification.
While the research was carried out for high-rise residential buildings, the findings are also very relevant for mixed-use buildings, as one of the key discussion aspects of the research is an occupant’s motivation to evacuate. The motivation to evacuate – or the factors that de-motivate – are highly relevant for implementing an efficient and successful evacuation strategy.

MIXED USE BUILDINGS
For buildings that are mixed use, the alert and emergency response procedures also need to reflect the occupant behaviour and the potential motivational behaviours that influence evacuation. Fire alarm, alert and emergency response procedures need to be designed and developed specifically for each building, as all buildings are unique, but also because of a need to take account of the use classifications within a building. While this may not be something new, the key lessons to be drawn from my research are an understanding of the motivating factors for occupants to evacuate and how to best implement alerting systems and evacuation procedures to achieve the desired occupant response.
Office buildings typically have some of the most efficient and effective fire emergency response outcomes, in part due to the legal health and safety framework that requires employers to provide a safe work environment, but also due to the underlying motivation for employees to respond in the desired manner when a fire alarm sounds – to stop work and evacuate.
An office or other workplace can effectively implement evacuation procedures such as those within AS3745 - Emergency Control Organisation and Procedures for Buildings, Structures and Workplaces (2002), due to employees being required to undergo emergency response education as part of their regular health and safety training. Regular drills are also important, whereby wardens and building occupants can rehearse their response to ensure a successful outcome in a real fire emergency.

SHOPPING CENTRES
Shopping centres have specific issues that need to be addressed to achieve a successful outcome in a fire emergency, with many occupants having little desire to evacuate when an alert sounds. While shopping centres are very different to high-rise residential buildings, the issues to be addressed in achieving a successful response to a fire emergency are similar: there are occupants with a lack of motivation to exit, and there is a need for an alert that has information that is relevant.
Shopping centres are destinations where occupants are engaged in an activity and have little tolerance for interruptions or delays, whether that activity is purchasing groceries or spending a few leisurely hours window-shopping. When a fire alarm sounds, the occupants have little motivation to change their current actions and therefore a successful evacuation needs to be based on an understanding that occupants typically have little information on the fire emergency (unless directly threatened) and will therefore have no motivation to change their actions, even with the alert or evacuation tones sounding.
Hence, for a retail environment, the use of a public address system to alert occupants and guide their behaviour is essential. This must be combined with effective response procedures that are understood by all staff, as it will be the staff in each retail store who will need to react quickly and correctly and inform customers when an alert sounds. Providing alert and evacuation tones without use of a PA system will typically result in confused building occupants and will not normally lead to an effective evacuation. Occupants within a shopping centre will also expect the staff of each store to understand what emergency event is occurring and expect staff to provide accurate response instructions. In large shopping centres, complete evacuation of the centre would be rare and normally only the zones impacted by a fire would require immediate evacuation. Centre managers must understand the lack of motivation to exit by the occupants and how to best utilise the PA system and store staff to achieve the most effective outcomes.
For a building of mixed uses, combining retail with apartments and offices, the building manager needs to be aware that an alert system set up for one use classification will not be suitable for all uses, due to the differing motivation to evacuate. Hence there will need to be different approaches to alert and response procedures and the use of PA systems for the different use classifications to ensure a predictable and safe response to a fire emergency.
Building managers need to tailor specific procedures to their properties based on all these considerations.

David Barber is a principal and leader of Fire Australasia, Arup Fire. He and his team consult widely on specialist matters of fire management, prevention and protection within the built environment.
The above article elaborates on themes raised by Barber at Fire Australia 09, the latest annual conference of the Fire Protection Association of Australia.

More information
Arup www.arup.com

Tenants are demanding more from their commercial space. So selecting the right window treatment can be critical to a successful long-term facility management strategy.
In this article, we compare one window treatment option – window film – to other traditional solutions and explore its functionality in a commercial environment.

ENERGY
The majority of a typical building’s cooling load is a response to solar heat gain through windows, which is why they have been dubbed ‘thermal holes’ in the past. Untreated windows can be responsible for as much as 87 percent heat gain inside a room.
Solar control film can address this issue, reducing up to 79 percent of total solar energy entering the building through the windows.
This decreases the demand placed on the air-conditioning system. In many cases, the electricity savings alone mean that window film pays for itself within five years. Other benefits can then follow, such as reduced costs and less frequent HVAC maintenance/replacement schedules. In multi-chiller systems the reduced load can mean significant redundancy opportunities if the system can run more often on fewer chillers.
Engineers are able to model solar control window films in their building energy analysis software, using the manufacturer performance figures for U Value, Shading Coefficient, Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC), etc. From these models the engineer can calculate the real electricity savings.
A selection of films available in Australia have been rated within the Window Energy Rating Scheme (WERS), which enables windows to be rated and labelled for their annual energy impact in any climate of Australia (www.wers.net). WERS, as an independent scheme unaligned to any one manufacturer, acts as a fair, credible and rigorous system for testing the performance claims of window film.

FLEXIBILITY
Businesses often demand a certain degree of internal flexibility so they can adapt space to suit their particular needs, which can change as the company develops.
Eliminating hot and cold spots and reducing glare improves the usability of each room, which allows for greater freedom in office configuration.
Film can be removed with minimal fuss. As fashions change, so can the look of the windows – the bronze look popular in the 1970s would not satisfy current design trends, for example! Similarly, if major renovations to a façade are scheduled in the long term but an immediate solution is required, window film is a cost-effective option.

AESTHETICS
A visually exciting façade creates the first impression of a building, which reflects on each of its tenants.
Window film produces a uniform, neat and professional external finish that cannot be achieved with external shading devices or blinds.
Advances in the fabrication of window film have introduced a greater selection of design options. Different shades, tones, sizes, appearances (such as mirrored, non-reflective, nearly invisible, dark with high glare rejection, etc) are now available.
Also, facility managers of heritage buildings have limited room to move when it comes to window renovation. Window film varieties are available that are basically invisible and cause no damage to the window frames, and yet they still reject up to 55 percent of the incoming heat.

ANTI-GRAFFITI & SAFETY
Shopping centres, hotels, public buildings and the like have the extra consideration of vandalism and graffiti. Windows can be extremely expensive to replace every time a reprobate decides to spray paint or etch their name across a pane of glass.
Sacrificial window film has been made with the express purpose of mitigating such damage. Almost invisible once installed, the film is a removable, sacrificial surface that can reduce or eliminate the need for expensive glass replacement. A single replacement of just one window can easily exceed ten or twenty times the cost of film installation.
Another variant of film is Safety Film, which has been installed in buildings around the world to provide protection from accidents caused by shattered windows. When safety film is applied to the interior surface of glass, it holds the shards together if the window is broken. It also helps bring old ‘float’ glass up to current Australian Standards for Grade A safety glass in human impact situations.

FILM v GLAZING
Glazing products can offer similar benefits to film in terms of energy efficiency. Film is a fraction of the cost of a high-performance window unit, and, importantly, installation causes minor disruption to the productivity of the tenant, as installation is done quickly and with minimal preparation.
Most films have 10+ year warranties, while warranties for glass are rarely if ever at this level.
Consider the environmental footprint and economics of a window film installation versus glass replacement on an existing building:

• window film requires far less materials and energy than glass to manufacture
• a piece of window film is small in comparison to a pane of glass, so there are lower volumes and weights to transport
• installing window film on existing glass means that the existing glass is not being sent to landfill
• window film can offer equivalent performance at a fraction of the cost.

FILM v BLINDS
Existing and prospective tenants rank views very highly, and often pay a premium for real estate with high-quality vantages. ‘A’-grade commercial buildings are veering away from blinds that obstruct the view and create an unsightly external aesthetic.
Film is a constant, passive solution. It’s always there to control incoming heat, while blinds can be up or down depending on the occupant.
Window film rejects heat at the glass, so it does not penetrate the building. While some blinds have heat reflection properties, the necessary air gap between the blind and glass acts as a natural insulator so the net heat rejection is less.Film has no mechanisms to fail over time, and as such comes with a warranty that cannot be matched by blinds.

FILM v EXTERNAL SHADES
External shades for commercial buildings are effective, but often impractical as they mean significant modifications to the building façade to support the weight, which can also be costly. External shades can also alter the view substantially.

The Window Film Association of Australia and New Zealand (WFAANZ) represents film manufacturers and installers, while providing facility managers with resources regarding the available types of window film. The website www.wfaanz.org.au lists installers in every state and contains contact details if more information is required.

More information
WFAANZ www.wfaanz.org.au

The Queensland Government, in conjunction with the South East Queensland water entities SEQ Water Grid Manager, Seqwater, WaterSecure and LinkWater, is partnering with the Australian Water Association (AWA) to present the event at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. Ozwater ’10 is an opportunity to profile projects, technologies and practices that will feature in an increasingly challenging and demanding era of water management.

More information
AWA www.awa.asn.au
Ozwater ‘10 www.ozwater10.com.au

ACQUISITION
“Also, we are also proud to announce - in our 25th year - the acquisition of Elite Elevators,” says a company spokesperson. “This acquisition is part of Liftronic’s strategic growth plan to consolidate its operations nationally while entering and strengthening new markets and regions.”
Elite is an active and successful lift installation and maintenance business operating mainly in the Gold Coast area of South East Queensland, and will complement Liftronic’s existing operations in this and the wider Queensland markets.
The Liftronic Group says it looks forward to continuing to supply superior vertical transport products and solutions to its valued clients and customers nationally.

More information
Liftronic Pty Ltd www.liftronic.com.au

Now is the time for facility managers to display their true talents and worth to their organisations by reducing accommodation costs. Alienating leases and leased areas not required by way of sub-leasing, assignment or terminations has become a priority.
But, as this process commences, a word of warning: Don’t commit to new smaller premises, even at significantly reduced rentals, until planned sub-leases and/or terminations of leases have been finalised. Too often there is ‘slip between cup and lip’ and suddenly the company is paying rental on two premises, resulting in higher, not lower, accommodation costs!

GETTING STARTED
Do not be disappointed if your landlord is not interested in entertaining any prospects of an early lease termination unless there is an explicit pre-agreed clause in the lease agreement. Landlords have also suffered significantly during this financial hiatus and are under immense pressure from their financing sources to show stability in their portfolio and tenants. Even a termination with a good up-front payment and future rental growth prospects may be seen as weaknesses in the security of the future rental flows from the portfolio.
Start by reviewing the relevant lease agreements in detail to fully understand your rights in being able to sub-lease or assign all or part of your leased premises. These conditions may be fairly onerous, so do not make assumptions. In most leases landlords need to display reasonableness in consenting to a sub-lease or assignment proposal provided their position is not weakened in any way. However, there is seldom any onus on landlords to assist in the process or display any flexibility in consenting to any such proposed arrangements.
It is important to distinguish the difference between assignment and sub-leasing clauses. With assignments the incoming tenant fully takes over all the rights and obligations covered by the lease agreement. Landlords are reluctant to agree to such assignment unless the incoming tenant has a better covenant than the outgoing tenant. Assignment is relevant to the entire premises and not part of the premises such as part of a floor or a few floors out of many.
Most often the issue of lease term becomes the centre of a three-way negotiation. The new sub-lessee has the expectation of a certain term; the remaining term of the lease is pre-determined; and although the landlord may be eager for a longer term he will extract a price for ‘reluctantly’ agreeing to this extension. Remember there may even be a disincentive for a landlord to agree to a sub-lease if there is other vacant space in the building. You may be in competition with your landlord – but you still need to get his approval.
In preparation for the leasing campaign it is important to do the proper analysis of likely financial outcome. In particular, be diligent in assessing the accounting treatment of any loss on rental or furniture fit-out write-off. As per accounting standards the full extent of these losses may need to be accounted for as soon as they are recognised, even if the actual losses will only occur over some years into the future. So, having managed to achieve a good level of recurrent savings, your directors may not be that pleased with having to recognise three or more years’ losses in one year. Be sure you know what the company’s financial objectives are before getting too far down the sub-leasing route.

MAKE-GOOD OBLIGATIONS
‘Make-good’ obligations at the end of the lease are another financial obligation trap. The cost of removing existing furnishings and fit-out and the rectification of any resultant damage the premises can be large. It may be possible to have this obligation transferred to the sub-lessee, but generally this is difficult unless the new tenant ends up with a longer lease direct with the landlord. These three-way negotiations are always a challenge!
In setting your sub-leasing objectives it is important to be realistic in determining the rental target levels that are to be achieved. It does not make sense at this stage of the property cycle to follow the market rental trends. With a diminishing lease term and relatively short period to secure a sub-lessee, it is important to lead the market with the rental deal on offer. Landlords can afford to be more strategic in their approach to secure new long-term tenants. Target rental levels should be ‘highly attractive’ to potential sub-lessees. In most market conditions this will probably require that a loss be taken on the rental for the remainder of the lease period.
Because of the potential complexities in sub-leases, leasing agents are often less than enthusiastic about or committed to sub-leasing mandates. Something needs to be on offer to somehow ‘catch the attention’ of the leasing agent. This may be letting them know that there will be a quick and easy deal; or there is an additional leasing incentive; or whatever else may work. In the current market there are many premises available for sub-leasing and agents have a very broad selection of sub-lease premises to show prospective clients. The key to success may be the initiative displayed in capturing the agents’ focus and imagination.

ALLOW FOR MARKETING COSTS
In the sub-leasing budget provisions need to be included for marketing costs to cover signage, brochures and the agent’s fees. In addition, be aware that you may need to provide a lease incentive to the incoming tenant of 20 to 30 percent of the rental for the agreed lease term. This may be problematic if the agreed lease term as approved by the landlord is longer than the outstanding period of the current lease term. The landlord may not be prepared to contribute any leasing incentive (or even agent’s fees) even though benefit is being received. In these situations it is unlikely that the financial business case for the sub-lease will make sense. In certain circumstances the lessee incentive may be provided in the form of the existing fit-out – but only if the design and layout suits the new tenant. The allocations of these up-front costs are challenging negotiation points and critical inputs into the sub-leasing business case.
Generally, it is easier to sub-lease smaller areas compared to whole floors and/or multiple floors. There is usually more tenant demand in the smaller suite search categories – albeit there may be more supply of suite available. As a rule the larger the accommodation requirement the more sophisticated the tenant; the more robust the search; and the more inflexible the commitment for new premises is likely to be. Also, the longer the sub-lease period, the more likely that the business case will make financial sense. For relatively short remaining periods it often makes more sense to ‘sit it out’ until the lease expires.
It is important to do detailed analysis and business case appraisal prior to embarking on any sub-leasing and/or assignment campaign. Often, the potential revenues do not justify the up-front costs and efforts involved – particularly if the objectives of the landlord and tenants are not aligned. Do not expect the landlord’s commercial imperatives to coincide with your sub-leasing financial objectives. The reality is that the landlord does not have to assist in the process other than display some reasonableness – usually the landlord has the luxury of time and can wait until the market up-swing is more evident before commencing the tenancy search.

Rodney Timm is a director of Property Beyond Pty Ltd. Call 0425 211 967 or email rodney.timm@propertybeyond.com.au

More information
Property Beyond www.propertybeyond.com.au

The façade of 1 Bligh Street in Sydney will feature two distinct sets of glass skins. Automated venetian blinds will function between the skins, shielded from the elements.

When 1 Bligh Street, a 29-storey office building overlooking Circular Quay in the heart of Sydney, is completed in April 2011, this $270 million structure will be a visually and functionally unique landmark.
The 42,000-square-metre development will deliver 6 Star Green Star (5 Star NABERS Energy) performance through a range of tightly integrated ESD (ecologically sustainable development) solutions, the most notable of which is a ‘double-skin’ facade.
As the phrase suggests, a double-skin facade consists of two separate glazing systems – in layman’s terms: two layers of windows. The design being incorporated into 1 Bligh Street has an INNER skin of high-quality, double-glazed windows, and an OUTER skin of single-sheet laminated glass. There is a 600mm cavity between the two skins – providing sufficient space to accommodate a sophisticated automated venetian blind system, as well as walkway gantries at each level of the building for access by cleaners and maintenance personnel.
While double-skin facades are popular in the Northern Hemisphere, where such energy-efficient designs are highly prized for their superior insulation and anti-glare properties, there are fewer examples of double-skin systems in Australia. The 5,500-square-metre Bendigo Police Station in Victoria is a good example.
The outermost glass skin at 1 Bligh Street has two primary functions: first, fixed horizontal ventilation slots at all levels of the building encourage upward airflow in the cavity between skins, helping to expel unwanted hot air; second, this outer skin serves as a weather shield to protect the motorised venetian blinds from severe winds.
The inner skin, utilising double-glazing for world-class thermal efficiency, provides an effective barrier against heat gain in summer and heat loss in winter, and maximises the benefits derived from the external venetian blinds.
According to Ray Brown, director of the Australian architectural firm Architectus – which designed the building in collaboration with German colleague Christoph Ingenhoven – the geographic and climatic conditions at 1 Bligh Street were major influences on the specification of the double-skin façade.
“The siting was really a fundamental issue; it all comes down to the siting, the use of the building, and the natural attributes of the site,” Brown says. “The building is at the heart of the commercial core of the city and looks out over the harbour. Even though it is set back several blocks, there are panoramic harbour views from the fourth level.”
Brown says the venetian blinds between the glazing skins are intrinsic to overall building performance. “Normally, external blinds of this kind can’t survive the conditions of a high-rise building more than 40 to 50 metres off the ground, so the second (outer) skin of glass is a wind shield for the blinds, which are the main solar shading system.”
Co-architect Christoph Ingenhoven, speaking recently1 with Professor Steffen Lehmann, UNESCO Chair in Sustainable Urban Development for Asia and the Pacific, and chair of the School of Architecture and Built Environment at The University of Newcastle, adds that double-skin sun protection is vital for both energy efficiency and user comfort.
“Our first eco-high-rise was the RWE Tower in Essen 25 years ago, which was all about the building’s envelope,” Ingenhoven says. “Since then, we have done over 40 buildings with dual-glass skin facades, and the technology has greatly evolved over this time. The Bligh Street tower will be the first high-rise to receive a 6 Star certificate on the Green Star rating system. This tower will be equipped with a real double-skin façade and will be ventilated by an atrium stretching the whole height of the tower. Fifty percent of the ventilation will be provided by the double-skin façade.
“The building will capture great gap views to Circular Quay, and there is a whole range of things we have introduced that will make the project work well. For instance, the façade will allow us to have a 100 percent shading solution and glare protection, with perforated internally adjustable blinds within the 600mm double-skin cavity. The sun protection is very efficient, while maintaining the views, so we can use non-tinted glass on the outer skin. This makes the building extremely transparent and will offer the user a different experience. The ventilated outer skin is made of clear glass, which will ensure a highly transparent building.”

The outer glazing skin, i.e. the external glass panel exposed to the elements, has been designed to promote airflow through fixed horizontal vents at the top and bottom of each level of the building, thereby preventing excessive heat build-up during summer.

BUILDING WITH VISION
Indeed, the clarity of the glass used in both glass skins of the façade will be one of the most eye-catching elements of the design.
Conventional office buildings usually incorporate some form of tinted or reflective glazing in order to minimise the amount of direct sunlight and heat entering the structure. The trade-off is a darkened or pearlescent finish that can visually isolate the occupants of the building from the natural environment and create unwanted reflectivity, particularly at night, when the inner glass can resemble a mirror.
The Bligh Street glass, supplied by G. James, has a 60 percent VLT (visual light transmission), compared to normal office glazing specifications of approximately 25–40 percent. In other words, onlookers will be struck by the crystal clear views into the building; meantime, the occupants will experience ‘true-to-life’ panoramic views of the harbour and the city’s genuine colours.
The double-skin façade will “definitely stand apart”, says Kerryn Coker, from engineering consultancy ARUP, who has worked closely on the project.
“In terms of the overall look, you have to realise that most commercial buildings have a VLT of no more than 35–40 percent, used with internal blinds that mean ‘no views’ when drawn,” she explains.
“So the immediate benefit of a double-skin façade is that you introduce operable external blinds, which typically you can’t have on a high-rise, to produce a shading coefficient of 0.15 with the blinds down and uninterrupted views when they’re up.”
Coker says that the external skin’s fixed (open) ventilation slots, measuring approximately 100mm wide, will allow wind to circulate fresh air through the cavity between the skins and stop excessive heat build-up. This means the internal skin will never be exposed to air temperatures that are vastly higher than the outside ambient air temperature.
“Wind rather than convection will typically drive the air movement,” Coker explains. “In Sydney you practically never experience a completely still day.”

FULL CONTROL
Strong winds, of course, are not compatible with sophisticated venetian blind systems. As already mentioned, the outer skin of the building is a protective barrier against the elements for these units.
Jason Turner, whose firm Turner Bros is responsible for the installation of the motorised venetian blinds and accompanying façade control system – all supplied by Horiso – says there will be a total 1774 separate blinds throughout the building, i.e. an average 64 units per typical level.
Each unit, measuring 3300mm high and 1702mm wide, will be positioned in the cavity between the two skins, “on the inside of the outer glazing,” Turner notes, “where the pelmet attaches to the bottom of the vent at the top of each section.”
Overall, these units will form part of a powerful management platform to conserve energy and optimise user comfort. The aluminium blades [colour RAL 9007] will have a width of 80mm each.
Turner says a Horiso Dynamic Façade Controller has been programmed to track the path of the sun, which changes slightly each day of the year. The system will automatically adjust the angle of the blades in each blind depending on the orientation of the façade and the momentary position of the sun.
One of the strengths of the system, Turner says, is its ease of operation. The facility manager will be able to make use of a GUI (graphical user interface) for on-screen views of the positional settings of each blind on each floor. This system provides complete centralised control, which is vital, for instance, when overriding automatic functions for scheduled cleaning.
Similarly, individual building users can manually override pre-set functions for personal privacy, or to darken a room for video conferencing presentations, etc. Automatic functions will resume after a specified period.

CLEANSKINS
It goes without saying that a double-skin façade requires more cleaning than a single-skin glass façade: “about twice as much,” Ray Brown jokes.
However, as Kerryn Coker observes, while the exterior of the outer skin – the surface exposed to the elements – will probably require six-monthly cleaning, the other surfaces will require less regular attention.
Coker says a customised, permanent BMU (building maintenance unit), comprising a cantilever-lowered cradle, will be used for the outer face of the building.
The cavity between the skins should be less susceptible to weather-related grime, and the gantry set-up will greatly enhance the speed and safety of this cleaning task.

Footnote
1. Professor Christoph Lehmann spoke to Carl Ingenhoven recently as part of an interview for the article ‘Beauty in Necessity: Christoph Ingenhoven’, which appeared in the August-September 2009 issue of Architectural Review, a sister publication of Facility Management.

1 BLIGH STREET AT A GLANCE
PROJECT NAME 1 Bligh Street, Sydney
ARCHITECTS Architectus + Ingenhoven Architects
BUILDING CO-OWNERS DEXUS Property Group and Cbus Property
BUILDER Grocon.

CONTACT
Architectus www.architectus.com.au
ARUP www.arup.com
Ingenhoven Architects www.ingenhovenarchitects.com
G. James Glass & Aluminium www.gjames.com.au
Turner Bros www.turnerbros.com.au

John Clohessy.

John Clohessy has been appointed as the BSCAA’s Victorian executive director, and Shannon Daniels has been named WA branch president.
Clohessy, who is also an associate member of the Facility Managers Association of Australia (FMAA), brings with him extensive knowledge of commercial cleaning and the hospitality industry.
His commercial experience spans the areas of hospitality, health services, computer software, facilities management and consulting to the property industry, with a strong focus on human resources and industrial relations.
“My strong consultancy background will provide BSCAA members with valuable resources through planned training activities,” Clohessy says. “Some of the areas that future training sessions will focus on include sustainable work practices, developing contract documentation, management of service delivery and monitoring contractual compliance, strategies to engage your staff in building their career path, understanding the new award and strategies to develop a profitable business.”
The past year, he notes, saw the state and national committees devote much of their time and effort to the complex national IR and national award structure. “Now that most issues have been addressed, our committee will be more focused on state issues.”

Shannon Daniels.

AND IN WA
Daniels has worked in the cleaning and asset maintenance industry for more than a decade, and is the managing director of Triumphant Property Services.
He has received many accolades; he has been a national finalist in the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards, winner of the 2008 PEP Community Services Employer of the Year, and was recently named the 2009 Business Master of the Year by The Business Masters Club.
In 2010 Daniels plans to use his innovative approach for the benefit of the cleaning and asset maintenance industry and to advance the industry’s position through his appointment as the BSCAA WA president.
He says he intends to make BSCAA WA more attractive to existing and prospective members by fostering relationships with other services providers in various industries and by promoting the organisation as the voice of the industry.

More information
BSCAA www.bscaa.asn.au