The initial set of 11 office developments that are pioneering the Design for Performance approach has been published today.

DfP Pioneers, who are funding the initiative, have demonstrated industry leadership in committing to implement Design for Performance on at least one live office development in their pipeline. The list marks the first set of properties in the UK to follow this pioneering approach as part of their commitment to delivering energy efficient offices.

The 11 properties, totaling over 280,000 m² of prime office space, are located in London, Manchester, and Maidenhead, and are all set to be completed between 2022 and 2025.

The Design for Performance initiative seeks to close the well-known “performance gap” between how buildings are designed to perform, and how they actually perform. The industry-backed project provides an approach, based on measurable performance outcomes, which ensures new office developments deliver on their design intent. This culminates in the verified performance and rating of the building in operation. The DfP initiative is working closely with NABERS in Australia to develop a rating scheme for UK offices, building upon their experience and enviable track record of driving energy performance improvements across the market.

“Addressing the environmental challenges we face requires reducing the pressure we put on the natural environment. To do so, we must make sure our buildings are not just green on paper, but in practice. It’s therefore very exciting to see the first set of properties from DfP Pioneers who are truly walking the walk in building sustainability and sending a clear message of leadership to the industry and their stakeholders” said Carlos Flores, Director of NABERS.

The news comes as Royal London Asset Management also joins the initiative as the latest Pioneer. The Design for Performance Pioneers have been instrumental in making the research and the development of the scheme possible. In addition to providing funding, they have collaborated to develop the technical infrastructure for the scheme, contributing their valuable expertise and practical experience of development projects.

Tim Coffin, Responsible Property Investment Manager of RLAM said, “As a BBP member we are very excited to become a DfP Pioneer. This aligns with our wider ambitions in creating RLAM’s net zero carbon strategy, and allows us to contribute from the beginning with the development of this rating scheme.”

Royal London Asset Management manages approximately £8.2 billion, across 260 assets, with a focus on London and the Southeast.[1] The company was established in 1988 as a subsidiary of the Royal London Group and has developed a robust ESG strategy for its properties. RLAM will be implementing the Design for Performance approach on one of its flagship developments in order to ensure that delivers against its operational design intent.

The following companies are Design for Performance Pioneers: British Land, The Crown Estate, Derwent London, Great Portland Estates, Grosvenor Britain & Ireland, Landsec, Legal & General, Lendlease, Nuveen Real Estate, Royal London Asset Management and Stanhope. Each company has submitted at least one property as a Pioneer Project.

The full list of Pioneer Projects can be found here.

[1] As of Q3 2019