![## Office buildings can save money and cut carbon emissions with flexible designs](https://www.buildaustralia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/lenlease-arup-WP-1000x667-1.jpg)
A new joint study by Lendlease, Arup, and Schneider Electric reveals innovative strategies for office building owners and managers to add commercial real estate (CRE) value while adapting to modern, flexible work patterns and addressing sustainability challenges.
The white paper, titled Get more from your core investments: How faster fit-outs can drive higher returns for commercial properties, focuses on leveraging technological advancements to create adaptable building services that reduce waste and improve environmental performance.
As buildings account for almost 40 per cent of global carbon emissions, according to a recent McKinsey report, the CRE industry faces stringent environmental regulations, shifting tenant and investor expectations, and a volatile market landscape.
The study proposes practical solutions to tackle fluctuating office occupancy with post-COVID work patterns while cutting carbon emissions.
Traditional building design and construction methods often struggle to address sustainability and carbon accounting.
In response, Schneider Electric, Lendlease, and Arup collaborated on a practical guide that illustrates how an adaptable approach can help strike a balance between flexible occupancy and reduced carbon emissions.
The white paper introduces a new method for designing and implementing integrated building services within commercial office space, which was applied to one floor within a major office tower building in Sydney, Australia, demonstrating tangible benefits.
Modelled scenarios for a single building show the potential to generate significant lifecycle cost reductions, additional revenues, and savings of more than 1,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide over 30 years.
The solution also offers improved space utilisation, increased tenant comfort, and insights into space usage for both landlords and tenants.
To explore the full findings and implications of this innovative project, download the complete white paper here.