It looked great on paper, but why doesn’t it work?

Have you ever purchased an item, such as a kitchen appliance, only to find out it doesn’t live up to the sales hype? We all have, and it’s frustrating. There are now websites and forums dedicated to consumer ‘venting’.

But if the object in question is not a $50 blender, but a multi-million-dollar building, the stakes are so much higher than a few disgruntled consumers. In the worst case scenario, we could be seeing lawyers at six paces; as a best case scenario, a series of facilities managers, asset owners and building occupants that are far from comfortable and happy.

The issue with lacklustre delivery and poor performance of Australian buildings has been highlighted by recent high-profile building failures. But there’s a lot of issues that don’t make the media radar: HVAC systems that use more energy than the design modelling suggested; blackwater treatment systems that never get turned on; or building control systems that aren’t delivering useful, real-time actionable information for facility managers.

Often this angst is the result of inadequate training, guidance and education for end users on how to make the most of their new tools and systems.

The Shergold and Weir Report, Rebuilding Confidence, made a strong point around the need to improve building documentation - not only for design and delivery teams but also for the end users and asset owners.

And that’s an area where an Independent Commissioning Agent (ICA) delivers a win.

The ICA’s role is to sit on the client side of the table and represent their interests. We do this by applying our technical knowledge to ensure they get a building that meets their needs and works properly.

We engage with each stage of the project from initial design through to final handover and then continue to follow up in the 12 to 18 months post occupancy window. This holistic approach means we undertake detailed analysis and oversight of design, specification, program, procurement, commissioning and post-occupancy evaluation.

Along the way we coordinate, collate and validate all relevant documentation. So, when it’s time to cut the ribbon and open the doors of their brand-new asset, the owner or owner’s representative gets a full set of documentation that ensures the FMs and maintenance staff know exactly what’s in there, how it should work, and at what point in the future it may benefit from further optimisation and tuning.

The word “independent” is an important distinction too. We are not part of the project team per se. We are like the building certifier, keeping an arm’s length third-party independence to ensure we can objectively review the project’s outcomes to ensure it achieves its initial aspirations.

The ultimate proof of the value of having expert eyes on a project is the results outcome. At Kings Square, Perth, for example, we ensured the developer’s (Dexus) Principal Project Requirements were implemented from concept design thorough to construction and then provided fine-tuning of the systems during the first 18 months of the occupancy of the four buildings. It didn’t end there either. Cundall is now providing services to the tenants of the buildings delivering their annual energy performance reviews.

It’s not only a role that benefits commercial offices either.

At Precinct Stage 2 in Perth we worked closely with a private developer client who is known for the attention to detail in their high-end, bespoke residential projects. We gave advice on how the design could be optimised in ways both the future occupants and the FM team would appreciate. The result was an excellent project and a lasting relationship. Six years on from project commencement, we are now advising the client on sustainability credentials that will contribute towards carbon neutral status (currently a very rare thing in Australian high-rise residential) and continue to provide ICA services for all the client’s new projects.

There’s a lot of times when a bit of mystery is a good thing, but how a building is designed & operates is not one of them. Asset owners and FMs want to be able to plug and get the most from their systems – our job is to make sure they can.