The 'green way' of the industrial sector
The industrial green builds were only embraced two years ago, as a result of the rise of logistics and warehouse spaces because of the online sales increase. So we put together a few key points to help understand what is ‘the green way’ and how property developers react to this trend.
What are the industrial green builds?
Since the end of 2019, the industrial sector has been dramatically influenced by environmental factors, pushing developers to embrace sustainability while building or refurbishing a warehouse space and developers start embracing the industrial green builds. According to Savills demand for warehouses grew by 9.1% in the past year and is forecast to remain high in the medium-term.
This is also influencing the tenants to aim for reduced energy and resource consumption through improved operations and logistics, obtaining a good EPC certification with or more sustainable methods and materials, including fresh air ventilation, smart LED lighting and comfortable building temperatures. These requirements are now taken into consideration by property developers who are looking to embrace the industrial green builds more.
The South-East of England is seeing an increase in new logistics units under construction with a record high of £8.26m according to Hollis, and many building consultancies, funds and developers are implementing sustainability measures by adopting an ESG Policy, which stands for environmental, social and governance.
Keeping up with the competitive market of recently built new warehouses, older buildings undergoing refurbishment must also adopt the ‘green way’. However, this requires more resources as well as longer lead times and an increased budget – the warehouse needs to be first stripped out and cleared of asbestos when found, before the old fixtures and fittings need to be replaced with more sustainable options such as retrofitting, and all within the client’s budget.
Here at Open, we provide comprehensive project management and a hands-on approach to site management during every refurbishment. As main contractors we are pleased to work with developers who embrace industrial green builds – our latest project that had 0% waste to landfill and 94% waste recycled during refurbishment is Laszlo.
By implementing sustainable solutions in your existing warehouse, the space becomes more marketable and can attract higher rental income for longer occupancy. Moreover, it helps in eliminating the carbon footprint by 2050 alongside government initiatives to reverse the accelerating global warming.
Although climate change needs commitment from everyone, the refurbishment projects that have started to prioritize these objectives have already made a great step forward, and considering the industrial green builds, the environment will also benefit better.
Have a look at our industrial refurbishment projects and talk to us about how we can make your space work smarter and harder.
