Trusting contractors for retrofits will cause recurring problems

Trusting contractors for building retrofits will result in recurring problems, says a senior official at CB Richard Ellis (CBRE). He recommends using a building surveyor to keep costs low on existing buildings given current market conditions. Emirates Business spoke to John Harris, Associate Director-Building Consultancy Division at CBRE, on why he thinks that Dubai is slowly maturing into a building surveyor's market and why 10-year-old buildings are better equipped to cope with UAE climatic conditions.


How many building surveyors are there in the UAE and how does this little-known segment operates within projects?

I came here last year and thought that the time has come for building surveyors. But there are less than 50 building surveyors here. We are quite rare. We specialise in retrofitting of buildings and refurbishment of existing buildings. But it is done as an incremental process.

For example, an asset management company will ask us to do a building conditions survey. So if we look at replacing a roof finish, we would recommend an upgrade to the insulation. All building surveyors are trained to make such recommendations. Our industry is not really recognised out here. Building surveyors are part of a secondary market, which is mature.

Our clients are the biggest property owners in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain. They ask us to do a pre-acquisition survey and conditions survey to find out what is wrong with the building and to give it a value.

Internationally, London, Hong Kong and Singapore have building surveyors, which is an indication of a mature market. Largely, there is a role for educating clients that there has to be someone between the developer and the contractor, where the client can save a lot of money.

What is the relationship with a contractor?

The crucial issue is a link in the chain. Asset managers go directly to the contractors when they face a problem in a building. What happens is that a year later, the same problem arises again. We do not ask contractors. We tell them what to do – in terms of design, specifications and supervision.

So what do you think of the existing building codes in the UAE and are they sufficient? What are the problems that you have identified in existing buildings here?

The existing codes are not good enough. Take the roof. We pull out the waterproofing layer and find 50mm of insulation, if lucky. Many buildings do not have even that level. You need 300mm of insulation and that is a big difference. You might just pay five to 10 per cent more for the material costs. But there is a lack of understanding on how easy it is to improve the energy loss in the building. Again, typically, mechanical plants are not well-maintained and the energy loss is huge.

We also recommend brise-soleil, another method where you shield buildings from sunlight. Buildings, which have a lot of glass, could ideally add external screens on walls or add additional glazing, which could greatly improve the energy efficiency. You could also look at the false ceilings to correct the insulation. The approved document L1B in the UK details the conservation of fuel and power in existing buildings and provides guidance on what, in ordinary circumstances, will meet the requirements of the UK regulations when carrying out work on existing buildings. This is a requirement to upgrade the existing buildings' thermal performance (consequential improvements).

In layman's terms we estimate that, when replacing a roof finish, the cost of improving insulation, either at roof level or ceiling, represents no more than 10 per cent of the contract sum. This is specially significant on low-rise buildings and residential villas, where the roof represents a fifth of the exposed surfaces, and where introducing those U values above would save 20 to 25 per cent on cooling bills per annum.

What do you think of the climatic conditions in the UAE? How long will a building last here?

The environment in the UK is harsher than here. We have harsh rains, sun, snow and ice. We design buildings and expect them to last 50 years. There is no reason why buildings in the UAE cannot last 50 years.

However, condition surveys have revealed that buildings more than 10 years old are in a better shape when compared to new projects here. There are problems with the fabric and finish and the structure as well.

So what are the causes that led to this situation? What are your recommendations to correct it?

This has got to do with speed in projects in the past five years. There are many professionals on projects who are not skilled enough since there has been a rush for project managers. Many do not understand how a building is put together. Putting in time on a low-level watching concrete being poured and the carpenters on site is as crucial to understanding the project as studying project management in a university.

Again, I come from a more traditional background where a project manager must have two skill sets – an architect and project manager for buildings, an engineer and project manager for civil and bridge building projects, a building surveyor and the project manager for a refurbishment or renovation project.

I think that is partly why older buildings are in a better shape. There is nothing wrong with project management skills but it should complement other skills. You have to get dirty on the work site.

So what do you feel about the green legislation that is expected to change the situation in the UAE?

In the UK, we are forced by law to constantly improve energy efficiency every time a minor or major renovation is carried out to a building. In the absence of any effective legislative framework here in the UAE that forces owners of existing property to improve every time they carry out renovation/repair, it's left to building surveyors in the private sector. We don't have to do it, but we do it as a matter of course.

So far we had the Emirates Green Building Council but it was not mandatory. So we are waiting for the DM legislation on green buildings but it might meet with some resistance from developers who might not be willing to bear the costs.


PROFILE:John Harris Associate Director, Building Consultancy Division, CBRE

The building surveyor and project manager gained extensive experience in London and Hong Kong.

With a BSc (Hons) in Building Surveying, he started his career in Central London before moving to Savills (Hong Kong). In 2001 Harris relocated to the UK, working first as senior project manager before setting up his own BS/PM consultancy, handling a variety of projects including the government's BSF Schools programme.

In 2007 John relocated to Dubai, taking up a building surveying consultancy role, leading a team of surveyors and MEP engineers on a UAE-wide due diligence roll out programme for a bank. He then joined a leading global building consultancy, conceiving and heading up their BS Division and establishing the UAE's first BS team. Harris recently joined CBRE and is tasked with setting up its Building Consultancy Division in the Middle East.

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