Q&A
LIAM MURRAY MAIQS, MRICS National Commercial Manager – Project Support, Downer, Australia
"Resilience is the ability of buildings or infrastructure to adapt and respond to adverse events such as natural disasters, changes in environmental conditions or other external forces. Resilience based approaches to the planning, design, construction and operation of buildings and infrastructure are critical to support the quality of the built environment and the overall resilience of people and cities, appreciating these provide the services and functions that support society. The principle centers around assessing threats and consequences prior to an event occurring and embedding solutions within planning and design processes as opposed to when it becomes necessary, albeit an uncertain time in the future. In delivering buildings and infrastructure,
NATASHA POSSENNISKIE MNZIQS, REG QS Director, Urban Outcomes Ltd, Wellington, New Zealand
"The two most significant risks we face to the resilience of our built environments are also inextricably linked - the Internet of Things and climate change. Our reliance on the Internet of Things in the provision of services to buildings make them susceptible to technological interference, however the Internet of Things also allows for the much more economical operation of buildings with real time information on building efficiency and running costs. Traditionally, the Internet of Things is not integrated into our buildings at the design stage, but it should be. Similarly, climate change is seeing us needing to adapt quickly in design to changing environmental conditions which often can’t be predicted. This is where cost professionals can offer value added services – by buildingin resilience through offering practical
06: JUNE - AUGUST 2020: BUILT ENVIRONMENT ECONOMIST
looking beyond minimum requirements established by institutions and governments, the emphasis should be on establishing a client’s appetite for resilience and in weighing short-term increases in cost against its benefits. Quantity surveyors possess the skills to evaluate the effective cost of resilience, conducting cost analysis and optioneering in planning and design stages, in conjunction with cost planning, to allow client’s to objectively assess cost increases in comparison to the benefit of resilience. Unfortunately for society, until resilience is embedded within policy framework and minimum requirements shift to suit, the focus within private sectors will remain on generating maximum return on investment."
cost advice at the early design stages to ensure the digital and physical build elements of a project are integrated. The industry must adopt a long-term adaptable approach to risk management which cost professionals can play a key role in. Quantity surveyors can assist clients by continually assessing and identifying the resilience of their infrastructure and the risks to this resilience, along with the costs associated with mitigating these risks. They can also assess the value of an asset versus the cost to upgrade that asset to protect it from change. Resilience requires continual risk management and adaption, so considering the costs of building-in flexibility to a space or a building against the costs of adapting it later is also critical."