Why closing the knowledge gap will deliver better buildings

Why closing the knowledge gap will deliver better buildingsThe property industry has invested in the technology to make buildings run better – now it needs to invest in the people who manage the buildings, says the University of Sydney’s Ashak Nathwani.Nathwani (pictured) is an honorary associate and senior lecturer in asset and facilities management, building and mechanical services at the University’s School of Architecture, Design & Planning.He also sits on the Property Council’s Operations & Facility Management Committee, of which he has been a member since 1995.He says there is a clear knowledge gap in the facilities management industry.”From 3D and Building Information Modelling to virtual reality, technology is now used extensively in the initial planning, design and construction phases of a project.”But when the building is handed over to the facilities management team, there is often a skills or knowledge gap. Many owners find that their people are not as familiar with the technology needed to operate the building as they would like.”It can take up to a year for a building to ‘settle down’ and for systems to operate smoothly, Nathwani says, and there is a cost associated with that, whether through loss of productivity or inconvenience.”Facility managers require skill and knowledge now, more so than ever before, to get the best out of all the technology found within a building.”Attracting the right people is mission critical, he says.”Over the last five years that I’ve been at the University of Sydney, I’ve seen the number of people wanting to specialise in facilities management decline. Despite salaries going up in the field, it’s not seen as a career option for young people.”Nathwani, who was previously with engineering firm Norman Disney & Young for 33 years, says the industry needs to encourage more young people to consider careers in facilities management, and would like to see more investment in traineeships.He also says the education fraternity needs to understand the value of highly-skilled facilities managers.”The University of Sydney had a masters’ course in facilities management until 2015. Now, we’re offering a diploma and a graduate certificate. Other universities also appear to be moving away from offering facility management courses. But in my mind, this is not the way we should be tackling the problem. “We need to elevate the status of facilities managers by encouraging those with primary qualifications to carry out further studies – because they are in a position to extract the value from a building over its -year lifecycle. There is a great need for strategic facility management thinkers and the higher learning institutions, like universities, have a responsibility to address this need.”The industry is also investing in sustainability, but translating energy-efficient design and construction into efficient operations has proved challenging. “Sustainability is something we should be thinking about throughout the lifecycle of a building. We visit buildings five years after they’ve opened and find the comfort levels and energy efficiency (and hence star ratings) have dropped – and in the majority of cases, it can be attributed directly to this knowledge gap.”The Property Council Academy is offering the Operational Facilities Management course to close this knowledge gap, and it will help people “understand how best to use technology from both technical and strategic perspectives”, Nathwani explains. People who complete the unit also have a pathway to the University of Sydney’s new Master of Architectural Science (High Performance Buildings), the only degree of its kind in Australia.”High performing buildings aren’t just about energy, water or comfort. They are about good financial returns as well. “Nobody wants a building that doesn’t deliver a good return – which is why good facilities managers, who can utilise software and hardware tools strategically to enhance operations, are essential.”The Property Council Academy is also running a series of successful diploma courses around the country on building services and operational facilities management to share the latest concepts that can deliver better performing buildings. Book now.