The work of renewal and repair only and simply

Restoration addresses dilapidation to avoid further degradation

of the building

Remodelling/ Aesthetic update centred work.

Refashioning

Fitting new and more modern systems into an

Retrofit existing building - commonly associated with
building services

This is the alteration of the main use of a building

Conversion while the main structure remains unchanged.
REFURBISHMENT

"Extending the useful life of existing

buildings through the adaptation of their
basic forms to provide a new or updated
version of the original structure.
Refurbishment of buildings entails giving
outdated buildings a new purpose with
upgrading and reconfiguration that goes
beyond the cosmetic" (Riley, 2011)
LIFE CYCLE OF BUILDING ELEMENTS
 WHY
REFURBISHMENT??
1. Aesthetics
 A poor exterior or interior appearance will
influence the market perception of the building
and will deter many companies from taking a
tenancy.
2. To upgrade services
 E.g.: Poor working environment caused by ineffective air
conditioning, heating or ventilation
 Provide the opportunity for a more energy efficient
building with consequent running cost savings and
reduction in whole life costs.
 Other reasons: upgrading of electrical services and office
communications to meet changing business needs;
upgrading of other systems such as lifts or escalators, fire
detection, security and building management to provide
greater functionality.
3. Change of use
 Changes in organisational requirements
 E.g. Space needs
 Common changes: office to hotel/retail/residential;
warehouse to gallery/office/residential; hotel to office
 Other changes: storage are to office area; offices to dining
area
The survey by RICS states that up to 30% of all redundant office property in
UK cities could be converted to other uses, with over 50% being suited to
residential use, approximately 18% for hotel use and 8% for retail. The survey
also showed that property owners estimated that approximately 4% of their
office space would be converted to other uses over the next two years.
(Martin, 1999)
4. Change in regulation
 Structural related - E.g.: there may be a requirement for
increased design floor loading.
 Service related – E.g.: lighting, heating and ventilation to
meet minimum prescribed standards.
5. To increase net lettable area
 Increase total occupiable floor space will enhance the
value of the building (by collecting more rent from it)
 Building an extension or adding extra floors, moving
service cores to the outside of the building or extending
floor plates.
6. To attract more tenants OR to retain
existing tenants
 One of the primary reasons for refurbishment is to
attract new tenants or to retain existing tenants,
particularly when a current lease is about to expire. In
some cases this may be at intervals of 5 years or less.
Range of Refurbishment
Extend economic life by up
to 5 years
Scope of work:
Redecoration & repairs
work
Minimal alteration to
building services
Duration: the investment timeframe -15
years
Scope of work:
Fittings, finishes and elements of building
services will be replaced or upgraded, taking
advantage of technological advances
Limited structural alterations
Duration: >15 years
Scope of work:
Need to meet modern expectations for specification and
performance standards
All fittings, finishes and services will be replaced
Structural alterations may include the re organization
APPROACHES TO REFURBISHMENT
1. Life-cycle Assessment
8 1

5
4
 Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a methodology for
estimating and assessing the environmental impact of a
product through manufacturing, use and final disposal
 The LCA and LCCA are applicable in refurbishment
projects by diverse types of users in different stages of
the process - enables relative comparison with objective
value between different design options
2. Environmental Assessment Tools
 Audit and certify building based on criteria system
 Malaysia- GBI
 UK – BREEAM
 US – LEED
 Japan – CASBEE
 Singapore – Green Mark
 Australia – Green Star
3. Service Life Planning
 A design process which seeks to ensure, as far as
possible,...
Service Life = OR > Design Life
Expectation from Refurbishment
 Energy savings;
 Increase of comfort;
 Healthy working environment assurance;
 Extension of building life cycle;
 Environmental protection.