When size does matter

It is becoming more and more important in today’s market to be fully aware of all the space within your property and to be able to maximise its use and possible payback. One of the most important aspects of this is to have up to date and accurate plans, whether it is to find 1000’s of feet of previously unknown usable space (yes, this has happened) or to accurately re-allocate service charge apportionment, the benefits can be huge.

It does not seem to matter what your sector is, the re-occurring question we get is ‘do you have a plan you can send me’ and often sending an out of date or inaccurate layout can be worse than not sending anything at all.

Maintaining measured survey data can be just as critical as the initial survey as it is the equivalent of a service plan and MOT. Most buildings will be altered many times in their lifetime and it can be far more cost / time effective to keep plans updated on a regular basis than to realise you have lost track of what has been altered and what hasn’t.

The implementation of the International Property Measurement Standards (IPMS) codes has also made area scheduling and verification an important issue when instructing a measured survey.  Guidance for Office & Residential measuring have now been issued (effective 1^st May 2018) with Industrial & Retail being finalised early next year. Whilst we are finding that GIA & NIA are still the preferred choice of measurement, IPMS will inevitably become more and more important as time progresses.

As well as measured surveys and area scheduling, Black Cat can offer a variety of drawing management solutions to Landlords of Shopping Centres, large commercial premises or office buildings and complex’s. This can range from simply preparing lease plans to complete retained drawing management and storage.  We can also supply a complete package of drawing services in conjunction with our Project Management and Building Surveying teams.

These services can include:-

1. Sourcing, procuring & carrying out measured surveys, advising on the level of information required and the best formats for it to be produced.
2. Area scheduling, verification and referencing to incorporate GIA, NIA, IPMS 1, 2 & 3, ITSA, DEC plans and all other bespoke area scheduling requirements.
3. Documenting and storing of existing held drawings including As-built information, General Arrangement drawings, construction plans & details etc.
4. Working in conjunction with existing drawing management systems such as Dome, Burgess, 4projects etc. this allows us to quickly and efficiently access drawing information, amend and re-distribute in a wide variety of formats to suit.
5. Through a network of survey teams we can update and maintain accurate General Arrangement plans, Basebuild plans & Tenant Retail Delivery Packs.
6. Supply Landlords, agents, site teams, tenants (existing and prospective) and many other 3^rd parties with fast and accurate information.
7. In conjunction with our Building Surveyors we are able to supply a range of drawing packages from pre-feasibility options through to full landlords construction works drawings.
8. We can also offer more bespoke services such a variety of Heat Maps including PPM’s, Sprinkler renewals, Fire Zone drawings etc.

Chris started his design career over 35 years ago at an architectural firm and his design work has seen him work within all major sectors (retail, leisure, industrial, offices).  Throughout his career, Chris has worked with some of the biggest brands out there with examples including Harley Davidson and Disney. He is currently involved in most of the major shopping centres in the UK and has surveyed close to 8,000,000 sq.ft. whilst at Black Cat Building Consultancy.