The College of Estate Management will offer BCO Online Learning –Understanding Office Specifications from February to upskill the agent community The BCO, in conjunction with the College of Estate Management (CEM), has today launched an interactive online accreditation course based on the latest edition of the BCO Guide to Specification.
The publication, written by 90 members of the BCO, sets the standards for office development across the UK. The Guide covers issues affecting the procurement, design and occupation of modern commercial office space as well as key drivers for change in structural and design considerations.
CEM is the leading provider of supported distance learning courses for Construction and Real Estate professionals.
Like the Guide to Specification, the course offers advice across all aspects of office design. Specific sections include:
- Drivers for change – the need for offices to evolve to meet the changing demands of the workplace
- Site issues – what to build and where to build it
- Sustainability – Cost-effectiveness, measurability and the best way to ensure targets are met
- Engineering – Structural loadings, functional criteria, comfort criteria and requirements for building services systems
The course was launched at the London office of law firm Taylor Wessing, 5 New Street Square. Richard Kauntze, Chief Executive of the BCO, said:
“The BCO’s Guide to Specification is widely recognised as having set the industry standard for the specification of offices since its launch in 1994. It is unique in bringing together expertise from within the BCO’s broad membership, which spans the full range of those who design, build and occupy office space. “Now, for the first time industry professionals will have the opportunity to gain an accreditation recognising their commitment to studying the ongoing changes in office development and occupation.
We hope that by improving the quality and standard of information available across the office market, the course will become a prerequisite for the appointment of office agents by developers and investors.”
The course has been backed by leading developers and office occupiers including Immediate Past President of the BCO, Gerald Kaye, Francis Salway, Chief Executive of Land Securities, and Paul Harrington, Real Estate Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Gerald Kaye, Director, Helical Bar, said: “This new initiative will raise the bar for the level of knowledge expected of those letting office space and set new standards in the letting of good quality office space from Britain’s major developers.”
Francis Salway, Chief Executive, Land Securities, said: “The BCO Guide to Specification provides quality guidance to the industry based on the sound research and experience of BCO members; it is recognised as the definitive standard for best practice in office design. It has helped the industry to move to higher standards in office development and to avoid wasteful over-specification.”
Richard Baldwin, Head of Development, Derwent London, said: “By ensuring this new course is readily available to all, the BCO are providing a great resource that will enable all elements of the commercial property sector to speak the same language when it comes to the technical aspects of offices. For a 12 hour course it could save many more in your average working life.” Peter Ferrari, Managing Director of Property Development, Heron International, said: “This course will be a welcome addition to the world of commercial property. Today’s office buildings are highly technical and it’s appropriate that office agents take a ‘driving test’. This will allow developers to identify suitably knowledgeable professionals who are qualified to market their property to its highest potential. I would recommend it to any individual involved with lettings who wish to enhance their skill set.” Paul Harrington, Real Estate Director, PricewaterhouseCoopers, said: "This accreditation will provide office occupiers with the confidence that agents now have the ability to better understand the office product to assist them to better communicate these requirements to those developing commercial office space. Creating a standard level of technical knowledge in this way will help to ensure that future workspace is better matched to user requirements, improving overall returns on investment for all parties involved".
CEM is the leading provider of supported distance learning courses for Construction and Real Estate professionals. All candidates will be required to complete an exam with a 70% minimum pass threshold. The online facility also includes a discussion forum for participants to ask questions and receive advice and guidance.
To sign up to the online BCO Guide to Specification course, visit the BCO’s website (www.bco.org.uk/learning).
