Thought Leadership

What can Artificial Intelligence (AI) offer the built environment in our age of climate emergency? At the heart of Deep Reinforcement Learning is an agent and an environment. Just as we are starting to learn that our actions within our environment have consequences on an immense, planetary scale, innovative AI is learning too – and faster than us.

By using Deep Reinforcement Learning to optimise the energy efficiency of HVAC systems in the built environment, we can minimise the negative impact of our own actions without sacrificing occupant comfort. As businesses all over the world attempt to transition to Net Zero, this technology has a pivotal role to play.

But why is Deep Reinforcement Learning the best way to optimise HVAC performance?

By Esther An

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) integration is no longer a choice today. In the global Race to Zero^[1], led by UNFCCC, over 5,200 businesses, 1,040 cities and 440 investors have stepped up their ambition and joined the global alliance to catalyse climate change. Following COP26, over 90% of global GDP has committed to achieving net zero by or near mid-century.^[2] According to the 17^th Edition of the World Economic Forum Global Risks Report, environmental risks were perceived to be the five most critical long-term threats over the next 10 years.^[3] Climate risks are investment and business risks – the damage caused by climate change is projected to result in an increase of up to 41% of global property premiums until 2040.^[4] With the building and construction sector accounting for about 40% of global carbon emissions^[5], the real estate sector is in a prime position to advance sustainable development.  

Integration: Strong Fundamentals for Business and Climate Resilience

City Developments Limited (CDL)’s ESG strategy stems from its corporate ethos, “Conserving as we Construct” established in 1995. Its value creation business model is anchored on four key pillars—Integration, Innovation, Investment, and Impact; guiding CDL to achieve three key deliverables: “Decarbonisation”, “Digitalisation & Innovation” and “Disclosure and Communication”. The CDL Future Value 2030 sustainability blueprint, implemented in 2017, maps out clear strategic goals and ESG targets across CDL’s business strategies and operations.

CDL’s sustainability portfolio reports directly to the Board Sustainability Committee with ESG factors effectively integrated into its business, operations and growth strategy. In 2018, the CDL Group introduced its G.E.T. strategy—focusing on Growth while adopting an ESG lens, Enhancement of assets to drive operational efficiency and Transformation to deliver long-term and sustained value.

Cushman & Wakefield’s Office Fit-out Cost Guides provide an indication of the fit-out construction costs for occupiers across key cities around the world. Whether it’s a basic, collaborative, or advanced hybrid fit-out requirement, these Guides compiled by our Project & Development Services team serves to assist occupiers in defining their capital planning and relocation budgets.

The Guides include a comprehensive fit-out cost section covering furniture, professional fees, mechanical & electrical works, construction works, audio visual/IT and other miscellaneous costs, as well as reinstatement and retrofit costs.

Estimated costs provided in our Guides are indicative of market averages based on certain assumptions. Exact costs for specific projects may differ to those presented – we recommend engaging a Project & Development Services professional to advise on precise costings based on your unique construction requirements.

Asia Pacific Guide 2022 Highlights

One clear factor that has come out of the COVID-19 pandemic so far has been the resilience of the Asia Pacific region.

However, many uncertainties remain especially around what the office of the future will look like and how employees will occupy and use that space. With this we have seen a shift in how corporates are envisioning their space requirements, which in turn impacts fit-out decision-making, all within an environment where costs are still being closely scrutinized.

For 31 key cities across 14 markets in APAC, this year’s Guide External Link covers:

• A comprehensive fit-out cost breakdown including furniture, professional fees, and construction works

• Average costs to reinstate office spaces

• Cost estimates of the different styles of fit-out to cater to the post-pandemic workforce

• Average retrofitting costs for a budget-friendly alternative if you’re looking to update and refresh your office environment

This article was originally published in https://www.cushmanwakefield.com/

Knight Frank's Asia-Pacific Prime Office Rental Index saw a 0.3% quarter-on-quarter increase, the first uptick since Q3 2019, before the start of the pandemic. Overall vacancy remains elevated at 12.8%, but office rents are likely to have bottomed out, thanks to improving business sentiments and a gradual and more sustainable return to workplaces, especially among big tech occupiers taking advantage of lower rents to move into high-quality CBD office spaces.

While conditions remain tentative due to the Omicron variant, we expect rents to continue stabilising into 2022 with more markets in the region reaching an inflexion point in the rental downcycle. As occupiers continually evolve their space strategies on the adoption of hybrid working styles, 2022 will be a year of reset and experimentation. However, this does not mean less demand for office spaces. We expect leasing activity to strengthen into 2022, with demand underpinned by the integration of flexible space solutions and a pivot to quality spaces that emphasises wellness and employee experience.

This article was originally published in https://www.knightfrank.com/