Building performance assessments are important; they determine energy use, structural issues and even repair frequency. But one thing often missing from such information is how buildings perform for the folks who occupy them.

To address that lack, The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) introduced a new International Building Operation Standard with the goal of “collecting consistent data to satisfy the latest needs of occupiers, investors, advisors and end users,” according to a release from that organization. Free assessment tools will soon be available, allowing building owners and managers to understand performance.

Also available in the framework? Data to help meet sustainability and wellness targets, based on user experience. Specifically, the IBOS will focus on people-centric information to help determine how users interact with building space, along with the building’s overall environmental impact.

The standard is the first of its kind to deliver a consistent approach that helps organizations assess and improve building performance. Though new, it’s already supported by commercial and public agencies, along with WELL and WiredScore certifications.

As has been the case with many recent changes, the COVID-19 pandemic is driving this process, with a specific eye toward developing a level of comfort for those returning to on-site offices. As people come back to in-office work, they need to feel confident that they’re safe. To help in this endeavor, the IBOS standard provides assessment tools to help measure the following:

• Wellbeing
• Social impact
• Flexibility
• Lifecycle costs
• Temperature and air quality
• Health and safety

Though research is available when it comes to people-building interactions, results from the recent RICS Global Commercial Property Monitor indicates that 81% of U.S. and 86% of Canadian respondents see an increasing demand for more flexible workspaces. An increase in healthy work-life balance, combined with changing property uses, means the necessity for more information on how buildings impact wellbeing.

Furthermore, while sustainability is already measured, 79% of U.S. respondents believe that techniques and practices are in place to measure a building’s environmental impact.

Noted Paul Bagust, head of Land and Property Standards: “The way buildings are used is changing. Environmental concerns have come to the fore; attitudes to health and wellbeing are evolving rapidly; expectations of the workplace are far more sophisticated.

“We must take a broader approach to decision making in the way we use property. IBOS will address how organizations work with their buildings by creating consistency on cost elements for workspace, people and technology to optimize the value for all concerned.”