Development consultant shows how to trim ‘the fat’

TODAY’S. WORLD de-
mands that we do more
with less. To survive, we
are forced to boost profits
while minimizing costs.

By Bob Forrest
Contributing Writer

' One’ way for developers to
achieve this elusive goal is by
‘prospecting’? for extra space
within the proposed building
envelope. :

As a prospector, your main tool
is an in-depth and detailed
assessment of planning in process.

This straightforward analysis
allows you to identify wasted and

under-utilized square footage — .
into revenue- ..

and then turn it
producing space.
This |
_- Without incurring additonal ‘con-
. Struction costs.
Here is a quick example of how
a Vancouver assessment yielded
substantial results for its owner.
_ A typical highrise residential
‘project may have a gross liveable
area’ (GLA) ‘of 100,000 square
feet.
Of ‘this, the net: ‘saleable area
(NSA) clocks in ‘at around: 80,000
:. square feet or. approximately 80%
—- the: remaining 20% _ being

- devoted to amenities, corridors,

lobby and other common areas.
By increasing the NSA -by just
4%, we add an additional 4,000
" square feet of ‘saleable ‘space to
the building.

In .an. active. market such as —

» Vancouver ‘where $250 per square

can be accomplished

foot is typical, that 4% can mean
$1,000,000 in extra revenue.

Such a substantial gain is par-
ticularly appealing when you con-
sider that it can often be as simple
as rearranging the core and
rethinking the ‘typical floor cor-
tidors.

Recently, we went ‘prospecting’
within the preliminary plans for
an, 84-unit highrise condominium.
We struck a motherlode!

Our analysis netted another
16,000 square fect of net saleable
area. We achieved a net saleable
to floor space ratio (FSR) of
96.6%, an increase of 20% over

the original scheme.

And most importantly, total

‘revenue for the project increased

by over $4.5 million,
Q Here was what we were able to

0:

* increase the number of suites by
almost 50% from 84 to 120

* add an entire floor of suites,
without altering the building
heights

e add an additional 25% to the
NSA, within the prescribed floor
space ratio.

We began the process by
systematically, working through
the building starting with a typical
floor and working both up and
down searching for extra fat.

The focus was on making each
and every element of the building
as efficient as possible. It is a

_ game of inches,

It was typical floorplates where
we made our most impressive
gains.

In this case, the floor had been
designed with a standard U-

shaped corridor wrapped around a
core containing mechanical shafts,
elevators and stairs.

We were able to condense the
core size substantially by redesign-
ing the stairs more efficiently. We
then relocated the shafts,

With the core size reduced, the
surrounding corridor took up less
room — freeing up extra space
which could be reapportioned to
the suites.

The upshot was a substantial |

jump in the NSA at no extra con-
struction costs.

Elsewhere in the building we
took a similar approach.

On the main oor, the amenity
space was redesigned to improve
access and efficiency.

. Down in the parking levels, we
reduced the square footage allot-
ted to each stall by 7%.

Adding one and two suites per
floor allowed us to drop. the
building’s average price-point
while maintaining the target price
per square foot.

This made the building accessi-
ble to a much wider range of
buyers,

As you can see, the advantages
are significant for the builder. who
utilizes building efficiency ‘‘pro-
specting’’ before committing to
construction.

Revisions to the plans result in
increased net saleable space and,
most importantly, add millions to
the bottom line.

Prospecting in a plan is a
win-win situation for builders!

Bob Forrest heads Forrest Con-
sultants Limited Toronto and
Vancouver.

Red Cross holds blood donor clinics

“THE RED Cress would like you
to know more about its organiza-
. tion because March .is Red Cross
‘month. »
The Red Cross is the world’s
- largest’ voluntary humanitarian
“movement. It relies’ heavily ‘on
volunteers for its support —.90%
of its work is done by volunteers.
Unlike. other’ charities, you do
-not have to commit a lot of time
and effort to make your contribu-
‘tion’ worthwhile or to make the
- Red Cross.a success.
-° By becoming a_ regular ‘Red
‘Cross blood donor you help the
-Red Cross achieve its promise to
provide every Canadian with safe
“blood. free of charge whenever
> they need it.
This is not an easy promise for

i the Red Cross to keep. Each and |;

-every work day the organization
must collect 5,000 units of blood
to meet the demand of the more
than 900 hospitals in Canada.
> Help celebrate Red Cross month
by - becoming a regular. blood
donor. The following blood donor
clinics are being held on the North
Shore: * ”

‘Home and Office
improvement Specialist -

Steve
Nicholson
project
management

- Vancouver

@ Monday, March 8 and Tues-
day, March 9, Lions Gate Hospi-
tal, Medical Day Centre Gym-
nasium, 200 E. 15th St., North
Vancouver, 2:30 to 8 p.m.; and

@ Thursday, March 18, West
Recreation Centre,
gymnasium, 780 22nd St., West
Vancouver, 2:30 to 8 p.m.

You can be a blood donor if
you are in good health, between
the ages of 17 and 7! (first-time
donors are restricted at age 60)

and weigh more than 50 kilos (110

> pounds).

You should also not be on any.
medication; however, there are a
few exceptions.

It ‘is advisable for. donors to
have. a sitbstantial meal within
four hours of coming to the clinic
and‘to allow an hour for the
donation process.

For further

information call
877-7810. .

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