Mace Group

As funding cuts bite, estates directors will be finding themselves increasingly under the spotlight. An organisation's property portfolio is typically the second greatest drain on its balance sheet after staff salaries. Universities' priority will be to protect front-line teaching and learning - which means high-spending estates departments will be prime targets for cuts. But estates are also one of an institution's greatest and most valuable assets. By stepping back and taking a more holistic look, estates directors might find they could free up money for much-needed renewal or expansion.

Talking points: 

• How can a university's estate strategy reflect its wider aims?
• Where are the opportunities to release value from a property portfolio?
• How can property renewal generate extra income for a university?
• What's the best way to engage all stakeholders in an estate strategy?

Case study: Brunel University 2002 - 2009
The partnership between Mace and Brunel University is one of the longest running and most successful in higher education. In 2002, when the institution decided to consolidate three west London campuses into one, it appointed Mace to provide overall programme management for its ten-year masterplan for the Uxbridge site. Since then, it has helped the university develop its aspirations for the 366,000 square metre site, used its commercial expertise to release the greatest possible value and delivered them with the minimum of disruption. It has also provided project management for a number of new buildings, including 17 halls of residence for 1,400 students, completed on time and under budget in August 2008.

To read the article in full, which includes an opinion piece provided by Peter Kerr, past chairman of AUDE, and director of estates at Heriot-Watt, please click on the icon on the right hand side of this page.