British Council for Offices

Briefing Note
February 2023

BCO GUIDE TO SPECIFICATION KEY DESIGN CRITERIA

UPDATE 2023
The BCO’s mission is to research, develop and
communicate best practice in all aspects of the
office sector.
The BCO Guide to Specification1 is its most recognised
publication, providing expert best practice advice on how
to specify office space. The Guide comprises three parts:
the first sets out the key influences on design thinking, the
second gives specification guidance, and the third provides
supporting reference material. It covers the base build design
and development of new and major refurbishment projects,
delivering workplaces to a shell and core, shell and floor, or
Category A level of completion. Its aim is to inform clients and
their designers of how best to specify the performance of new
speculative workspace when the end occupier is not known.

Tailoring the space to meet an occupier’s bespoke Riverside House, New Bailey, Irwell Street, Salford
requirements is usually undertaken as part of a fit-out Copyright Muse Developments
project, which is covered by another best practice guide –
the BCO Guide to Fit-Out.2 This guide was last published
in 2011 and is currently being rewritten, with the new of normality returning to the workplace, the BCO decided
version planned for release in 2023. to review and update the Key Criteria to better reflect the
The Guide to Specification was last published in 2019 net zero carbon (NZC) agenda, the changing patterns of
and has generally been updated every 5 years. However, work and improved efficiency of modern technology. The
since 2019 the sector has been subject to unprecedented opportunity has also been taken to introduce updates
influences affecting building design. Some of the metrics reflecting broader influences, including changing standards
previously used to inform office performance need to and planning requirements, and the continual drive to
be revised, and so this interim update to the Guide’s improve user experience of the workplace.
recommended design parameters has been prepared ahead In June 2022, the BCO published a position paper, BCO
of the normal review schedule. Guide to Specification Key Design Criteria Update 2022:
The BCO has produced this briefing note to explain which A Position Paper,3 proposing changes to many of the
criteria have changed and why, so that members can use Key Criteria. Following an extensive consultation with
the guidance for their current projects. These changes the membership and key stakeholder groups, the revised
will be added to the on-line version of the 2019 document criteria have been finalised. This briefing note introduces
and will be incorporated in the next formal update of the the revised criteria, provides a comparison with the 2019
Guide itself. guidance and explains the rationale for the changes made.

The BCO does not advocate any particular design solution.

Introduction As always, guidance should be interpreted by qualified,
The Key Criteria in the 2019 BCO Guide to Specification experienced designers. This is particularly important when
were selected before the recent rise in concern about climate applying diversity to building loads – an area where there
change, and prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. With a degree is often significant overspecification.

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BCO GUIDE TO SPECIFICATION KEY DESIGN British Council for Offices
CRITERIA UPDATE 2023 continued Briefing Note
February 2023

Net zero carbon

Shortly after the 2019 BCO Guide was published, the UK
adopted a legally binding NZC target for 2050 and a new
interim target to reduce emissions by 78% (relative to 1990
levels) by 2035. Building operations and construction are
responsible for around 40% of global energy-related carbon
emissions,4 and three years on the need for NZC buildings
is now widely recognised. This has led to a proliferation
of different NZC targets, which require new approaches
to design.

The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) is currently

working with other key industry stakeholders to develop
a Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard (NZCBS), which is
intended to provide greater clarity on both the operational
and embodied carbon thresholds required for a building
to be considered NZC. Leading industry organisations,
including the Better Buildings Partnership (BBP), Building
Research Establishment (BRE), Carbon Trust, Chartered
Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE),
Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE), London
Energy Transformation Initiative (LETI), Royal Institute
of British Architects (RIBA), Royal Institution of Chartered
Surveyors (RICS) and UKGBC, have joined forces to
champion this initiative.

In January 2015, the UKGBC itself published new energy

performance targets specifically for commercial offices,
which aim to achieve NZC in operation. The targets were The Spine, Paddington Village, Liverpool
Copyright AHR
developed further as an addition to UKGBC’s 2019 report
Net Zero Carbon Buildings: A Framework Definition,5
which sets out guidance for buildings pursuing NZC for
both construction and operational energy. These targets cooling allowances recommended in the 2019 Guide
may be revised when the NZCBS recommendations are to arrive at central plant loads, resulting in substantial
published, but until then the UKGBC framework as it is overprovision. It is vital that designers use their expertise
currently framed has been used to inform the guidance on and knowledge of each project to apply diversity and
operational energy targets in this update. The targets are minimise waste.
extremely challenging to meet in practice, and have been
The aim of the revised guidance is to balance the need for
included in this update as aspirational goals for developers
transition to NZC while at the same time providing flexible
and their design teams to consider project by project.
and adaptable office space that functions for occupiers –
An emerging concern is that some designers have simply – helping them to conduct their business in safe, healthy,
and inappropriately – added up the small-power and comfortable and productive workspaces.

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BCO GUIDE TO SPECIFICATION KEY DESIGN British Council for Offices
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February 2023

Occupancy
Design occupancy level has a fundamental effect on many
of the key design parameters. It was with this in mind
that the BCO commissioned research on occupancy. The
research report The Future of UK Office Densities6 was
published in September 2022, and can be downloaded from
the BCO website.
The research evidence included a high-level literature
review and detailed analysis of the Leesman Index
database.7 Industry experts, occupiers, developers and
the wider BCO membership were also asked to give their
views of current trends in office occupancy levels.
Eversheds Sutherland, 50–60 Station Road, Cambridge
The report concluded that a range of 10–12 m2 per person
Copyright Overbury
is the optimum level of occupancy density for space
planning, and that densities of more than 1 person per
10 m2 are likely to reduce occupant comfort, wellbeing
and performance. It recommended that 10 m2 per person The 2022 BCO position paper3 proposed a single
should be used as the starting point to plan base-building occupancy criterion of 10 m2 per person together with a
and fit-out design. Most of the organisations surveyed peak utilisation of 60% for typical office use.
reported that they expected mid‑week peaks in occupancy
Following feedback from members during the consultation
utilisation levels of 70% ± 10%.
(including views canvassed at a series of key stakeholder
The research also recommended that the occupancy density workshops with agents, investors, occupiers and
metric should be expressed as ‘m2 per person’ which can developers), all the proposed changes have been debated
be used for space planning purposes, accounting for the and reviewed. Most received broad support, including
variations in density across a floorplate and hot-desking. adoption of the 1 person per 10 m2 occupancy density.
A ‘workspace’, ‘desk’ or ‘workstation’ metric is less relevant
However, with uncertainty around the daily use patterns
today, as more organisations adopt agile and activity-based
post-pandemic and higher mid-week peaks in attendance,
working. There is often a mix of desks and alternative work
there was less support for a reduction in utilisation. In
settings that occupants may use for only part of the day.
response to the feedback the proposed change to 60% has
The 2019 BCO guidance on occupancy criteria allowed for been withdrawn and the recommendation of 80% peak
high-intensity use, with planning densities ranging from utilisation for core services design in the current 2019 BCO
8 to 10 m2 net internal area (NIA) per workspace and 80% Guide has been retained. The updated recommendation
utilisation. Despite the advice given in the Guide that the occupancy is 10 m2 per person at 80% utilisation.
higher occupancy density was for exceptional cases, the
Once occupation patterns have settled and more evidence
8 m2 criterion became the unofficial default adopted for
can be collected, the recommended occupancy utilisation
most speculative new‑build and refurbished office briefs.
factor will be revisited.
While that may have seemed appropriate at the time, the
need now is to avoid overdesign and to specify for the The changes in guidance (which will be used to update the
space needs of most office users rather than the exceptional 2019 Guide) are detailed in Table 1, and a commentary on
minority with very specific requirements. each of the revised criteria is given in the subsequent section.

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BCO GUIDE TO SPECIFICATION KEY DESIGN British Council for Offices
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Changes to the key design criteria

Table 1 gives the changes in guidance, alongside the 2019 Appendix A9 of the 2019 Guide but not included in Table 1
design criteria for comparison. Criteria contained in can continue to be used.

Key criterion 2019 Guide 2023 Update Notes

Occupancy
General occupancy 8–10 m2 10 m2 High-density occupancy of 8 m2 NIA per work setting withdrawn
planning density as a general design recommendation.
(NIA per person)
Higher occupancy densities should only be used when required
by a particular target occupier group.

Previous description of workplace density replaced by occupancy

density.
Effective occupancy 10–12.5 m2 12.5 m2 The 12.5 m2 per person criterion is based on a peak utilisation of
density for core design 80%.
elements
(NIA per person) Effective density is used to determine core design elements,
including toilet provision and lift populations.

Previous description of workplace density replaced by occupancy

density.
Grids
Structural grid 9, 10.5, 12 and 15 m 6, 7.5, 9, 10.5, 12 Designers need to assess the efficiency and performance of the
and 15 m structural grid selected against a range of criteria (structural
performance, cost, ease of construction, flexibility, code
compliance, material use, etc.). It should be noted that smaller
to mid-range spans are more likely to result in lower levels of
embodied carbon use.
Toilet provision
Typical office 10–12.5 m2 12.5 m2 See note on effective occupancy density above.
(NIA per person)
Cycling provision and showers
Secure cycling spaces 1 bicycle per 10 staff 1 bicycle per 10 staff No change to 2019 base criteria, but attention is drawn to
– with the possibility – with the possibility the need to consult local planning obligations for new-build
to extend to 1.5 to extend to 1.5 developments. In some cases, a significantly higher requirement
bicycle spaces per bicycle spaces per is mandated. (See the BCO 2022 research report The Market
10 staff 10 staff Cycles II –The Impact of Cycling on Office Buildings.8)
Secure lockers 1 locker per 10 staff 1 locker per 10 staff No change to 2019 base criteria, but recommendation added for
or per bicycle space or per bicycle space, potential extension of locker space to align with future bicycle
with the possibility space provision.
to extend to 1.5
Also, the 1:1 bicycle space to locker provision should be considered
lockers per 10 staff
as a minimum requirement. Consider specifying additional lockers
over and above those needed to match the cycle provision to cater
for other shower users (e.g. runners, gym users).
Vertical transportation
Population:
Typical office 10–12.5 m2 12.5 m2 See note on effective occupancy density above.
(NIA per person)
GIA, gross internal area; NIA, net internal area.
Continued

Table 1
New recommended values for the BCO Guide to Specification key design criteria updated for 2023

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BCO GUIDE TO SPECIFICATION KEY DESIGN British Council for Offices
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Key criterion 2019 Guide 2023 Update Notes

Small-power and lighting-load allowances
Small-power allowance 100 W per work 60 W per work New 60 W work setting power allowance based on a portable laptop
setting, with setting or tablet device and a 50/50 split of modern low-energy single- and
additional 10 W/m2 double-screen extension facilities.
for office equipment
Office equipment loads are now considered separately, as these are
usually associated with shared facilities concentrated in specific
locations rather than distributed across a floorplate – see spot load
allowance below.
On-floor small power loads All loads based on 1 person per 10 m2 NIA.
Typical office: 60 W work setting power allowance (equating to a 6 W/m2
On floor peak 20 W/m2 6 W/m2 on‑floor load) based on a portable laptop or tablet device and
a 50/50 split of modern low-energy single- and double-screen
Riser 18 W/m2 Designer’s discretion extension facilities.
on diversity reflecting
the size and use of
the building
Spot load power allowance Included as a 12 kW (based on a 15 kW connected load for office equipment derived from typical
distributed load connected load of multi-function printer and tearoom equipment loads for a
in the small power 15 kW subject to an notional tenancy area of circa 1,000 m2.
allowance 80% diversity per
See commentary for details.
notional tenancy area
of around 1,000 m2)
Satellite equipment room 15 kW (per tenancy 10 kW (per notional The reduced SER power load allowance assumes a cloud-based
(SER) equipment area of around tenancy area of IT infrastructure.
1,000 m2) around 1,000 m2)
Total power allowance caters for both IT equipment and 24/7
independent cooling plant input power requirements.
Lighting-load power 8 W/m2 (including 4.5 W/m2 for Reduced lighting load power allowance in recognition of
allowance Category B Category A lighting improving efficiencies of LED light sources, luminaire design and
allowance) + 1 W/m2 for lighting control systems.
Category B allowance
Cooling loads
Solar loads – target for 50–65 W/m2, 40–50 W/m2, Stricter limits are recommended to pursue the 2030 NZC
perimeter zone averaged over averaged over operational targets.
the 4.5 m deep the 4.5 m deep
Needs to be balanced with embodied carbon impact, especially
perimeter zone for perimeter zone
when considering major refurbishment of existing buildings.
each façade
On-floor equipment 100 W per work 50 W per workspace 50 W per person cooling allowance (derived from 60 W peak power
allowance setting + 10 W/m2 allowance – the cooling load is reduced to reflect average rather
than peak power usage) based on a portable laptop or tablet device
and a 50/50 split of modern low-energy single- and double-screen
extension facilities. Equates to a 5 W/m2 on-floor cooling load.
On-floor equipment All loads based on an occupancy density of 10 m2 NIA per work
cooling loads setting.
Typical office: High-density occupancy of 8 m2 NIA per work setting loadings
On-floor peak 20 W/m2 5 W/m2 withdrawn as a typical office use design recommendation.
Terminal unit 17 W/m2 10 W/m2 60 W small power allowance reduced to 50 W for on-floor peak
Central plant 14 W/m 2
Designer’s discretion cooling allowance.
on diversity reflecting
Terminal unit sizing based on 2 × 50 W (100 W) per work setting
the size and use of
to provide flexibility for localised intensification of space use.
the building
See commentary for details.
GIA, gross internal area; NIA, net internal area.
Continued

Table 1 – continued
New recommended values for the BCO Guide to Specification key design criteria updated for 2023

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BCO GUIDE TO SPECIFICATION KEY DESIGN British Council for Offices
CRITERIA UPDATE 2023 continued Briefing Note
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Key criterion 2019 Guide 2023 Update Notes

Cooling loads – continued
Spot load cooling Included in small 6 kW (per notional Spot load allowance(s) no longer distributed across the floorplate
power cooling tenancy area of into terminal unit loads. Reflects trend to centralise on-floor printing
allowances around 1,000 m2) and other shared facilities. The 6 kW cooling load shown is based
on the 12 kW spot load power allowance example given above for a
notional tenancy area of circa 1,000 m2, allowing for a 50% diversity,
reflecting the highly intermittent nature of the load.

Total spot load allowance and how it is distributed on a given

floorplate to be determined by the designer.

Spot load cooling should be minimised by using localised extract

ventilation. Cooling allowances should be directed to where these
loads are generated.

See commentary for details.

SER equipment cooling 10 kW (per tenancy 7 kW (per notional The SER cooling load allowance assumes a cloud-based IT
area of around tenancy of around infrastructure.
1,000 m2) 1,000 m2)
Assumed to be a 24-hour load requirement supplied from
stand‑alone equipment, not from base-building cooling systems.
Lighting cooling loads 6 W/m2 for 4.5 W/m2 for Reduced lighting load cooling allowance in recognition of
Categories A and B Category A lighting + improving efficiencies of LED light sources, luminaire design and
(assuming daylight 1 W/m2 for Category B lighting control systems.
dimming) enhancement
allowance
Lighting
Well daylit office space 2–5% average Spatial daylight Definition changed from average daylight factor (ADF) to spatial
(at the working plane) daylight factor (ADF) autonomy (sDA) daylight autonomy (sDA).
target: 55% of
regularly occupied
space to meet average
sDA300,50% (i.e.
55% of area to achieve
greater than or equal
to 300 lux for 50% of
occupied hours)
Average maintained 300–500 lux Target level of not less Target a maintenance factor of 0.8.
illuminance than 300 lux (with
(at the working plane) the possibility for the
occupier to enhance
this with task lighting
in response to context
modifiers)
Paper-based tasks
Uniformity:
Immediate surround >0.4 >0.4 Uniformity not less than 0.4 for base build Category A over
Task >0.6 >0.6 open‑plan areas.

Category A lighting system N/A Average luminaire New Category A lighting system target performance level
target performance target efficacy of 95 introduced.
luminaire lumens per
circuit watt or greater
Lighting energy use 8–18 kWh/m2 per 7–11 kWh/m2 per Reduced in line with results obtained from performance in-use
(LENI method) year year models.
GIA, gross internal area; LENI, Lighting Energy Numerical Indicator; NIA, net internal area.
Continued

Table 1 – continued
New recommended values for the BCO Guide to Specification key design criteria updated for 2023

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BCO GUIDE TO SPECIFICATION KEY DESIGN British Council for Offices
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Key criterion 2019 Guide 2023 Update Notes

Comfort
Outdoor air Minimum of 12 l/s Minimum of 14 l/s Increased minimum to 14 l/s per person to align with
per person + per person BS ISO 17772-1:2017.9
10% spare capacity
(This is also a requirement of BREEAM, which is often stipulated
(13.2 l/s per person)
in planning approvals.)
1.6–1.8 l/s per m for
2

a range of solutions
Indoor air quality:
CO2 <1,000 ppmv <800 ppmv CO2 level reduced to 800 ppmv. In line with REHEVA
recommendations of 600–800 ppmv for reliable indoor air quality.
Filtration EU7 standard – F7/EU7 standard
minimum, add (equivalent to MERS
gaseous filtration if 13–14) – minimum
required
Add gaseous Gaseous filtration – only if required by high outdoor concentrations
filtration if required of pollutants.
Sustainability
BREEAM target rating ‘Excellent’ Minimum ‘Excellent’ Many current developments target ‘Outstanding’, although this
for new and refurbished (minimum ‘Very may be difficult to achieve on refurbishment projects.
offices Good’)
NABERS UK Design for N/A 5 star Predicted energy performance rating.
Performance target
This may be difficult to achieve in refurbishments when
significant areas of façades are to be retained.
GIA, gross internal area; NIA, net internal area.

Table 1 – continued
New recommended values for the BCO Guide to Specification key design criteria updated for 2023

It is important for all office developments to achieve good aiming to align with the carbon trajectory for future NZC
standards of both operational and embodied carbon, goals. Developers and their design teams should consider
and to have a robust roadmap to achieve NZC. To assist, these targets as they write their briefs for new-build and
Table 2 shows a separate set of aspirational operational refurbishment projects.
and embodied carbon targets, using modelled predictions

Criterion Target Notes

UKGBC 2030 pathway target 70 kWh/m per year
2
Base building 2030 target.
for NZC operational-energy
Note that this target is indicative only; it is based on standard hours of
consumption (m2 NIA)
occupation and does not include special uses such as amenity areas, bicycle
facilities, etc.

It should be noted that few buildings can currently achieve this target.
Emerging NZC embodied-energy 350–600 kg CO2/m2 Base building (RIBA stages A1–A5) target. (The lower 350 CO2/m2 (GIA)
pathway target (m2 GIA) target is for buildings post-2030.)

It should be noted that few buildings can currently achieve this target. Also, a
single target is unlikely to be appropriate for all projects; e.g. taller buildings
and buildings with basements have inherently higher embodied carbon.

Table 2
Net zero carbon transition targets

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BCO GUIDE TO SPECIFICATION KEY DESIGN British Council for Offices
CRITERIA UPDATE 2023 continued Briefing Note
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Commentary on key design criteria

Occupancy
One of the most obvious effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
has been on office occupancy. Also, patterns of attendance
have changed, with more people adopting a hybrid working
pattern, alternating between working from home and
the office.

The BCO commissioned research to capture the emerging

trends, which have seen mid-weekdays starting to recover
to pre-pandemic levels, but lower levels of occupancy than
the pre‑pandemic norm on Mondays and Fridays. However,
occupancy patterns continue to change as businesses
recognise the vital role of the office in bringing their staff 41 West Cambell Street, Glasgow
together to share culture and to work productively. Copyright TLT LLP

This has prompted a reconsideration of the occupancy

levels recommended for speculative developments, where
the building occupier is not known. The 2019 Guide adopted a conservative approach to
utilisation and recommended a level of 80%. The position
It seems unlikely that offices will be occupied to any greater paper considered a reduction in utilisation to 60%, but with
density than that identified in the last comprehensive a lack of evidence to support this change and with post-
office occupancy survey10 conducted in 2018. That survey COVID-19 occupational patterns resulting in mid‑week
found the average headline workplace density over the occupancy peaks, the 80% level has been retained for this
133 buildings surveyed was 9.6 m2 per person. The recent update of the Guide criteria.
BCO occupancy research report, The Future of UK Office
Densities published in September 2022,6 reinforced this Assuming that most speculative office developments will
view, recommending a workplace density of 1 person per adopt the BCO Guide recommendation to use 1 person per
10 m2 for a typical office floor. 10 m2 and 80% utilisation (rather than 1 person per 8 m2 at
80%), this should result in lower operational and embodied
In the 2019 Guide, two workplace or occupancy densities carbon emissions, helping the sector to avoid overdesign
were proposed for design purposes – 10 m2 per workspace and align with the UK trajectory to NZC.
or working setting for typical office use, and 8 m2 for
high‑density office space. Grids
The high-density design level was intended to be used only For many years, the BCO Guide has recommended a
in exceptional circumstances where a high concentration standard space planning grid of 1.5 m as a means of
of people was expected for specific end users such as call coordinating components of the structure, fabric, envelope,
centres, training facilities, co-working/serviced offices, services and finishes. This enables efficient planning of
financial trading spaces, etc. However, in practice this more circulation and open-plan workspace, while allowing a
intensive use criterion has been inappropriately adopted as standard room width to be created. This recommendation
the typical occupancy standard for offices in urban centres. remains, and many individual elements of base-build and
fit-out construction are predicated on this grid.
In this update, the high-density use criterion of 8 m2 per
work setting has been removed from the headline design Traditional construction methods utilising steel and
guidance, and the 10 m2 per person criterion is now solely concrete frames have been designed to spans of multiples
recommended as the general occupancy density design of 1.5 m, providing a standardised framework to achieve
standard for typical office use. the most cost-efficient solutions.
To design the facilities at the core of an office, the maximum A desire to create flexible, relatively column-free, open‑plan
simultaneous occupancy – the effective occupancy density – space led to market adoption of structural spans of 9–15 m
is needed. The 2018 occupancy study10 identified that (all divisible by 1.5), and this was reflected in the 2019 BCO
the benchmark level of utilisation in agile working Guide. Prior to this, the BCO Guide had included a structural
environments was typically 40–60%, although in a small span dimension of 7.5 m as being the minimum level for
number of cases utilisation levels of 85% were recorded. good-quality space, and in this 2023 update the BCO has

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BCO GUIDE TO SPECIFICATION KEY DESIGN British Council for Offices
CRITERIA UPDATE 2023 continued Briefing Note
February 2023

reintroduced this to the recommended range for structural

design solutions and added a 6 m span option which aids the
future adoption of engineered timber solutions.

It will be increasingly important to minimise the embodied

carbon content of the structural solution, and it is likely
that combinations of the 6, 7.5 and 9 m spans will prove to
be the most efficient.

However, the need to reduce embodied carbon needs to be

considered alongside the desire for the long-term flexibility
and adaptability of space. Feedback from stakeholder
consultation workshops with leading occupiers and
investors warned that the additional flexibility offered by
wider structural spans was seen to add value and could
influence the choice of building for some occupiers.
One Bartholomew, London
The smaller span dimensions now included in the guidance Copyright Helical
provide designers with a greater range of options to
optimise the use of materials in the structural frame. There
is evidence to show that an increased number of columns
can result in a more efficient structural design.

This aligns with the aim to reduce embodied carbon

levels. Lighter-weight structures also reduce the load on
building foundations, and thereby reduce the size of new
foundations, while existing buildings may be better able
to accommodate additional new floors without change to
the foundations, if the structure used to create them is
light enough.

Toilet provision
The 2023 update of the BCO Guide recommends an
occupancy density of 1 person per 10 m2 and an effective
density of 12.5 m2 per person when assessing the number
of toilets needed for new and refurbished buildings.
Capital Square, 58 Morrison Street, Edinburgh
If an office is to be designed for an occupant with proven Copyright BAM Properties
high-intensity needs, the occupancy density and effective
density assumptions should be adjusted to reflect this.
Table 3.3 in Section 3.12.4 of the 2019 Guide provides a requirements, in some cases at a significantly higher level than
range of effective densities that can be derived according to that recommended in the Guide’s key design criteria. (See the
occupancy density and utilisation assumptions. BCO 2022 research report The Market Cycles II – The Impact
Toilet facilities should be designed to allow easy extension of Cycling on Office Buildings.8)
for specific occupiers with greater needs. In any event, provision for the expansion of cycling
facilities should be considered to suit particular occupiers
Cycling provision and showers or locations. One locker per bicycle space should be
Guidance on bicycle spaces is maintained at 1 bicycle space provided as a minimum, but consideration should be given
per 10 staff, with the ability to extend to 1.5 bicycle spaces per to an overprovision to cater for other shower users in the
10 staff. Note that local planning authorities have differing building (e.g. runners or gym users).

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Vertical transportation
The 2019 Guide provided designers with a robust set
of parameters to specify the performance of lifts and
escalators. The starting point for any vertical transportation
solution is the anticipated building population served. The
updated occupancy guidance and the rationale for it has
already been discussed above (see Table 1).

The average occupancy density of 10 m2 per person should

be used to determine the maximum user population, from
which the actual lift and escalator design population can be
estimated by applying an appropriate level of utilisation,
which for a typical office should be 80%.

Peak utilisation for vertical transportation is now most

4 Wellington Place, Leeds
likely to be in the middle of the day because of hybrid Copyright Arup
working patterns and varying times of arrival at the office.
The key issue is lift performance, as escalators are less
capacity constrained. The design factors given for up‑peak
and lunchtime handling capacity in the 2019 Guide supplementary low-rise lifts, escalators or stairs to be
anticipated this trend and are still the appropriate metrics installed retrospectively if a future occupier requires
to use when selecting a lift installation. greater lift capacity or increased occupancy levels.

Car loading is a combination of available car area and Small-power and lighting load allowances
the space a person occupies, so it is still valid. In the
The small power allowance for on-floor electrical loads in
early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, social-distancing
the 2019 Guide was made up of two parts:
guidelines reduced car loadings, and this and the other
impacts at the time were explored in the BCO briefing note • a 100 W allowance per workspace or work setting to
Thoughts on Lift and Escalator Design and Operation cater for a personal computer and screen
after COVID-19.11
• a blanket 10 W/m2 allowance to cater for other on-floor
However, since these restrictions have been relaxed, and loads (desk printers, multi-function devices, tearoom
after initial user reluctance to enter crowded cars, lift-car facilities, vending machines, etc.)
use has mostly returned to pre-pandemic norms. Improved
When applied with an occupancy density of 10 m2 per
hygiene regimens, better lift-car ventilation and the growth
person, this equated to a small power allowance of 20 W/m2.
in user confidence following the success of the vaccines
This enabled a peak electrical floor loading to be quickly
have all played their part in this.
assessed. A small diversification of 10% of the load was
The 2023 design criteria recommend that vertical suggested at the riser to meet the demands of the widest
transportation systems for speculative developments possible potential user base. These load allowances have
should be designed for an occupancy density of 10 m2 proved to be robust in use, in that they cater for a wide
per person and a utilisation of 80%, which results in a range of potential occupiers.
population of 1 person per 12.5 m2.
However, as with all the advice given in the 2019 Guide, the
If the actual occupier population for the building is known design metrics were aimed at satisfying the most intensive
at an early stage, then this figure should be used to test the users of the space rather than more typical office occupiers.
performance of the vertical transportation.
A similar but more considered analysis has been undertaken
Moving from an occupancy density of 1 person per 8 m2 to to derive the new 2023 updated recommendations based on
1 per 10 m2 results in a 20% reduction in users and may the following small power loadings.
result in fewer lifts. This is beneficial to the space efficiency
• A 60 W allowance per person to cater for personal
of the floorplate, NZC targets and lifetime operational costs.
IT equipment based on a portable laptop or tablet
However, to maximise the long-term flexibility and device, and a 50/50 split of high-efficiency single- and
adaptability (particularly in large high-rise buildings) double‑screen extension facilities. This equates to
an upgrade strategy may be considered that allows 6 W/m2 for an occupancy density of 10 m2 per person.

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BCO GUIDE TO SPECIFICATION KEY DESIGN British Council for Offices
CRITERIA UPDATE 2023 continued Briefing Note
February 2023

• A spot load allowance of 12 kW to be concentrated at Small-power load Allowance

key locations on the floorplate to serve multi-function
Office space 6 W/m2
devices, tearoom facilities, vending machines, etc.
SER power and power for stand-alone cooling* 10 kW
The spot load power allowance has been calculated to cater
Spot load* 12 kW
for the following devices serving an assumed 1,000 m2
Category A lighting 4.5 W/m2
tenancy with two service nodes (note that smaller tenancies
may need less equipment): Category B lighting 1 W/m2
* Based on a notional tenancy area of 1,000 m2.
• 2 × 2,000 W dishwasher
• 2 × 2,000 W multi-function tap Table 3
Summary of 2023 revised values for small power loads
• 2 × 1,000 W microwave
• 2 × 1,500 W coffee machine • Lighting load allowances:
• 2 × 750 W multi-function printer – Category A: 4.5 W/m2
• 2 × 250 W miscellaneous loads. – Category B: 1 W/m2.
This equates to a total connected load of 15 kW. It is The notional tenancy area should be determined by the
unlikely that all these devices would be in operation at the designer based on floorplate size and the likely tenancy
same time, so it is reasonable to take a diversity factor into subdivision.
account to estimate the peak instantaneous load. In the
case of this example an 80% diversity has been applied. The revised small-power allowances are summarised in
Table 3.
Taking a 1,000 m2 tenancy space with an occupancy density
of 10 m2 and the above spot load allowance, when taken Cooling loads
together with the personal equipment allowance the small The target solar load on the façade has been reduced from
power load for that space would be: previous guidance to help meet performance levels for the
aspirational NZC trajectory shown in Table 2 (see page 7).
On-floor small power: 6 W/m2 × 1,000 m2 = 6,000 W
Spot load core allowance: 15,000 W × 0.8 = 12,000 W Better glazing technology, along with improvements in
construction, mean that designers can drive a reduction
Total electrical load: 6,000 + 12,000 = 18,000 W (18 kW)
in solar loads. It is proposed that solar design loads are
This is the same overall result to that which would have reduced from the 2019 target of 50–65 W/m2 averaged
been derived using the 2019 small power allowances over the 4.5 m deep perimeter zone, to 40–50 W/m2.
(18 kW at the riser), but the disposition of the loads now High‑performance sustainable façades will be required
more accurately reflect how they are distributed over a to meet this more demanding criterion, probably with
floorplate. While the power infrastructure in a building reduced glazing areas. Designers will need to balance the
must cater for peak loads, the cooling system tracks a ratio of solid and glazed elements to provide the optimal
more averaged load. This results in cooling loads that are level of comfort, daylighting and visual amenity with
significantly reduced (as explained later). reduced energy use. This, in turn, will enable on-floor
cooling systems and central cooling plant to be smaller,
Note: The specific level of on-floor spot load power reducing both embodied and operational carbon emissions.
allowances for a particular project should be determined by
the designer to meet the desired level of service provision Improvements in the efficiencies and types of office
and future tenancy subdivision for a given floorplate. equipment are reducing small power loads across the office
space. The pandemic has also accelerated the adoption of
Any further diversification of the on-floor power allowances mobile computing devices and cloud computing solutions,
should be assessed by the designer to reflect the size of the further reducing office power usage, which in turn reduces
floorplate and the expected utilisation of the space. the heat generated in the space.
The recommended power allowances for satellite equipment
Increasingly, workplaces are being designed to be partly
room (SER) equipment and lighting loads have been
or fully agile, with occupants able to access their business
reassessed and reduced:
networks from any workstation or work setting, either by
• SER equipment (including 24/7 stand-alone cooling Wi-Fi or by plugging into a ‘hub’ connected to one or two
system power): 10 kW (per 1,000 m2 notional tenancy). LED monitors on a workstation.

11
BCO GUIDE TO SPECIFICATION KEY DESIGN British Council for Offices
CRITERIA UPDATE 2023 continued Briefing Note
February 2023

In line with the small power load allowances described

above, the recommended space cooling allowance per work
setting has been set to cater for personal IT equipment
based on a portable laptop or tablet device and a 50/50
split of high-efficiency single- and double-screen extension
facilities. The 60 W electrical load allowance has then
been reduced to a 50 W cooling load allowance to reflect
the short-term peaks in electrical consumption of typical
office equipment. The 50 W personal equipment allowance
equates to a load of 5 W/m2 for an occupancy density of
1 person per 10 m2.

In addition to the workstation loads, a spot cooling load

allowance of 6 kW is recommended to cater for cooling Onyx, 215 Bothwell Street, Glasgow
loads to serve multi-function printers, tearoom catering Copyright Cooper Cromar
equipment, vending machines etc. This may be provided
in the main cooling connection to the floor or by capped
branches from a chilled water system (or similar) ready for
A 50% utilisation has been applied to the peak power loading
extension by an incoming occupier.
of 12 kW to determine the spot cooling load allowance of
For example, taking a 1,000 m2 tenancy space with 6 kW, reflecting the intermittent use of equipment.
an occupancy density of 10 m2 and a single spot load An intensification allowance of an additional 5 W/m2 of
allowance, the cooling load for that space would be: cooling capacity in the terminal units is recommended. This
On-floor cooling: 5 W/m2 × 1,000 m2 = 5,000 W is to cater for localised increases in equipment loads that can
occur across a larger floorplate, for example where groups of
Spot load core cooling allowance: 1 × 6,000 W = 6,000 W traditional desks are concentrated in particular locations. The
Total cooling load (at riser): intensification allowance would be able to accommodate the
5,000 + 6,000 = 11,000 W (11 kW) cooling load from small power use from up to two desks over

SATELLITE EQUIPMENT ROOM

7 kW IT power plus 3 kW input CORE
power to stand-alone cooling SER
(based on a 1,000 m² notional tenancy)
OUTDOOR AIR
SMALL POWER
14 l/s per person
6 W/m²
1.4 l/s m² @ 1:10 m²
CENTRAL
LIGHTING POWER FACILITIES
Category A: 4.5 W/m² SPOT LOADS
Category B: 1 W/m² Printing and catering:
12 kW peak power
COOLING FOR SMALL POWER
6 kW cooling
5 W/m² plus 5 W/m² in terminal
units for intensification allowance Based on a 1,000 m² notional tenancy
If possible, use local exhaust
COOLING FOR LIGHTING to remove heat and reduce
Category A: 4.5 W/m² cooling requirement
Category B: 1 W/m²

Figure 1
Illustration of equipment power, cooling, outdoor air and spot load allowances for a notional 1,000 m2 tenancy space

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BCO GUIDE TO SPECIFICATION KEY DESIGN British Council for Offices
CRITERIA UPDATE 2023 continued Briefing Note
February 2023

a 10 m2 area. Designers should also consider the impact of the Cooling load Allowance
additional metabolic heat loads that would be seen in these
Office space cooling for 5 W/m 2
areas from the higher localised concentration of occupants in small power
terminal unit sizing calculations.
Terminal unit sizing 10 W/m2
The example spot loads illustrated in this guidance note are (includes 5 W/m2
intensification allowance)
based on a notional tenancy area of 1,000 m2. The quantum
and disposition of on-floor spot load allowances should be SER stand-alone cooling Nominal 7 kW allowance based
on stand-alone 24/7 occupier
determined by the designer on a project by project basis to
equipment load (it is assumed
meet the desired level of service provision and future tenancy there is no connection to the
subdivision for a given floorplate area. base-building cooling systems)

Further diversification of the on-floor and central plant Spot loads 6 kW per 1,000 m2 notional
tenancy
cooling load allowances should be assessed by the designer
to reflect the size of the floorplate and the expected use of Category A lighting 4.5 W/m2
the space, together with the impact of any localised extract Category B lighting 1 W/m2
facility to remove heat generated by the equipment at source.
Table 4
Finally, in recognition of the move towards cloud computing Summary of the 2023 revised values for cooling loads
and the improving efficiency of LED light sources and
luminaire design, the SER and lighting cooling loads have Load 2019 2023 Change
been revised. Small power, lighting 43 kW 33.5 kW 22% reduction
and SER electrical load
• SER equipment: 7.5 kW, assumed to be supplied from an
(peak)
occupier’s independent cooling plant, not the base-building
Office on-floor cooling 26 kW 16.5 kW 36.5% reduction
system. (Base-build provision is for the power supply only.)
24/7 SER cooling 10 kW 7 kW 30% reduction
• Lighting load cooling allowances:
Notes
– Category A: 4.5 W/m2 • Small power loads will experience short-term peaks that must be
accommodated by the electrical installation.
– Category B: 1 W/m2. • The cooling load will not register short-term peaks and will respond
to longer-term patterns.
The revised cooling load allowances are summarised in Table 4. • The 24/7 cooling allowances for SER equipment assume that this
will be provided by stand-alone plant as part of the occupier fit-out
A comparison between the 2019 Guide and this update (e.g. using unitary DX refrigerant units or chillers).
(Table 5) shows the changes in load for a 1,000 m2 tenancy. • If occupier needs are known at an early enough stage of the base-build
design, the criteria and design approach should be tailored to suit.
Lighting
Table 5
Office lighting is provided by a combination of daylight Comparison of guidance for 2019 and 2023 power and cooling
and artificial light. Where possible, use of daylight (subject load allowances
to appropriate glare control) should be maximised. When
sufficient daylight is not available, artificial lighting should Key criterion Allowance
provide a functional and comfortable visual environment. Well-daylit office space Spatial daylight autonomy (sDA)
target, which requires 55% of regularly
The whole-life carbon emissions of an artificial lighting occupied space to meet an average
installation should be minimised by reducing the embodied illuminance level of 300 lux for 50% of
carbon of the equipment and the operational energy used the occupied hours (sDA300,50%)
to power it. Average maintained Target of not less than 300 lux
illuminance
The revised lighting allowances for the 2023 update are
Uniformity Immediate surround >0.4, task >0.6
given in Table 6.
Category A lighting Average luminaire target efficiency of
The daylighting criterion has been redefined in terms system performance 95 luminaire lumens per circuit watt,
of sDA (spatial daylight autonomy), which replaces the or greater
average daylight factors used in the 2019 Guide. Lighting energy use 7–11 kWh/m2 per year

Average maintained illuminance (at the working plane) has Table 6

been reduced from 300–500 lux to a target of not less than Summary of the 2023 revised values for lighting

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BCO GUIDE TO SPECIFICATION KEY DESIGN British Council for Offices
CRITERIA UPDATE 2023 continued Briefing Note
February 2023

300 lux. It is also recommended that a maintenance factor

of no less than 0.8 is targeted.

This is for the recommended open-plan, Category A lighting

level, and is at the bottom of the range suggested in the 2019
Guide. This revised criterion recognises that task lighting
may be required to suit the needs of occupants, whether for
the nature of a task or to suit the eyesight of an individual.

A new criterion for the overall lighting system performance

(in lumens per circuit watt) has been added. This measure
is also included in the most recent Building Regulations,
Part L, Volume 2: Buildings Other than Dwellings (2021
edition – for use in England, which came into effect on
15 June 2022).12

A lower lighting energy-use target has also been set using

the Lighting Energy Numerical Indicator (LENI) method.
Hyperion Insurance Group, One Creechurch Place, London
Copyright MCM Architecture
Comfort
Outdoor air
The recommended minimum outdoor air supply rate for and changing trends in third-party accreditations have
new buildings has been revised to 14 l/s per person to prompted the new figure.
align with BS ISO 17772-1:2017,9 which requires 14 l/s
per person or 1.4 l/s per m2, whichever is the greater. The BREEAM awards credits for demand-controlled ventilation
recommended allowance of 14 l/s per person equates to using CO2 sensing.16 Building Regulations require means of
1.4 l/s per m2 at an occupancy density of 10 m2 per person. measuring indoor air quality, which may also be achieved
The previous 10% flexibility allowance has been absorbed using CO2 monitors. However, CO2 sensing should be used
in this new criterion. with caution to prevent unintended consequences.

Some third-party accreditations promote higher amounts CO2 sensors used for demand-controlled ventilation must
of outdoor air, but careful consideration is required before be positioned carefully to avoid under-ventilating local,
increasing allowances to these levels as they can lead to densely occupied areas. This is particularly important
higher energy consumption. in fit-out design, where individual rooms may have high
occupancy, but the entire floor may have low occupancy.
Demand-controlled ventilation based on CO2 monitoring
can be used to dynamically modulate air flow rates to Also, CO2 sensors need regular maintenance and
respond to changes in occupancy level in order to maintain calibration to remain accurate.17 Note that CO2 sensors
minimum air quality standards (see recommended CO2 may take a significant time to stabilise, and so their
concentrations below). It is important to strike a balance readings may not represent the true rate of ventilation,
between internal air quality and energy consumption. particularly during build-up and decline of occupancy.

Note: A series of BCO briefing notes (Thoughts on Office Attempts to control closely to 800 ppmv may result in
Design and Operation After COVID-19,13 Thoughts on ventilation rates less than 14 l/s per person. Careful
Washroom Design and Operation Post COVID-19,14 commissioning, maintenance, regular calibration and
and Thoughts on Ventilation Design and Operation monitoring are needed.
Post COVID-19,15 proposed direct supply of outdoor air The use of CO2 as a proxy measure for indoor air quality is
to toilets, rather than the previously typical transfer of discussed in the BCO briefing note Thoughts on Ventilation
potentially contaminated air from office exhaust paths. The Design and Operation Post COVID-19.15 It is interesting
recommendation for direct outdoor air supply remains. to note that the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating
and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE; the US
Carbon dioxide concentrations equivalent of CIBSE) has removed reference to CO2 limits
The new recommended CO2 level in offices is 800 ppmv in its standards because of the confusion that is caused,
or less. The 2019 Guide recommended that the CO2 level and because in its view it is not a good indicator of either
should not exceed 1,000 ppmv, but further research ventilation or internal air quality.18

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BCO GUIDE TO SPECIFICATION KEY DESIGN British Council for Offices
CRITERIA UPDATE 2023 continued Briefing Note
February 2023

Sustainability
The rise of ESG
Since the publication of the 2019 Guide, the environmental,
social, and corporate governance (ESG) agenda has gained
increasing prominence, both in the corporate world and in
society at large, with particular emphasis on climate change
and the carbon emissions that contribute to it.
The UK government’s target is to achieve NZC by 2050, and
the need for better-performing buildings is widely recognised.
The timescale to achieve intermediate NZC building targets
has been set out formally by the government and expanded
upon by industry organisations. The BCO has used the
UKGBC NZC buildings framework5 operational energy
targets and the recommendations from RIBA, LETI, IStructE
NatWest headquarters, 250 Bishopsgate, London
and Whole Life Carbon Network (WLCN) for embodied
Copyright LOM Architecture and Design
carbon to inform the aspirational NZC targets in Table 2
needed to meet the decarbonisation trajectory to 2030. These
will be revisited when the new Net Zero Carbon Buildings
Standard (NZCBS) is published (expected in Q4 2023). NABERS UK Energy for Offices is an operational rating
relying on actual, measured performance, not that predicted
There is growing demand among occupiers for offices that
during design. It is used in operational buildings (both new
support their corporate ESG goals, and good environmental
and existing) and is based on annual assessments.
credentials can make a building more attractive in the
market, generating better returns for the owner. The BCO 2023 update recommends a target of 5 stars for
new building design.
BREEAM
BREEAM has become the de facto standard in the UK as an “Design for Performance is the process
all-round measure of sustainability, covering many other whereby a developer or owner commits
aspects apart from NZC. It has become a quasi-regulation to design, build and commission a
because planning authorities often require a minimum new office development or major
BREEAM rating as a condition of granting approval. refurbishment to achieve a specific
For new buildings, a growing number of developers
are targeting an ‘Outstanding’ rating, with a minimum
NABERS Energy rating.
”
NABERS scheme administrator, BRE20
requirement of ‘Excellent’. However, refurbishment
projects may find the highest rating very difficult to reach.
The market trend has seen ‘Excellent’ becoming the “NABERS Energy measures the efficiency
business-as-usual target for new build, and the 2023 of an office building and rates its
guidance has been changed to reflect this. performance. The energy rating works by
comparing the energy consumption of a
NABERS UK Design for Performance and Energy building against a set of benchmarks that
for Offices have been developed using actual data.
NABERS UK19 is an energy rating scheme originating from
Australia, where it has prompted a marked improvement NABERS Energy rates the base building
in the energy performance of office buildings. It uses a star performance. This includes central
rating, ranging from 1 to 6 stars. services like heating and cooling
systems, lifts and lobby lighting, allowing
NABERS UK Design for Performance is a process running
from initial design to a fully functioning, occupied building
office buildings to be compared based
that is ready to be assessed for a formal NABERS rating. on how the central services are being
run to provide a comfortable working
There is an intensive energy modelling phase and post-
practical-completion involvement to ensure that the
environment for users.
”
building operates as predicted by the design. NABERS scheme administrator, BRE21

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BCO GUIDE TO SPECIFICATION KEY DESIGN British Council for Offices
CRITERIA UPDATE 2023 continued Briefing Note
February 2023

NZC pathways 1. Establish Net Zero Carbon Scope*

In pursuit of NZC, the BCO encourages reduction in the

whole-life carbon emissions of office buildings, while 1.1 Net zero carbon – construction

providing accommodation that supports an occupier’s 1.2 Net zero carbon – operational energy

business activities.
2. Reduce Construction Impacts
Whole-life carbon emissions have two components –
embodied carbon and operational carbon. For the base 2.1 A whole life carbon assessment should be
undertaken and disclosed for all construction projects
building, embodied carbon is emitted during construction, to drive carbon reductions

including the production of materials, transport and energy 2.2 The embodied carbon impacts from the product and
used up to the time of practical completion. construction stages should be measured and offset at
practical completion

Operational carbon is emitted from the energy consumed 3. Reduce Operational Energy Use
by the mechanical and electrical systems (e.g. lifts, 3.1 Reductions in energy demand and consumption
air‑conditioning and lighting) after practical completion. should be prioritised over all other measures.

3.2 In-use energy consumption should be calculated and

All electricity supplied to buildings will eventually come publicly disclosed on an annual basis.

from zero-carbon sources. By that time (targeted to be

2050), the energy used to run a building will no longer emit 4. Increase Renewable Energy Supply

carbon. Embodied carbon will become the major source of 4.1 On-site renewable energy source should be
prioritised
emissions, although this will also reduce as manufacturing
and transport carbon emissions fall. 4.2 Off-site renewables should demonstrate additionality

In the meantime, buildings should minimise the amount of

5. Offset Any Remaining Carbon
embodied carbon in construction, work efficiently to reduce
the energy they need to operate, and use low-carbon and 5.1 Any remaining carbon should be offset using a
recognised offsetting framework
renewable sources of energy.
5.2 The amount of offsets used should be publicly
disclosed
The UKGBC pathway to NZC is shown in Figure 2.

New buildings and major refurbishments targeting net zero carbon for construction should
Embodied carbon be designed to achieve net zero carbon for operational energy by considering these
principles.
There is growing awareness of embodied carbon, and several
* Please also note, a further scope for net zero whole life carbon (1.3) will be developed in
organisations promote targets for the office sector. IStructE, the future.

RIBA, RICS, WLCN and LETI have published guidance

Figure 2
on embodied carbon targets. Some local authorities have Steps to achieving an NZC building
specific targets to meet their planning criteria. Source: UKGBC, Net Zero Carbon Buildings: A Framework Definition4
These are the first attempts to formalise embodied carbon
targets and are based on very few data sets. They will Band Office Residential Education Retail
doubtless be revised as more hard evidence is collected. A++ <100 <100 <100 <100
A+ <225 <200 <200 <200
The targets proposed in a publication by LETI, RIBA,
WLCN and IStructE22 for upfront embodied carbon (for LETI 2030
A <350 <300 <300 <300
design target
RIBA stages A1–A5: production and construction) for
B <475 <400 <400 <425
2020 and 2030 are given in Table 7. In the absence of more
LETI 2020
definitive guidance, these targets have been adopted by C <600 <500 <500 <550
design target
some organisations.
D <775 <675 <625 <700
It is more difficult to hit these targets for new buildings, E <950 <850 <750 <850
and indeed local authorities increasingly require developers F <1,100 <1,000 <875 <1,000
to prove the case in carbon terms for a new build when
G <1,300 <1,200 <1,100 <1,200
there is an existing building that could be refurbished
and reused. Table 7
Upfront embodied carbon (kg CO2e/m2) for RIBA stages A1–A5
These targets are extremely challenging and will not always (excluding sequestration)
be achievable because of the type of project, the location, Source: LETI, RIBA, WLCN and IStructE, Embodied Carbon
and the demands of construction. Target Alignment17

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BCO GUIDE TO SPECIFICATION KEY DESIGN British Council for Offices
CRITERIA UPDATE 2023 continued Briefing Note
February 2023

Interim targets Paris-proof target

Scope Metric*
2020–2025 2025–2030 2030–2035 2035–2050
Whole-building kWhe/m2 (NLA) per year 160 115 90 70
energy
kWhe/m (GIA) per year
2
130 90 70 55
DEC rating D90 C65 B50 B40
Base-building kWhe/m2 (NLA) per year 90 70 55 35
energy
kWhe/m (GIA) per year
2
70 55 45 30
NABERS UK star rating 4.5 5 5.5 6
Tenant energy kWhe/m2 (NLA) per year 70 45 35 35
*NLA, net lettable area [referred to by the BCO as NIA (net internal area)]; GIA, gross internal area.

Note
The energy use intensity targets are indicative as they are based on standard hours of use and operation, with kWhe values rounded. The DEC and
NABERS UK ratings would allow for extended hours of use and for special purposes, offering a more tailored approach to individual offices.

Table 8
Energy performance targets for buildings targeting net zero carbon for operational energy
Source: UKGBC, Energy Performance Targets for Net Zero Carbon Offices23

Operational carbon the climate crisis, the drive towards NZC, the COVID-19
Operational carbon targets are more developed than the pandemic, moves to hybrid working, changes in regulations
targets for embodied carbon. Operational targets are and improvements in equipment performance.
expressed in terms of annual energy consumption, and The key design criteria are performance based and do not
the UKGBC has set the 2025–2030 target to 70 kWhe/m2 favour any one solution over any other. The aim is to help
for base build and 45 kWhe/m2 for tenant fit-out. Note industry practitioners provide office space that functions
that these targets are indicative only; they are based on for occupiers and helps them to conduct their business in
standard hours of occupation and do not include special safe, healthy, comfortable and productive workspaces.
uses such as amenity areas, bicycle facilities, etc. The
Offices are designed for people to use, and many base-
BCO will examine the tenant energy in more detail in the
building design standards are linked directly to the expected
forthcoming revised Fit-Out Guide.
level of occupancy. The recommendations in this briefing
The UKGBC’s ‘Paris-proof’ and interim energy performance note reflect the need to design for typical – rather than
targets, which set the NZC trajectory to 2050, are shown in extreme – use to assist in the targeting of NZC outcomes, but
Table 8.23 with a strategy to upgrade for special occupier needs.

To reflect the need to address NZC, the BCO has suggested Some occupiers may require higher workplace densities
operational energy consumption and embodied carbon (e.g. call centres, training establishments and co-location/
aspirational transitional targets (see Table 2) for developers serviced offices) or higher equipment loads (e.g. life sciences
and designers to consider. These are based on the best and fintech), or both (e.g. financial services trading floors).
advice currently available as shown in Tables 7 and 8. The Where occupiers are known at the outset of a project, the
criteria reflect interim targets for the period 2025–2030 design should allow for their specific needs.
which are appropriate for near-term projects. However, the
Recognising the goal of NZC in operation and construction
BCO recognises the longer-term importance of continuing by 2050, new aspirational design energy consumption
to work towards the 2050 targets. and embodied carbon targets have been added. These
are aligned with the UKGBC NZC pathway, although they
Conclusion may be superseded by the forthcoming Net Zero Carbon
Buildings Standard.
The intention of this update to the key design criteria of the
BCO Guide to Specification1 is to reflect changes in design Operational energy targets are based on annual consumption.
thinking over the last three years. This is in response to However, the design performance capacity of the energy-

17
BCO GUIDE TO SPECIFICATION KEY DESIGN British Council for Offices
CRITERIA UPDATE 2023 continued Briefing Note
February 2023

consuming systems must still ensure that the building

can meet the peak loads placed upon it. Like a car, the
fuel consumption efficiency of which is influenced by both
the design performance of the vehicle and the behaviour
of the driver, the operational energy use of a building is
dependent on both the base-building design and the way
the building is operated and maintained – with the latter
often the more important factor in reducing energy use.

NZC targets will also drive a need for closer cooperation

between building owners, operators and occupiers. The
way in which a base building is fitted out, occupied and
operated will have a significant impact on the operational
energy use and the embodied carbon invested in the
building through its life. The balance of responsibilities Bloc, 17 Marble Street, Manchester
between owner, operator and occupier will become very Copyright Bruntwood
important. These issues will be addressed more fully in the
forthcoming revision of the BCO Guide to Fit-Out.

The BCO seeks to capture and share best practice guidance a substitute for a competent professional project team,
informed by research and the expert experience of its and its recommendations need to be interpreted to suit the
members. However, the BCO Guide to Specification is not specific requirements of the owner and the project. ■

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BCO GUIDE TO SPECIFICATION KEY DESIGN British Council for Offices
CRITERIA UPDATE 2023 continued Briefing Note
February 2023

References uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/
file/1133081/Approved_Document_L__
1. BCO (2019) Guide to Specification. Available at:
Conservation_of_fuel_and_power__Volume_2_
https://www.bco.org.uk/Research/Publications/
Buildings_other_than_dwellings__2021_edition_
BCOGuideToSpec2019.aspx (accessed 7 February 2023).
incorporating_2023_amendments.pdf (accessed 7
2. BCO (2011) Guide to Fit-Out. Available at: February 2023).
https://www.bco.org.uk/Research/Publications/BCO_
13. BCO (2020) Thoughts on Office Design and Operation
Guide_To_Fit_Out_ONLINE.aspx
after COVID-19. Available at: http://www.bco.org.uk/
(accessed 7 February 2023).
Research/Publications/Thoughts_on_Office_Design_
3. BCO (2022) BCO Guide to Specification Key Design and_Operation_After_Covid-19.aspx
Criteria Update 2022: A Position Paper. Available at: (accessed 7 February 2023).
https://www.bco.org.uk/Research/Publications/
BCO_Guide_To_Specification_Key_Design_Criteria_ 14. BCO (2020) Thoughts on Washroom Design and
Update_2022_-_A_Position_Paper.aspx Operation Post COVID-19. Available at: https://www.
(accessed 7 February 2023). bco.org.uk/Research/Publications/Thoughts_on_
Washroom_Design_and_Operation_Post_Covid-19.aspx
4. IEA (2019) 2019 Global Status Report for Buildings (accessed 7 February 2023).
and Construction. Available at: https://www.iea.
org/reports/global-status-report-for-buildings-and- 15. BCO (2021) Thoughts on Ventilation Design
construction-2019 (accessed 7 February 2023). and Operation Post COVID-19. Available at:
https://www.bco.org.uk/Research/Publications/
5. UKGBC (2019) Net Zero Carbon Buildings: A Thoughts_on_Ventilation_Design_and_Operation_
Framework Definition. Available at: https://www. Post_Covid-19.aspx (accessed 7 February 2023).
ukgbc.org/ukgbc-work/net-zero-carbon-buildings-a-
framework-definition (accessed 7 February 2023). 16. BRE (2023) BREEAM. Available at: https://bregroup.
com/products/breeam (accessed 7 February 2023).
6. BCO (2022) The Future of UK Office Densities.
Available at: https://www.bco.org.uk/Research/ 17. Hare J (2021) Making sense of air quality sensors.
Publications/The_Future_of_UK_Office_Densities.aspx CIBSE Journal, May. Available at:
(accessed 7 February 2023). https://www.cibsejournal.com/technical/making-
sense-of-air-quality-sensors (accessed 7 February 2023).
7. Leesman (2023) Leesman Index database. Available at:
https://www.leesmanindex.com (accessed 7 February 2023). 18. Persily AK (2021) Please don’t blame Standard 62.1 for
1000 ppm CO2. ASHRAE Journal, 63(2):1–2. Available
8. BCO (2022) The Market Cycles II – The Impact at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/
of Cycling on Office Buildings. Available at: PMC8596488 (accessed 7 February 2023).
https://www.bco.org.uk/Research/Publications/
Market_Cycles_II-_The_Impact_of_Cycling_on_ 19. BRE (2022) What is NABERS UK? Available at:
Office_Buildings.aspx (accessed 7 February 2023). https://bregroup.com/products/nabers-uk/nabers-uk-
about (accessed 7 February 2023).
9. British Standards Institution (2017) BS ISO 17772‑1:
2017. Energy performance of buildings. Indoor 20. BRE (2022) Design for Performance. Available at:
environmental quality – Indoor environmental input https://bregroup.com/products/nabers-uk/nabers-uk-
parameters for the design and assessment of energy products/nabers-design-for-performance
performance of buildings. BSI, London. (accessed 7 February 2023).

10. BCO (2018) Office Occupancy: Density and Utilisation. 21. BRE (2022) NABERS UK – Energy for Offices.
Available at: https://www.bco.org.uk/Research/ Available at: https://bregroup.com/products/nabers-
Publications/Office_Occupancy_Density_and_ uk/nabers-uk-products/energy-for-offices
Utilisation.aspx (accessed 7 February 2023). (accessed 7 February 2023).

11. BCO (2020) Thoughts on Lift and Escalator Design and 22. LETI, RIBA, WLCN and IStructE (2021)
Operation after COVID-19. Available at: https://www.bco. Embodied Carbon Target Alignment. Available at:
org.uk/Research/Publications/Thoughts_on_Lift_and_ https://www.leti.london/_files/ugd/252d09_
Escalator_Design_and_Operation_After_Covid-19.aspx a45059c2d71043cdbcffc539f942e602.pdf
(accessed 7 February 2023). (accessed 7 February 2023).

12. HM Government (2022) Building Regulations 2010. 23. UKGBC (2020) Net Zero Carbon: Energy Performance
Part L: Conservation of Fuel and Power. Volume 2: Targets for Offices. Available at: https://www.ukgbc.
Buildings Other than Dwellings. Available at: org/ukgbc-work/net-zero-carbon-energy-performance-
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/ targets-for-offices (accessed 7 February 2023).
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BCO GUIDE TO SPECIFICATION KEY DESIGN British Council for Offices
CRITERIA UPDATE 2023 continued Briefing Note
February 2023

Acknowledgements
The authors and the BCO would like to thank the following members of the BCO and leading consultants in their field for their
contributions to and peer review of the final publication:

Benjamin Lesser (Derwent London)

Nick Offer (WSP)
David Healy (WSP)
Stephen Hill (Arup)
Rahul Patel (Arup)
Roaa Babiker (Buro Happold)

The BCO and the Technical Affairs Committee would like to thank all the individuals from the following organisations who
contributed to our consultation process and provided valuable input.

5 Plus Architects Dorrington plc Norman Disney & Young

Adamson Associates Eric Parry Architects OPERA
AKTII Exigere Perkins & Will
Alchemy Asset Management Foster + Partners Pinsent Masons
Allies & Morrison Government Property Agency PwC
Argent LLP GPE RLB
Arup Hilson Moran Savills
Astrea Asset Management Hines Sheppard Robson
Aura Hoare Lea Spectrum Acoustics
British Land JLL Stanhope plc
Bruntwood Kingspan SWECO
BT Knight Frank The Changing Work Company
Buro Happold Landsec The Crown Estate
Canary Wharf Contractors Lendlease tp bennett
CBRE LGIM Troup Bywaters + Anders
Chapman Taylor Long and Partners Turner & Townsend
CIBSE Lifts Group M3 Consulting Wallace Whittle
Columbia Threadneedle Real Estate Partners Max Fordham Whitecroft Lighting
Core Five Michael Laird Architects WSP
Cundall Montagu Evans Zumtobel Group
Cushman & Wakefield MTT Ltd
Derwent London NatWest

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BCO GUIDE TO SPECIFICATION KEY DESIGN British Council for Offices
CRITERIA UPDATE 2023 continued Briefing Note
February 2023

ABOUT THE BCO

The BCO is the UK’s leading forum for the discussion
and debate of issues affecting the office sector.
Established in 1990, its membership base comprises
organisations involved in creating, acquiring or
occupying office space, including architects, lawyers,
surveyors, financial institutions and public agencies.

The BCO recognises that offices don’t just house

companies, they hold people and so what goes on
inside them is paramount to workplace wellbeing.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

The Technical Affairs Committee (TAC) is the
voice for the BCO on technical aspects of the built
environment. It is responsible for the organisation’s
globally recognised best practice guides on office
specification and fit-out, and acts as a forum for
new ideas and discussion to address the technical
challenges facing the workplace sector.

This position paper was written on behalf of the BCO

Technical Affairs Committee by:

Neil Pennell (Head of Design Innovation and

Property Solutions at Landsec)
Peter Stocks (Partner, Cundall) DISCLAIMER
Saul Tyler (Director, Hoare Lea) This document is based on the best available evidence
Peter Williams (Technical Advisor to Stanhope) and knowledge of building design. The BCO excludes any
liability for any direct, indirect or incidental damages or
any other damages resulting from or connected with the
CITATION use of the information presented in this document. The
guidance in this publication is for general information
BCO (2023) BCO Guide to Specification Key Design only and does not seek to give advice or be an exclusive
Criteria Update 2023. statement of practice. Not all guidance may be applicable
https://www.bco.org.uk/Research/Publications/ or appropriate for every project or circumstance. Specific
BCO_Guide_to_Specification_Key_Design_Criteria_ advice should always be sought from an appropriately
Update_2023.aspx qualified professional for individual cases.

COPYRIGHT © BRITISH COUNCIL FOR OFFICES, 2023

All rights reserved by British Council for Offices. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any
means without prior written permission from the British Council for Offices. The BCO warrants that reasonable skill and care has been used in
preparing this report. Notwithstanding this warranty the BCO shall not be under liability for any loss of profit, business, revenues or any special
indirect or consequential damage of any nature whatsoever or loss of anticipated saving or for any increased costs sustained by the client or his
or her servants or agents arising in any way whether directly or indirectly as a result of reliance on this publication or of any error or defect
in this publication. The BCO makes no warranty, either express or implied, as to the accuracy of any data used by the BCO in preparing this
report nor as to any projections contained in this report which are necessarily of any subjective nature and subject to uncertainty and which
constitute only the BCO’s opinion as to likely future trends or events based on information known to the BCO at the date of this publication. The
BCO shall not in any circumstances be under any liability whatsoever to any other person for any loss or damage arising in any way as a result
of reliance on this publication.

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