Office Building Quality Guidelines

Based on the Property Council of Australia (PCA) Guidelines, 3rd Edition (July 2019). This framework outlines the essential parameters and criteria that shape the commercial perception, tenant satisfaction, and investment grade of office spaces.

Core Principles & Application

General Overview Matrix

New Buildings

CodeParameterUnitPremium BuildingsGrade A BuildingsGrade B Buildings
Descriptor Presentation A landmark office building located in major CBD office markets which is a trendsetter in establishing rents. Includes expansive views and outlook, ample natural light, prestige quality access from an attractive street setting, prestige lobby and lift finishes, premium quality lift ride, premium quality amenities, premium presentation and maintenance. High-quality office building including high-quality views, outlook and natural light, high-quality access from an attractive street setting, high-quality lobby and lift finishes, high-quality lift ride, high-quality amenities, high-quality presentation and maintenance. Good quality office building with a good standard of finish and maintenance.

Existing Buildings

CodeParameterUnitPremium BuildingsGrade A BuildingsGrade B BuildingsGrade C Buildings
Descriptor Presentation A landmark office building located in major CBD office markets which is a trendsetter in establishing rents. Includes expansive views and outlook, ample natural light, prestige quality access from an attractive street setting, prestige lobby and lift finishes, premium quality lift ride, premium quality amenities, premium presentation and maintenance. High-quality office building including high-quality views, outlook and natural light, high-quality access from an attractive street setting, high-quality lobby and lift finishes, high-quality lift ride, high-quality amenities, high-quality presentation and maintenance. Good quality office building with a good standard of finish and maintenance. Adequate quality office space.

A. Environmental Parameters

New Buildings

CodeParameterUnitPremium BuildingsGrade A BuildingsGrade B Buildings
A1Environmental ratingGreen Star – Design & As Built v1.26 Star5 Star4 Star
A2Energy (without green power)NABERS Office Energy (Commitment)5.5 Star5.5 Star5.5 Star
A3WaterNumber of water points under Green Star – Design & As Built v1.2432
A4WasteGreen Star – Design & As Built v1.2 'Operational Waste' creditYesYesYes
A5Indoor environment qualityPercentage of minimum Indoor Environmental Quality points under Green Star – Design & As Built v1.2Min 70% Including credits for thermal comfortMin 60% Including credits for thermal comfortMin 50%
A6Climate change adaptations and resilienceGreen Star – Design & As Built v1.2 'Adaptation and Resilience' creditYesYes-

Existing Buildings

CodeParameterUnitPremium BuildingsGrade A BuildingsGrade B BuildingsGrade C Buildings
A1Environmental ratingGreen Star – Performance v1.24 Star3 Star2 star2 star
A2Energy (without green power)NABERS Office Energy5 Star4.5 Star4 Star3 Star
A3WaterNABERS Office Water4 Star3.5 Star3 Star3 Star
A4WasteGreen Star – Performance v1.2 'Operational Waste' creditYesYesNoNo
A5Indoor environment qualityNABERS IE Score (base building)5 Star4 Star3 Star-
A6Climate change adaption and resilienceCapacity to adaptYesYes--

Explanatory Notes

A1

Environmental Rating

Establishes the minimum required formal certification using GBCA's Green Star framework (Design & As Built for new developments, Performance for existing properties).

A2

Energy Base Loads

For new builds, mandates a NABERS Energy Commitment Agreement (or an accepted NCC 2019 JV1 verification). Existing assets must demonstrate a physically achieved NABERS Energy rating.

A3 / A4

Water & Waste

Water requirements capture end-of-trip facility usage, assessed via Green Star points (new) or NABERS (existing). Waste targets require achieving specific Operational Waste Management Plan criteria.

A5

Indoor Environment Quality

New builds require a specified threshold of Green Star IEQ points, specifically mandating thermal comfort credits (Premium builds require advanced thermal points). Existing buildings rely on base building NABERS IE scores.

A6

Climate Resilience

Evaluates asset durability against climate shifts. New structures must attain the designated Green Star adaptation credit. Existing buildings must demonstrate a developed mitigation strategy inclusive of implementation cost estimates.

B. Configuration Parameters

New Buildings

CodeParameterUnitPremium BuildingsGrade A BuildingsGrade B Buildings
B1Building sizesqm NLASydney/Melbourne CBDs > 30,000
Brisbane/Perth CBDs > 25,000
Other CBDs > 20,000
Sydney/Melbourne CBDs > 10,000
Brisbane/Perth CBDs > 10,000
Other CBDs > 5,000
Sydney/Melbourne CBDs > 5,000
Brisbane/Perth CBDs > 5,000
Other CBDs > 3,000
B2Floor platesqm NLASydney/Melbourne/Brisbane/Perth CBDs > 1,500
Other CBDs > 1,200
Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane/Perth CBDs > 1,000
Other CBDs > 800
Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane/Perth CBDs > 700
Other CBDs > 600
B3Tenant service zonemm>= 150>= 125>= 100
B4High loading% of NLA5% > 7.5kPa5% > 7.5kPa-

Existing Buildings

CodeParameterUnitPremium BuildingsGrade A BuildingsGrade B BuildingsGrade C Buildings
B1Building sizesqm NLASydney/Melbourne CBDs > 30,000
Other CBDs > 20,000
Sydney/Melbourne CBDs > 10,000
Other CBDs > 5,000
Sydney/Melbourne CBDs > 5,000
Other CBDs > 2,500
-
B2Floor platesqm NLASydney/Melbourne CBDs > 1,200
Other CBDs > 1,000
Sydney/Melbourne CBDs > 900
Other CBDs > 800
--
B3Tenant service zonemm>= 100---
B4High loading% of NLA5% > 7.5kPa5% > 7.5kPa--

Explanatory Notes

B1

Building Size

The total required Net Lettable Area (NLA) for the property. Multi-building complexes held under single ownership may aggregate their spaces to meet this threshold.

B2

Floor Plate

The minimum required NLA per individual office floor. To achieve compliance, a minimum of 75% of the asset's office floors must meet or exceed this physical size.

B3

Tenant Service Zone

The continuous, unobstructed vertical clearance (either within the ceiling void or sub-floor space) reserved exclusively for tenant reticulation. This clearance must be maintained across at least 80% of every floor's NLA.

B4

High Loading

Defines the localized structural capacity necessary for heavy tenant installations, required as a proportional percentage of each floor's NLA.

C. Mechanical Parameters

New Buildings

CodeParameterUnitPremium BuildingsGrade A BuildingsGrade B Buildings
C1Air conditioning – maximum zone sizesqm (perimeter / centre zone)<= 75/100<= 85/120<= 100/150
C2Chilled beam density – maximum area served per chilled beamWatts per m² (perimeter / zone)<= 15/25<= 20/35<= 25/50
C3Tenant equipmentWatts per m²>= 15>= 12>= 10
C4Tenant supplementary loopWatts per m²>= 20>= 20>= 20
C5After-hours operationMinimum zones per floor
Maximum zone size (sqm)
4
600
2
600
1
-
C6Cooling / heating plant redundancy% peak cooling / heating load> 60%> 50%-

Existing Buildings

CodeParameterUnitPremium BuildingsGrade A BuildingsGrade B BuildingsGrade C Buildings
C1Air conditioning – maximum zone sizesqm (perimeter / centre zone)<= 75/100<= 85/120<= 100/150One per face / <= 200
C2Chilled beam density – maximum area served per chilled beamWatts per m² (perimeter / zone)<= 15/25<= 20/35<= 25/50-
C3Tenant equipmentWatts per m²>= 15>= 12>= 10>= 5
C4Tenant supplementary loopWatts per m²>= 25>= 20--
C5After-hours operationMinimum zones per floor
Maximum zone size (sqm)
4
600
2
600
-
-
-
-
C6Cooling / heating plant redundancy% peak cooling / heating load> 50%> 40%--

Explanatory Notes

C1

Zonal Control Constraints

Establishes the maximum allowable area that a single thermostat-controlled device (like a VAV box) is permitted to regulate, subdivided into perimeter and internal core limits.

C2

Chilled Beam Density

Dictates the maximum spatial footprint a single chilled beam can service, heavily interwoven with the localized thermostat requirements of parameter C1.

C3 / C4

Supplementary Cooling

Base systems must possess an inherent cooling buffer specifically allocated for tenant power loads (C3). Furthermore, higher-grade assets require a secondary, 24/7 closed-loop condenser water riser (C4) with 100% standby backup, allowing tenants to tap in for their dedicated cooling packages. These take-offs must be oversized to 250% of the metric.

C5

After-Hours HVAC

Requires physical isolation of mechanical zones out-of-hours, preventing the inefficient conditioning of an entire floor when only a small fraction is occupied.

C6

Plant Redundancy

Ensures systematic resilience. Should a primary centralized asset fail (chiller, tower, or pump), the building must retain the capacity to deliver a mandated percentage of peak load conditioning.

D. Tenant Risers

New Buildings

CodeParameterUnitPremium BuildingsGrade A BuildingsGrade B Buildings
D1General exhaustL/s/m² (m² capped to minimum floor plate size)0.250.15-
D2Commercial kitchen exhaust and commercial kitchen make up airL/s
Number
>= 3,000
1 per rise
>= 3,000
Minimum of 1
-
-
D3Supplementary toilet exhaustL/s/m² (m² capped to minimum floor plate size)0.20.1-
D4Supplementary outside airL/s/m²0.300.300.25

Existing Buildings

CodeParameterUnitPremium BuildingsGrade A BuildingsGrade B BuildingsGrade C Buildings
D1General exhaustL/s/m² (m² capped to minimum floor plate size)0.20.1--
D2Commercial kitchen exhaustNumber1 per rise---
D3Supplementary toilet exhaustL/s/m² (m² capped to minimum floor plate size)0.20.1--
D4Supplementary outside airL/s/m²0.30.3--

Explanatory Notes

D1 / D3 / D4

Air Riser Capacities

These metrics dictate the auxiliary air handling volumes required for specialized tenant fit-outs. D1 covers general exhaust, D3 covers extra ablution loads, and D4 ensures access to supplementary fresh air. Crucially, the physical connection points (take-offs) on every floor must be engineered to handle 250% of these base metrics to support highly localized tenant demands.

D2

Kitchen Exhaust

Mandates the inclusion of high-volume shafts or pathways specifically designed to vent commercial cooking facilities. In top-tier assets, complementary make-up air pathways must also be provided.

H. Building Management

New Buildings

CodeParameterUnitPremium BuildingsGrade A BuildingsGrade B Buildings
H1Management personnelLevel of serviceFull management and operational onsite team, regular building management committee meetings, active environmental education, adoption of software-based facility management systems, including integration with building information management (BIM), where utilised.Full management and operational onsite team for buildings greater than 30,000 sqm. Regular building management committee meetings, online tenant service request system, active environmental education, building user guides and risk management systems.Remote monitoring with daily site attendance.
H2Courier coordinationYes / NoYes with space providedYesYes
H3Life cycle maintenanceYears>= 15>= 10>= 5
H4Energy and water submeteringYes / NoYesYesYes
H5IEQ monitoringYes / NoYes - utilising IEQ monitors / loggersYesNo

Existing Buildings

CodeParameterUnitPremium BuildingsGrade A BuildingsGrade B BuildingsGrade C Buildings
H1Management personnelLevel of serviceFull management and operational onsite team, regular building management committee meetings, online tenant service request system, active environmental education, building user guides and risk management systems.Full management and operational onsite team for buildings greater than 30,000 sqm. Regular building management committee meetings, online tenant service request system, active environmental education, building user guides and risk management systems.Remote monitoring with daily site attendance.-
H2Courier coordinationYes / NoYesYesNoNo
H3Life cycle maintenanceYears>= 10>= 5--
H4Energy and water submeteringYes / NoYesYesYes-
H5IEQ monitoringYes / NoYes - utilising IEQ monitors / loggersYesNo-

Explanatory Notes

H1

Facilities Operations

Gauges the depth of the property management team, assessing their physical presence on-site and their integration with advanced technological management tools (like BIM or ticketing systems).

H2

Courier Staging

Checks for managed logistics protocols—ensuring deliveries are received in a dedicated staging zone under management oversight, rather than causing lobby congestion.

H3

Lifecycle Strategy

The required future-proofing timeframe. Management must have a formalized, funded capital expenditure plan predicting maintenance and replacement needs over this horizon to preserve the building's grade.

H4

Granular Sub-metering

Demands isolated utility tracking aligned with Green Star standards. The data must be centrally aggregated into the BMCS, and in new developments, made dynamically accessible online.

H5

Air Quality Logging

The requirement for active, real-time tracking of environmental parameters (like CO2) within the BMCS, with transparent access provided back to the building occupants.