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Article
Publication date: 29 February 2008

Christian Stoy and Reinhold Johrendt

The costs of cleaning owner‐operated office buildings amount to an approximate 20 per cent share of the operating costs. As a result of their cost relevance and the growing cost…

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Abstract

Purpose

The costs of cleaning owner‐operated office buildings amount to an approximate 20 per cent share of the operating costs. As a result of their cost relevance and the growing cost pressures on real estate divisions, cleaning costs are increasingly coming under focus. This interest manifests itself in the search for cost indicators and their drivers to be used as a basis for the management of real estate. This paper seeks to address this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

A study of the specialist literature revealed, from a theoretical perspective, the relevant drivers of cleaning costs. The empirical study is based on cost and property information collected, on a uniform basis, from over 100 owner‐operated office buildings in Switzerland, with the analysis of cost drivers being carried out using regression analysis.

Findings

The cleaning cost indicators of the examined properties revealed a median of 41 CHF/m2 usable floor area and year. With regard to cost drivers, it was established that both building characteristics and usage determine the costs. However, the decisive drivers are, above all, the management strategies and the owners' main objectives.

Research limitations/implications

The management strategies proved to be specific to the individual project partners. The causal relationships between strategies (e.g. outsourcing strategies) and costs may be considered to be well‐substantiated hypotheses, which require verification by means of future analyses.

Originality/value

The study identified both indicators and relevant drivers of cleaning costs. To this end, this study collected data from over 100 owner‐operated office buildings within Switzerland and examined these data using regression analysis. As a result, the cleaning costs of the examined properties were ascertained.

Details

Facilities, vol. 26 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-2772

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Article
Publication date: 12 October 2012

Mei‐Yung Leung, Jingyu Yu and Shiwang Yu

The proportion of the population aged 65 and over is rapidly rising and is expected to reach 24.3 per cent by 2031, up from 12 per cent in 2006. As a result, the Hong Kong…

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Abstract

Purpose

The proportion of the population aged 65 and over is rapidly rising and is expected to reach 24.3 per cent by 2031, up from 12 per cent in 2006. As a result, the Hong Kong government is facing challenges in meeting the growing demand for residential care homes. To provide a clear picture for construction professionals engaged in the future design and operation of such homes, it is first necessary to understand the opinions of end‐users in existing facilities. The paper aims to identify key facilities management (FM) components in three particular areas of residential care homes.

Design/methodology/approach

In order to collect data from end‐users, a questionnaire survey of 119 end‐users (both elderly residents and staff) based on post‐occupancy evaluation (POE) was used to evaluate the FM performance of the homes and establish the relationships between the comfort levels of FM components and the satisfaction of elderly residents.

Findings

The findings in the questionnaire survey indicated that all 16 key FM components were significantly related to the satisfaction with the home, while space planning, temperature, ventilation, privacy, finishes, and staff were the factors predicting satisfaction with different areas.

Practical implications

The paper makes a number of practical recommendations to government and construction professionals for improving the residential care environment, including a wide corridor with short distance and a low‐speed air‐conditioning machines in the common areas. In the bedroom, designers are recommended to install some partitions in terms of privacy and consider the microclimate carefully. In the bathroom, the use of lifting devices, louver doors, sufficient ventilation and a stable hot water supply are beneficial for the elderly's satisfaction.

Originality/value

Post‐occupancy evaluation is a commonly used tool to evaluate FM performance based on the end‐user's perspective. The study innovatively investigates the impact of different FM components on elders' satisfaction degree by application of POE.

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