Gaining an EDGE: Engineering and building physics services

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At EVORA we know from long experience there is a huge amount of unlocked potential in existing commercial buildings. But we see time and again how the realisation of that potential is so often obstructed by the long and complicated supply chains involved.

That’s why we set up EVORA EDGE, our engineering and building physics team which, in just over two years, has grown to a team of six with further expansion planned this year.

EVORA EDGE allows us to deliver an end-to-end service and provides a solution to the often negative impact that mechanical and electrical teams (M&E) can have on achieving successful sustainability policies.

Traditionally, fund managers will appoint asset managers, who appoint property managers, who appoint M&E consultants, who support the appointment and policing of M&E contractors. This is a long supply chain – from the technical specialists to the decision makers. Unfortunately, in many cases, translation of the technical expertise gets lost along the way.

In our experience, M&E consultants often simply respond to requests at an individual building level, without stopping to think, evaluate and advise on where and how long-term value can be also be added through the day-to-day running and management of a building and portfolio.

The addition of EVORA EDGE to our service seeks to change this. We believe we can better target cost-effectiveness, standardisation and open up opportunities to better support asset improvement in both the short and long-term.

We believe we can better target cost-effectiveness, standardisation and open up opportunities to better support asset improvement in both the short and long-term.

We like to think outside the box.  Whilst we offer standard MEP services, we also believe M&E consultancy teams can offer greater value. We deliver all of the following:

  • Procurement support for M&E contractors
  • Development of M&E replacement plans
  • Project management
  • M&E consulting – the policing role

But we also aim to identify improvements that fit into asset management plans, support client sustainability initiatives and ultimately help protect and enhance asset value for the long-term.

Take a look at some of our case studies and see how the EDGE team might be able to help. For more information contact the EDGE team on 01743 341903 or email info@evoraedge.com

Case studies

  1. Ambitious CO² reduction policy for UK local authority Guildford Borough Council
  2. Sophisticated building modelling reduces overall energy consumption at Broad Quay House
  3. PV systems achieve internal rates of return (IRR) in excess of 6% per building for Aberdeen Standard Investments
  4. Modelling software identifies cost-effective measures for energy efficient refurbishment at Regents House

EVORA Staff Benefits: living our Values

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EVORA strives to be an open-minded, culture-driven company that really believes in our people, individually and collectively. Over the years, we have built a team of like-minded colleagues and it is fair to say, our people really are at the heart of everything we do and achieve.

Over the past 36 months our niche team has tripled and we now have 41 full-time staff. We have taken additional space in our fantastic offices in London out for more on that, coming soon!) as well as new office space across the country to accommodate growth in Bolton, our engineering team in Shrewsbury, the software team in Birmingham and the finance team in Farnham!

As we have grown, we have not compromised on our culture and values. Maintaining an environment that is supportive and inclusive and provides the flexibility that allows the team to work in a healthy, balanced workplace has been key. Following on from a consultation with the whole team last year, we are excited to launch our enhanced staff benefits for all staff which includes:

  • Increased pension contribution – EVORA match contributions up to a maximum of 10% dependent on seniority
  • Increased holiday allowance – from a base of 25 days, staff will accrue an extra days holiday for each year served up to 30 days
  • Sabbatical – After 3 years of continuous service, staff will be given an additional 5 days holiday and the ability to take a month’s sabbatical
  • Flexible working – Staff now have the ability to work flexibly, both in relation to home working and flexible hours.
  • Maternity package – we now have a generous maternity package
  • Healthcare – comprehensive private Healthcare with loads of benefits is now in place
  • Bonding with nature – All staff are now given a plant to adopt and care for, in a bid to improve our indoor air quality
  • FUN – we have provided a games console in our London HQ and also provided board games for staff to use during their lunch or after work

This is all in addition to the many benefits we already have in place.

They say that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We believe that by consulting with our staff, and providing them with an environment in which they thrive, we build a strong team, which delivers value to our clients.

Watch our video to find out more about the team!

We are always on the lookout for outstanding individuals. You can learn more about what it’s like to work for EVORA on our Jobs Page and find details of our current vacancies.

EVORA set to expand consultancy team after annual promotions

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The EVORA team is growing rapidly in response to huge market demand for sustainability consultancy services and a number of great client wins.

Here at EVORA, we pride ourselves on building a positive, like-minded team of experts, and providing them with training and progression opportunities which enables us to deliver value to our clients.

I am pleased to announce, following our annual review process, that several staff have been given promotions.

This really is testament to the enormous amount of talent we have in-house, and our dedicated and hard-working team. We also announced recently that Louise Russell has been promoted to Associate Director.

If you’d like to join the EVORA team, you can find out more about working with us, and see our current vacancies on our Jobs page.

EVORA appoints new Associate Director

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I am delighted to announce that Louise Russell has been promoted to Associate Director.

Louise is EVORA’s longest serving employee and we couldn’t be more thrilled to offer her this opportunity as Associate Director in recognition of her hard work. She was our first Junior Consultant when Chris, Paul and I started the company six years ago and over that time, has worked her way through the ranks and developed her skills and knowledge.

Louise delivers invaluable support to several of our clients, including L&G, Schroder’s, EQT and more. She will now join the Senior Management Team to provide further strategic direction to the business.

Louise said “It has been really exciting to watch the company grow and for me personally to be a part of it. Despite our growth we have still maintained the same values that attracted me in the beginning. The drive for sustainability in the built environment continues to evolve, but I feel EVORA is ideally placed to spearhead the conversation.”

Find out more about Louise here.

If you would like to join EVORA, you can find out more about working with us and our current vacancies on our careers page.

Career Opportunities at EVORA

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At EVORA, we are able to apply our depth of knowledge and experience to help organisations understand and manage environmental risks, as well as realise the opportunities to protect and enhance the long term value of their assets. Our breadth of knowledge and client base have grown year on year and every member of the team is passionate about sustainability as a professional service.

We intend to grow our team by identifying individuals who have similar values, technical expertise and enthusiasm for their work.

We are currently recruiting for the following exciting positions:

If none of these current roles fit your expertise, but you are a sustainability professional who’d really love to work for a company like EVORA, please get in touch anyway. The team is expanding rapidly and we are always open to speaking with individuals who fit with our culture and values.

Our EVORA EDGE team are also looking for people working in the following areas:

Building Physicists, Building Services Designers and Engineers, EPC assessors, Air Conditioning Energy Assessors, CAD engineers, M&E Tech iCal Services Managers.

No agencies please!

How to apply

Passion and enthusiasm are essential qualities as is a practical common sense approach and a determination to deliver the highest quality of work.

If you think you’ve got the skills and experience to join our rapidly expanding business, we’d love to hear from you!

To apply, please email recruitment@evoraglobal.com with your CV or see our LinkedIn page.

Staff benefits and rewards

Senior Management, in consultation with the wider team, are currently working on an exciting new package of benefits and rewards which will be rolled out between now and the start of the new financial year. However, we already have a great range of benefits, including:

  • Work as part of a rapidly growing close-knit team of dedicated and enthusiastic professionals
  • 25 days annual leave per year plus public holiday entitlement
  • Work for a company that lives and breathes its values
  • Excellent ongoing professional development support
  • Employee pension scheme (after qualifying period)
  • Opportunity to work for large blue-chip clients
  • 2 days per year to volunteer for charity
  • Discretionary end-of-year bonus
  • Optional locations – London, Manchester, Birmingham, remote working (dependent on role)
  • And more (e.g. monthly company socials, childcare vouchers, Bike2Work scheme, payroll giving)

Skills and expertise

We are particularly keen to hear from people with the following expertise and knowledge:

  • Client account and programme management
  • Depth of technical knowledge of sustainability issues and application to real estate
  • EMS development and operation to ISO certification levels
  • Managing large environmental data management programmes coordinating multiple parties
  • Monitoring and analysis of energy consumption data
  • Regulatory and voluntary reporting, e.g. CRC, GRESB, CDP
  • Environmental and Energy Audit Experience for commercial buildings
  • ESOS Lead Assessor
  • Detailed understanding of UK environmental legislation (ESOS, CRC, EPCs, MEES)
  • BREEAM in Use Assessor and/or WELL Accredited Practitioner status

To apply, please email recruitment@evoraglobal.com with your CV or see our LinkedIn page.

EVORA revealed as finalists in Edie’s Sustainability Leaders Awards

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In EVORA’s first year of entering, we are thrilled to be finalists in three categories for the Edie Sustainability Leaders Awards 2019.

We are proud to be finalists in the ‘Consultancy of the Year’ category, along with a number of other outstanding organisations and we also made the list of finalists for the ‘Energy Efficiency’ category with our client Schroder Real Estate Investment Management.

Our Founder and Managing Director, Chris Bennett is also one of the finalists for ‘Energy Management Leader of the Year’ and will be presenting to the panel of judges later in the year.

Chris said, “This is an amazing accomplishment for EVORA. We have doubled in size over the last year and have built a really forward-thinking team, we’re also very fortunate to be working with some great clients. It’s wonderful to be recognised for the work that we are doing in the real estate sustainability sector and we have some really exciting plans on the horizon.”

The team looks forward to meeting fellow finalists and judges at the awards ceremony on 6 February.

There were a record-breaking number of entries this year for the awards, which have undergone a major revamp, with a new judging panel and additional new categories for 2019. The awards are a celebration of organisations who are embedding sustainability in their operations, business models and products, the winners are in the vanguard of sustainability and are driving demonstrable results through innovation, engagement and a commitment to doing business better.

You can find the full shortlist here.

EVORA’s Associate Director, Oli Pye, selected to join WELL Portfolio Advisory

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Oli Pye, Associate Director has been invited by the International WELL Building Institute™ (IWBI™) to be part of the 2018-2019 WELL Portfolio advisory.

Oli joins a select group of leading industry professionals who will guide the continuous evolution of the WELL Portfolio Pathway pilot, a new streamlined pathway for WELL Certification for multiple new or existing buildings and tenant spaces in a single portfolio.

Being released as part of the WELL v2 pilot, the latest iteration of the WELL Building Standard (WELL), WELL Portfolio is part of a suite of enhancements to WELL that addresses growing demand across the building industry for a program that helps owners, developers and tenants streamline and scale health and wellness upgrades to their real estate assets.

“Since we launched WELL, we’ve seen an explosion of interest from global companies to bring the same health and wellness benefits across their portfolios,” said IWBI Chairman and CEO Rick Fedrizzi. “The commitment of our early adopters who are now sharing their knowledge in this advisory role is what will make this process realizable for more companies and positively impact more people in every corner of the globe.”

The WELL Portfolio advisory includes a collection of professionals, practitioners and experts across a range of industries and sectors who will help shape and advance the implementation of the WELL Portfolio program.

Advisors will work with IWBI throughout the year to help ensure that WELL Portfolio continues to align with the latest industry research, meets user needs and raises the bar for healthy, high-performing buildings around the world.

Oli said, “I’m delighted to have been invited onto the panel with my fellow WELL Portfolio Advisors and I’m looking forward to supporting the programme.”

You can read more here.

Do sustainability professionals ever ‘switch off?’

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It’s official: despite my best efforts, I cannot switch off from work.

It has slowly been creeping into my life away from the office without me even realising it. Don’t get me wrong, as a sustainability professional I am more than happy to recycle at home, switch off lights, nag my friends into action, and do various other things as part of ‘my bit’ for the environment. But lately it has been entering other areas of my life unannounced. I thought it would be interesting to share my experiences in the hope I’m not the only one!

Example 1 – Watching TV. I had a bit of a binge watch of the series ‘Mad Men’ on Netflix recently (for anyone who watched it first time round you will realise I am about 10 years late to this programme!). It has been described by some TV experts as the most historically accurate portrayal of the era out of any show which has made it to the small screen. The sexism and racism is, at times, jaw dropping, the costumes are spot on and everyone smoking and drinking heavily throughout the day is a well-established norm.

And yet, for all the things they got right (I am having to base this on other peoples’ opinions as I was born in the 80s!), there is one glaring error which ruins the show…..the lighting. The camera is regularly angled upwards to show row upon row of perfectly illuminated square LED panels – a major oversight for a show set in the 1960s/1970s!

Example 2 – The shopping experience. Long do I yearn for the days when I would simply walk into shops to buy things. Now however, my first thought is always the temperature. 98% of the time, shops do not take into account the fact that customers will be wearing clothes suitable for the external weather conditions. For example, if it’s 0ºC outside, they will be wrapped up appropriately, and the last thing they’ll want is to walk into a shop which is reminiscent of a sauna and be baked like an arctic explorer in the Amazon. Cue me walking into a shop and swiftly leaving after five seconds (which happens regularly!).

Example 3 – Going for dinner or drinks. Currently, the trend seems to be for bars and restaurants to be fitted out in a ‘vintage’ style, including filament style lightbulbs. My first thought when I walk into these places is whether they are actually old high wattage filament bulbs or a sneaky LED alternative (which can be very realistic). Cue my attempts to try and touch the lights to see how much heat is being given off, prompting some very shifty looks from the bar staff.

So, it seems that I am destined to never ‘switch off’ from the job. However, I take solace in the fact that the above scenarios are not life threatening and do not keep me awake at night (like some jobs must). Instead it has formed an integral, albeit mildly annoying, part of my sub-conscious that will likely never fade.

EVORA sustainability consultancy services for UBS Asset Management

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PRESS RELEASE – 14 September 2018
Download the full press release here.

UBS Asset Management appoints sustainability specialist EVORA to deliver sustainability consultancy services on a three-year instruction.

EVORA, the independent pan-European sustainability consultancy is pleased to announce its appointment by UBS Asset Management (UBS) Real Estate & Private Markets-Europe (REPM) business on a three-year basis to provide consultancy support to its UK and European funds.

UBS has an established and leading approach to sustainability. This is clearly demonstrated through recent GRESB benchmark results, where all four participating European funds achieved 5 green stars with two sector first places.

Over the next three years, EVORA will support UBS to progress benchmarking and reporting results and assist in the development and roll out of asset and fund level sustainability improvement programmes.

Chris Bennett, Managing Director, EVORA said: “We are delighted to secure this important mandate from UBS. It is extremely exciting to work with a recognised front runner and have the opportunity to be part of their future success in driving forward their sustainability agenda.” 

Contact us to see how we can support your organisation.

GRESB Results 2018: EVORA supports Hines to achieve Sector Leader status and top global ranking in Health, Wellbeing and Resilience

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PRESS RELEASE – 12 September 2018
Download the full press release here.

Hines Pan-European Core Fund Recognized as Sector Leader by GRESB Results 2018 for Sustainability Performance

We are delighted to congratulate our client, Hines Pan-European Core Fund (HECF), for their absolutely stellar GRESB 2018 results:

  • GRESB Global Sector Leader
  • GRESB Europe Sector Leader
  • Ranked 1st Globally in the supplementary Health & Wellbeing module.
  • Ranked 1st Globally in the supplementary Resilience module.

It’s testament to their historic investment in and ongoing commitment to sustainability/ESG, plus their ability to respond quickly to emerging trends and topics such as health, wellbeing and resilience.

We have thoroughly enjoyed providing HECF with sustainability consultancy (including GRESB submission support) during the past two years and look forward to continuing our collaboration during the year(s) ahead.

Ed Gabbitas, Director, EVORA said: “The EVORA and HECF teams have worked incredibly hard over the past year to maintain Sector Leader status. It is great to see our high performing ESG strategy contribute to an equally high performing overall fund strategy, which has seen occupancy at 99.4% (as at Q2 2018), and doubling of assets under management (to €1.2bn GAV) since we first started working with Hines.”

You can read the full Hines press release here.

GRESB Premier PartnerWe are perfectly positioned to provide GRESB support. View our official Premier Partner profile.

We can work with you to complete the submission and understand your scoring, as well as develop a sustainability plan that will improve your future GRESB performance and align with your organisation’s key environmental objectives.