150 Holborn has achieved the highest level of WiredScore SmartScore certification, Platinum. This means Sidara’s London HQ is one of the smartest places to work in the world, as well as one that delivers an exceptional user experience. But what does this actually mean in practice? Why do these global certifications matter, and what are the benefits to Sidara, to our occupants, and for our clients?

What are WiredScore and SmartScore?

WiredScore certification rates a building’s resilient digital infrastructure and connectedness, while SmartScore certification clarifies what constitutes a smart building, including the technology, user/tenant experience, and future readiness. Together, both certifications offer proof of the value added to a building asset.

What are the criteria for Platinum in WiredScore and SmartScore?

WiredScore’s highest-awarded mark proves that 150 Holborn meets exceptional standards for the quality of its digital connectivity, wired infrastructure, resilience, and wireless network. Although our building is currently fully occupied by Sidara companies, this will appeal to high-quality tenants and investors who want seamless digital experiences, should we wish to look for other occupiers in the future.

SmartScore’s highest-awarded mark identifies 150 Holborn as a best-in class smart building that delivers an exceptional user experience, drives cost efficiencies, meets high standards of sustainability, and is fully future-proof. It also helps demonstrate how we’re proactively addressing and improving our building, in line with Sidara’s ESG+R principles.

How does WiredScore SmartScore support and add value to our ESG+R strategy?

Green is the new Black in today’s world. Sidara’s ESG pillars define the performance of our business across a wide range of Environmental, Social, and Governance pillars. And we recognise our industry is starting to move beyond ESG now, adding a 4th pillar of Resilience, which underpins the other three.

The technology in use at 150 Holborn ensures we’re able to input and evolve our ESG+R strategy to drive asset level, tangible improvements.

How does WiredScore SmartScore input into Environmental?

By measuring energy efficiency and emissions, it:

• Ensures our building has the digital technology and connectivity to monitor, measure, report on, and deploy automation to improve environmental metrics (energy, water, emissions, renewables).
• Ensures we have the right infrastructure and capacity from the start to minimise retrofitting down the line and reducing our carbon footprint over time.
• Rewards our use of technology to run more efficiently and ensure equipment lasts longer (reduction in scope 1 and 2 emissions).

How does WiredScore SmartScore input into Social?

By measuring wellbeing & wider society impact, it:

• Supports digital inclusion by rewarding our building for providing free Wi-Fi and mobile signals to create a space where our communities can work and collaborate.
• Ensures we have the right digital connectivity required to deliver essential user benefits and experience.
• Rewards our prioritising wellness and a healthy environment via air quality, noise and daylight levels measuring, reporting and optimisation.
• Rewards our use of technology to create safe spaces with dynamic cleaning scheduling and building utilisation.

How does WiredScore SmartScore input into Governance?

By measuring diversity, culture, and reputation at the property owner, occupier and management company level, it:

• Prevents internet monopoly and unfair terms in a market by rewarding our building for offering multiple providers.
• Brings transparency to all users, from investors to occupiers, through a third party assessment.
• Rewards our sharing of data and reports on multiple building metrics, ensuring transparency and accuracy to all stakeholders.

How does WiredScore SmartScore input into Resilience?

By protecting properties from physical risk and protecting business from transition risk (economic, regulatory, reputational, and other systematic risks), it:

• Improves climate-change resiliency of our building with specific protection measures and added redundancy of our critical digital infrastructure (flood protection, backup power, temperature controls, cabling diversity).
• Rewards our robust measures and policies for reducing the risk of cyber breaches.
• Rewards our user data policies that protect civil liberties and increase data privacy and protection.

WiredScore SmartScore also ties in with the WELL healthy building certification standard, BREEAM and LEED green building rating systems, and GRESB, the global standard for portfolio-level ESG+R reporting in the real estate sector. All of which help building owners and landlords demonstrate their ESG+R credentials to clients, investors, and tenants.

150 Holborn was certified under BREEAM New Construction 2014, and achieved a total design stage score of 89.9%, well above the “Outstanding” threshold of 85%. Our building is projected to achieve 98% in BREEAM Post Construction Certification. In addition, 150 Holborn is on track to achieve LEED Platinum certification, targeting a score of 86 credits.

The opportunities associated with choosing to engage with ESG+R factors are enormous. Such as, adding long term value to communities and doing social good; demonstrating a commitment to sustainability to investors and tenants; and increasing the lifecycle of our assets and reducing carbon emissions.

What does our WiredScore SmartScore Platinum building include?

150 Holborn demonstrates cutting edge innovation with the use of market-leading technology, processes, and automation to deliver world class outcomes to all users of our building. We’ve created a highly sustainable, inspirational, cost-efficient, and future-proof space.

• Technology optimises building systems, reducing energy and operating costs.
• Cybersecurity policies and best practices ensure our building is well protected against cyber threats.
• Multiple high-speed internet providers are available to occupants, meaning competitive pricing and back ups in case one service goes down.
• In-building technology enables tracking and reporting on key metrics, including ESG+R metrics.
• Diversity of points of entry and risers for tenant telecommunications ensure connectivity resilience.

Benefits for 150 Holborn Occupants

World-class smart building technology provides a digital backbone for our occupants to have a seamless workplace experience, increasing collaboration, productivity, and health and wellness.

Individual and Collaborative Productivity

We can:

• Enter the building securely with digital access credentials.
• Receive notifications when a visitor arrives, allowing us to host with seamless efficiency.
• Enjoy lift optimisation that reduces the amount of stops required, meaning less waiting around.
• Access digital maps of our building’s common areas and amenity spaces via our in-building 150 Holborn App.
• Receive notifications when colleagues, hosts, or visitors are in the building, saving time finding them.

Communities and Services

We can:

• Access information on events being held within the building.
• Book amenities, such as shared desk space, lockers, parking spaces, and bike storage.
• Access real-time information on local weather reports, transport links, and retailer insights.
• Log feedback about the building, its services, or amenities for continuous improvements.

Health and Wellbeing

We can:

• Adjust the temperature and lighting in shared spaces via individual controls in the in-building 150 Holborn App.
• Receive notifications should any contact tracing events occur within our building.

Benefits for Sidara (Operator and Manager)

Sidara companies‘ workplace teams can collaborate with our 150 Holborn facility and property managers by using smart building technology to sustain a workplace that delivers on comfort, experience, and sustainability objectives.

Sustainability

We can:

• Access energy usage data across all building floors, holding our building accountable to sustainability promises.
• View reports on the range of energy sources used for heating, cooling, and electricity for seamless sustainability reporting.
• Access water usage data for a better understanding of water usage and wastage.
• Define performance optimisation models for our building’s systems to improve energy use and comfort.

Health and Wellbeing

We can:

• Access live and historic data on indoor and outdoor air quality across all floors.
• Monitor our building systems, which are optimised via automated control methods, reducing energy consumption and cost.
• Access reports on workplace wellness factors, such as lighting, temperature, and ventilation statistics.

Safety and Security

We can:

• Access real-time reporting and information on the number and type of people within our building at any one time.
• Track the utilisation of all building entry points and receive notifications of unauthorised access attempts.
• Access compliance management documentation from one centralised source.
• Organise access permits to third party suppliers before they arrive on site.

Maintenance and Operations

We can:

• Access information on building systems maintenance issues and associated tasks.
• Access an in-house Fault Detection and Diagnostics (FDD) system to predict and mitigate system failures.
• Review reports on expected maintenance requirements for individual building systems, reducing disruption.
• Submit information about an issue you might encounter in the building to accelerate improvement works.

Why should WiredScore SmartScore certification matter to you?

According to a report by Moodys, WiredScore SmartScore certification impacts office leases, rents, and occupancy. When comparing buildings that do and don’t have certification, researchers found the average vacancy is 3.8% lower for a certified building. Certified buildings can also support higher rents as they deliver best-in-class digital connectivity and a technologically-enabled and enhanced user experience.

Across the globe, our work environment has become increasingly digital. Today’s businesses expect their offices to be efficient, connected, environmentally-friendly, and future-proof. Working in the Middle East for nearly 50 years, Sidara recognises how invested the region is in this global trend, with the national ambitions and visions pushing for their cities to be smarter and more sustainable in a post-COVID world.

Such as our work on Cairo’s New Administration Capital, a transformational enterprise which aims to alleviate Greater Cairo’s increasing densification and establish a new growth hub for future generations. Once complete, the city will cover 715 km2, host 6.5 million inhabitants, and create 2 million job opportunities. The Egyptian government has also made the decision to move government ministries, parliament, and civic institutions to the New Administrative Capital.

And across the world, landlords, developers, and building owners are feeling the pressure to develop and maintain smart, sustainable, and healthy buildings, whilst also being inspired by the opportunity to increase the value of their portfolio offering. The advantages for buildings which actively prioritise their smart technology and digital infrastructure are clear.

Getting your commercial building certified WiredScore and SmartScore benefits you, your people, and tenants who work there. You’ll improve your property’s digital capability, and build your reputation for providing facilities designed for today’s businesses and into the future.

Sidara is one of the very few companies in the world who have put our money where our mouth is, and we have hands-on, practical experience of what we preach. 150 Holborn embodies our Livability, Sustainability, and Digital values and is our blueprint for success. And we’d love to talk to you about how we can help you roll out this winning formula across your portfolio too.