Sustainable public real estate by optimising usage of available space
Discovering the barriers and possibilities of mixed-use development and sharing governmental office buildings in The Hague
T.H. van der Vlist (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
A.C. den Heijer – Mentor (TU Delft - Real Estate Management)
T.A. Daamen – Mentor (TU Delft - Urban Development Management)
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Abstract
The built environment is constantly exposed to societal, political, and economic changes. The COVID-19 pandemic had a major influence on the usage of office buildings. Since hybrid working became the norm, governmental offices struggled with low occupancy rates after the pandemic. This study is based on the underexposed side of sustainability, namely efficient usage of square metres through potentially sharing real estate, and focuses on the public real estate portfolio and strategic management of the Rijksvastgoedbedrijf (RVB), specifically their office buildings.
The RVB has two strategic goals for its portfolio: firstly, to enlarge the public value of governmental real estate, and secondly, to improve services in a safe, sustainable, and innovative way. Hypothetically, value can be added to the urban context by including other functions through mixed-use development or sharing office buildings with other organisations. The main research question is: To what extent can the Rijksvastgoedbedrijf share governmental office buildings within the city of The Hague, focusing on (semi-)public organisations and mixed-use development, to optimise the utilisation of available real estate?
This study consists of a literature review that provides a framework of definitions and processes. The second part is empirical research based on the DAS model and consists of interviews and document analysis. The DAS model aims to determine the approach to achieve the desired real estate portfolio by analysing the current and future supply and demand.
This study has found that sharing real estate with other public organisations and mixed-use development could contribute to utilising available office space more efficiently in The Hague. However, when considering sharing governmental real estate with other public organisations, several barriers emerged. Safety concerns and unresolved financing issues are the two major barriers for sharing real estate. To be able to translate the barriers and possibilities into actual real estate adjustments, further research should be done on the portfolio.