Occupancy cost plan for health centres

Occupancy cost plan for health centres

Keywords: Occupancy costs, Health centres

The total building occupancy costs of health centres can be twice as much as their capital costs over a 20 year period.

The latest BMI Special Report estimates the occupancy costs of two typical health centres over a 20 year period – a small local clinic of 344m2 floor area and a large community health centre of 2,136m2. The estimates show that the larger building is likely to cost 11 per cent less than the smaller building, with annual average costs per l00m2 of £7,526 and £8,484 respectively (Table II).

Cleaning is the most expensive element in both buildings, accounting for over 30 per cent of the costs. This high elemental cost is to be expected in health buildings due to the need for a hygienic environment.

Commenting on the study, Alan Cowan from BMI said:

The results highlight the importance of planning the occupancy of a building from the earliest design stages to ensure the delivery of best value over the life of the building.

Table II shows the elemental costs for each example and projects the total occupancy costs over 20 years. A comparison is then drawn between the 20 years costs and the cost of the initial construction.

BMI Special Report 292 – Occupancy Cost of Health Centres is available as part of the BMI Bulletin Service, or individually priced £50. For further information please contact Alan Cowan on +44 0207695 1500.