{"id":80325,"date":"2025-09-02T20:31:16","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T19:31:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/?p=80325"},"modified":"2025-10-02T14:58:21","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T13:58:21","slug":"bco-pilots-new-office-grading-system-as-industry-calls-for-reform","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-pilots-new-office-grading-system-as-industry-calls-for-reform","title":{"rendered":"BCO pilots new office grading system as industry calls for reform"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"80325\" class=\"elementor elementor-80325\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-140546a7 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"140546a7\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6b49ddd7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6b49ddd7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The UK\u2019s current office grading system is no longer fit for purpose, says a new report from the British Council for Offices.<\/p><p>The report, authored by JLL for the BCO, found that fewer than 3% of respondents supported the current grading system. As such, the report proposes a comprehensive overhaul of how office quality is defined and measured.<\/p><p>The\u00a0<em>Redefining the Market: Beyond Grade A <\/em>report presents a comprehensive analysis of how office quality is currently assessed and suggests a new scoring-based classification system that better reflects the evolving priorities of occupiers, investors and developers in the flexible working era.<\/p><p>The report proposes a new 100-point scoring matrix that evaluates buildings across four categories \u2013 physical quality, sustainability, technology and amenity \u2013 offering a more transparent and adaptable framework.<\/p><p>Key findings include:<\/p><ul><li>Widespread dissatisfaction with current grading: 89% of survey respondents agree that a more robust framework would provide greater clarity and consistency.<\/li><li>Sustainability is now central: 96.5% of respondents rated sustainability certifications (e.g. EPC, BREEAM, NABERS) as essential to office quality \u2013 more than any other factor.<\/li><li>New priorities emerging: Health and well-being, smart technology, and tenant amenities are now seen as critical components of office quality, yet are often overlooked in current classifications.<\/li><li>A new tier of quality: The concept of \u201cSuper Prime\u201d office space is gaining traction, defined by superior environmental performance, advanced technology and premium amenities.<\/li><\/ul><p>The research draws on input from 89 representatives across 41 organisations, including developers, agents, investors and occupiers, as well as data from more than 180 survey responses and multiple stakeholder workshops.<\/p><p>The proposed new BCO grading system would use a\u00a0scoring-based approach\u00a0that allows for more nuanced differentiation between buildings. This includes a\u00a0flexible matrix\u00a0adaptable to both new-builds and retrofits, taking the form of a four-tier classification: Prime (\u226580 points), Grade A (50\u201379 points), Grade B (30\u201349 points) and Grade C (&lt;30 points). The criteria used cover natural light, floor-to-ceiling heights, building management systems, WiredScore rating, WELL certification, energy source, air quality and tenant amenities.<\/p><p>The framework has been tested on office schemes in London, Leeds, Manchester, Reading and Gloucester. These pilot applications demonstrate that best-in-class office space is no longer confined to central London and that high-quality retrofits can compete with new-builds.<\/p><p>The proposed BCO grading aims to support better decision-making, improve transparency, and align the industry with modern standards of performance and user experience.<\/p><p>BCO chief executive, Samantha McClary, says: \u201cAs demand for high-performing, sustainable and amenity-rich workplaces continues to grow, the industry needs a shared language to distinguish truly exceptional space. The proposed framework supports the market\u2019s flight to quality and provides clarity for investors, developers and tenants alike. It\u2019s about creating offices that deliver long-term value \u2013 for people, for performance and for the planet.\u201d<\/p><p>Elaine Rossall, report author and JLL head of offices research, says: \u201cOffice market standards and occupier expectations have evolved since the pandemic. While traditional physical characteristics remain important, there has been a shift towards emphasising building performance and user experience, and it was encouraging to see that there was a strong recognition and a consensus for change from across a broad cross section of stakeholders.\u00a0 This is key for industry adoption and to ensure relevance over the longer term.\u201d<\/p><p>The BCO is now calling for further feedback from both its members and the wider office community on the proposed new grading system.<\/p><p>To share your views, email <a href=\"mailto:mail@bco.org.uk\">mail@bco.org.uk<\/a><\/p><p><strong>ENDS<\/strong><\/p><p>Please find a link to the full report <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/research-report\/redefining-the-market-beyond-grade-a?utm_term=BCO+Latest+Report%3a+Redefining+the+Market%3a+Beyond+Grade+A&amp;utm_content=1&amp;gator_td=xNdK6qUwjt3bGko8JySf%2fPfhywhJmQBgDySRasF2sfbijEsmgyGuV%2bBHps2sar438mtlMar5QQ%2fsJiTYiD7E%2fi%2f7Xr3z7uzZDgSVsDG%2fL7Bmhe6jAgKfoII7ZdrTVEXxB16cSEpkn4vatKLAuOyPCtXAdXMVRgb5y8TPa9%2fGNsM9IHEo72djcg8SDqTS44Mg\">here<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p><strong>About the BCO<\/strong><\/p><p>The British Council for Offices&#8217; (BCO) mission is to research, develop and communicate best practice in all aspects of the office sector. It delivers this by providing a forum for the discussion and debate of relevant issues.<\/p><p>Established in 1990, the BCO is the UK\u2019s leading forum for the discussion and debate of issues affecting the office sector.<\/p><p>Its members are all organisations involved in creating, acquiring, or occupying office space, whether architects, lawyers, surveyors, financial institutions, or public agencies. The BCO works to advance the collective understanding of its members, enabling them to work together to create more effective office space.<\/p><p><strong>Media Contact:<\/strong><\/p><p>ING Media<\/p><p><a href=\"mailto:BCO@ing-media.com\">BCO@ing-media.com<\/a><\/p><p>T: + 44 (0) 20 7247 8334<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The report, authored by JLL for the BCO, found that fewer than 3% of respondents supported the current grading system. As such, the report proposes a comprehensive overhaul of how office quality is defined and measured.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":80334,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_theme","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,97],"tags":[6],"class_list":["post-80325","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-media-hub","category-news","tag-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>BCO pilots new office grading system as industry calls for reform - BCO - British Council for Offices<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-pilots-new-office-grading-system-as-industry-calls-for-reform\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"BCO pilots new office grading system as industry calls for reform - BCO - British Council for Offices\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The report, authored by JLL for the BCO, found that fewer than 3% of respondents supported the current grading system. 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