A joined-up approach to office building performance

In Discussion with Saint-Gobain UK Client Director for Offices, Daryl Cann to discuss how to create a more joined-up approach to office building performance.

The way we think about buildings has changed.

Across the workplace sector in particular, expectations have moved well beyond specification alone. Clients are now focused on how buildings perform over time, whether that is in terms of energy, carbon, wellbeing, or long-term asset value.

At the same time, delivering against those expectations has become more challenging.

Projects typically involve a wide range of stakeholders, and many of the key decisions are interconnected. However, expertise is still often brought into projects in a fragmented way, with different elements considered in isolation.

That creates a gap between what clients are trying to achieve and how projects are delivered in practice.

A more integrated way of working

At Saint-Gobain, our direction is shifting to reflect this.

Through our global Lead and Grow Strategy, we are increasingly focused on working as a solutions business. The aim is to bring together expertise across materials, systems and services, so that clients can access more joined-up thinking across the construction process.

In the UK, one of the ways this is being delivered is through the introduction of Client Director roles.

These roles are designed to provide a single point of contact for clients, connecting them to technical expertise across the wider Saint-Gobain portfolio. Rather than engaging brand by brand, the intention is to simplify that process and create a more integrated experience.

The importance of early engagement

One of the consistent themes across projects is the value of getting involved earlier.

Once a design is fixed, the ability to influence outcomes is limited. By contrast, early engagement allows for a more considered approach to how different elements of a building interact.

This can include:

• aligning design decisions to energy and carbon targets, in line with emerging frameworks such as the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard.
• improving internal environments in terms of comfort and wellbeing, drawing on approaches such as the WELL Building Standard.
• and considering how systems will perform over the lifecycle of the building, supported by methodologies such as CIBSE TM54.

From experience, this is where the most meaningful value can be created.

Applying this in the workplace sector

In the office and workplace sector, these considerations are particularly important.
Buildings now need to support a range of outcomes. They need to perform well environmentally, provide spaces where people can work effectively, and remain adaptable over time, as highlighted in guidance from organisations such as the British Council for Offices.

In my role as Client Director for the office sector, the focus is on working with clients to bring these areas together.

That often means supporting conversations earlier in the process, helping clients assess different options, and ensuring that decisions are aligned to broader objectives rather than individual product choices.

It also means connecting expertise across areas such as our acoustic solutions, thermal performance, daylight, fire safety and circularity initiatives such as our Glass Forever programme, allowing our solutions to be considered in a more integrated way.

Looking ahead

The industry is unlikely to become less complex in the near term.

If anything, the expectation is that buildings will continue to do more and perform better over time.

The opportunity is to respond by making that complexity easier to navigate.

For us, that is about connecting the right expertise, at the right stage, and supporting better-informed decisions throughout the process.

That is ultimately where better outcomes are achieved.