The human side of building remediation and renewals
After close to two decades in building surveying and project management, working across remedial projects from residential to complex large-scale developments, I've learned that successful building remediation isn't just about technical solutions - it's fundamentally about understanding the owners, users, and stakeholders behind every project.
When we talk about building remediation and renewals, it's easy to get caught up in the technical aspects: structural integrity, weathertightness, seismic resilience, passive fire and specified system compliance. But behind every project are real owners and stakeholders with genuine concerns and pressures. I've worked with apartment owners who are displaced from their homes for years, still paying mortgages while covering rental costs elsewhere. I've seen commercial building owners grappling with tenant disruption and revenue loss. I've seen the stress on faces during body corporate meetings when we explain what the remedial process involves and that remediating their building can reveal problems they never anticipated.
Some of these owners did everything right; they got building inspections, read body corporate minutes and followed the due diligence processes. Yet they still find themselves facing unexpected remediation costs that can fundamentally impact their financial future.
A shifting regulatory landscape
The recent announcement of changes to New Zealand's earthquake strengthening laws represents a significant shift in how we approach seismic risk. The government's move to a "risk-based" approach, replacing the current New Building Standard with the new Earthquake Prone Building system, will fundamentally change the remediation landscape for thousands of building owners.
These changes acknowledge something many in our industry have observed firsthand: the previous system, while well-intentioned following the Canterbury earthquakes, created significant financial hardship for building owners, particularly where the actual risk to human life was relatively low. The removal of Auckland and Northland from earthquake requirements, the exemption of buildings under three storeys in towns with fewer than 10,000 people, and the ability for councils to grant 15-year extensions reflect a more pragmatic balance between safety and economic reality.
For many of the clients I've worked with over the years, these changes will bring much-needed relief. However, they also introduce new complexities around timing, decision-making, understanding their acceptable risk level and focusing on which buildings still require work under the revised criteria.
Every building has secrets
One thing I always tell clients at the start of any remediation project is that every single building is unique. Even within a single building, you'll find variations in construction quality, different trades, different contractors working at different times.
We need to help clients understand that we're going through a process of getting the building to "release its secrets." There will be unknowns. There will be shocks. There will be moments that hurt financially. Our role isn't to avoid these realities, it's to prepare clients for them and handle them efficiently when they arise.
With the proposed seismic regulatory changes, there's an additional layer of complexity. Building owners need clear guidance on whether their property falls under the new exemptions, the ability to rely on timeframes for the change of legislation, and how to navigate the transition period. This is where informed professional advice becomes even more critical.
The industry's duty of care
Here's where I believe our industry needs to do better; each discipline and trade doing their job to the required, compliant, industry standard, focusing on their specific expertise and requirements. However, in this process, the owners and clients can sometimes be left behind or feel disconnected from what's happening to their asset. This is where project management and client representation becomes crucial, bridging that gap between technical delivery and stakeholder understanding.
We cannot lose sight of who our client is and what they're going through. When body corporate committees ask if we can just "patch something up" instead of doing proper remediation, we have professional obligations that extend beyond that immediate conversation. In three years' time, those committee members might be gone, but we're still here. Our work and our recommendations are still linked to our professional standing.
The courage for difficult conversations
Having a duty of care means having the courage to have tough conversations. Yes, proper remediation is expensive. Yes, it's often unforeseen. Yes, it can impact commercial aspirations and require significant capital to complete the process. Yet understanding these complexities while still advocating for the right approach is what defines our personal and professional values - our expertise means nothing if we're unwilling to use it when it matters most.
We need to be brave enough to walk away from projects which aren't aligned with good practice. We wouldn't be fulfilling our duty of care if we didn't express concerns about approaches that compromise building integrity or safety.
The positive outcome
Despite the pain of the remediation process, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Owners who persevere through proper remediation and renewals come out with assets that are reset to appropriate market value. Commercial buildings can move from B-grade to A-grade, attracting better, longer-standing tenants. There are genuine improvements in asset value and commercial viability.
A building’s primary purpose is to deliver a safe, efficient, and compliant environment that facilitates the intended functions and enhances the quality of life for its occupants. Behind every remediation project is a human story. Our technical expertise is valuable, but it must be coupled with empathy, clear communication, and genuine care for our clients' wellbeing.
Know your client. Respect your client. Understand the space they're in, what they're trying to achieve, and why they're doing this work. Only then can we deliver solutions that are not just technically sound, but genuinely serve the people who trust us with their most significant assets.
The buildings we work on today can become durable, sustainable assets that meet the needs of current users and continue to service them well into the future. When we complete remediation and renewal projects properly, we're creating buildings that will stand the test of time, testament to our commitment to delivering lasting solutions that benefit both current owners, occupiers, stakeholders and future generations.
