This list of key property definitions supports the guidelines, standards and reports. The definitions provide consistency around terminology use across property, and will assist with the measurements that are used to monitor government property data.
Also referred to as ‘rentable area’. The net floor space under the control of the tenant, in m2, as defined by the measurement guide adopted by Property Council New Zealand.
Relevant document - Guide for the measurement of rentable areas 2013 - Property Council New Zealand
The NLA is used to calculate rentable areas in office buildings and can usually be found specified in the lease. Essentially it is the area within the internal surface of the windows, it generally includes:
but excludes:
Areas used primarily for undertaking desk or administration focussed activities and associated facilities and amenities such as meeting spaces, storage, kitchen and breakout, amenities, circulation and reception areas. The NOA is used to calculate the occupancy density in government office buildings.
It generally includes:
but excludes:
Public interface areas are used primarily for face-to-face interactions with clients and the public, for the purposes of delivering government services.
These areas generally do not include workpoints, unless they are also used as meeting tables for employees to interact with the public, for example:
These public interface areas will also have dedicated meeting rooms, reception areas, kitchens, toilets, lifts, staff rooms, etc. but the primary purpose is for interacting with the public/clients.
A workpoint is an area for undertaking office-based activities. Examples of workpoints collectively include, but are not limited to, workstations, collaboration spaces, quiet focus areas and meeting rooms (noting that a meeting room’s main purpose is conducting private group meetings). Workpoints that do not provide ergonomic settings are intended to be used on a short term basis throughout the day.
A workstation is an area for undertaking desk-based activities and can either be assigned, or unassigned (e.g. flexible working environment). As a minimum, a standard workstation typically includes ergonomic settings, along with the following equipment:
Headcount is the estimated number of personnel whose primary places of work are within the net office area. Headcount includes all personnel who are accommodated within this area whether they are part-time or full-time, contracted, seconded in or temporary staff members. Headcount excludes public interface staff and personnel seconded out, on long term leave and unfilled positions.
Note:
Each employee is assigned a FTE value between 0 and 1 depending on the proportion of full-time hours (however defined by each department) worked. For example, an employee working full-time equals 1 FTE while an employee working 60% of full time hours equals 0.6 of an FTE. The FTE values of all employees are added up to give the total number of FTE employees in an organisation.
The proportion of Net Office Area per headcount. The occupancy density is used to monitor how efficiently office space is being occupied and utilised, and contributes to the reduction of the total lifecycle costs of a building. Government has set a target of a portfolio wide, occupancy density, of 12-16m2; per headcount.
The office density is calculated by dividing the net office area by the headcount.
Formula: Net Office Area / Headcount = Office density ratio
The proportion of headcount to workpoints. The workpoint ratio is used to determine the capacity of workpoints which reflects the maturity of an agencies’ workplace strategy. It is recommended that the workpoint ratio should not exceed 130%.
The workpoint ratio is calculated by dividing the headcount by the total workpoints.
Formula: Headcount / Total workpoints x 100 = workpoint ratio %
Work settings that include ergonomic furniture or equipment designed in a way that makes it comfortable and effective for people who use it for their work.
Generally, managers have their own offices and staff have their own assigned workstations in arrangements that mirrors a set hierarchy.
Hot desking is the practise of sharing or allocating desks on an as-needed basis rather than each individual owning a desk. This is an office organisation system which involves multiple workers using a single workstation during different time periods.
ABW allows staff the freedom and flexibility to organise and decide;
An ABW environment requires new behaviours, leadership styles, culture and work practices for the space to be successful.
Source - Veldhoen + Company
Agile working is the idea that workers are allowed to work where they feel most comfortable. This could be a quiet pod, a collaborative bench space, an armchair or a traditional desk. Agile working organises the workplace on the basis of people or teams and organisational changes can be accommodated with relative ease.
Staff predominantly work away from the office and are not tied to a physical location. Mobile working is mainly adopted by staff who do a lot of travelling or work in remote locations. Mobile workers rely heavily on technology to connect with clients and other staff, or to the services and networks required to do their job effectively.
Co-working is a style of work that involves a shared workplace, often an office, and independent activity. Unlike in a typical office, those co-working are usually not employed by the same organisation and the space is rented on a short term or as needed basis.
A contract between a landlord and tenant to exclusively occupy a defined tenancy area for a defined period is described as a “lease” or “deed of lease”. There are a variety of lease types, including government standard leases (available from the Government Property Group), and Auckland District Law Society Deed of Lease.
Refer to Government standard legal templates for further information.
Co-location is where multiple agencies share the same tenancy. The lead agency is responsible for managing both the lease and the operational aspects of the tenancy. Co-location can also be considered as a workplace model.
In a co-tenancy, multiple agencies are located in one building but each manages their own individual tenancy (and lease) with the landlord. Some areas may be shared, e.g. large meeting rooms.