Talking with… Petworth ABS (Architecture and Building Surveying) team

We talk to the Petworth ABS team about what sets them apart from other teams in the business, their priorities for the year ahead and the key issues for their sector and how they are tackling them.

Tell us a bit about the team

We are known in Savills as ABS, no, not Antilocking Braking System, but Architecture and Building Surveying! The Petworth ABS team has been offering Architectural and Building Surveying services for over 25 years. We now form part of a network of Architects, Building Surveyors and Architectural Technologists, across the whole of Savills as part of the Rural Management Department in REP (Rural Energy and Projects) Division.

The Petworth team form part of a wider southern region including colleagues in Winchester, Exeter, Taunton and Truro and covers the whole of the South East. We are a RIBA Registered Architectural Practice and offer everything from overseeing remedial repairs, condition surveys, reinstatement costs assessments, carbon/energy audits, to designing and building bespoke new builds, barn conversions, farm buildings and the design and delivery of multi-million pound development schemes, including new care home facilities. We typically specialise in the rural and the built environment typically with a focus on historic buildings.?

What sets you apart from other teams in the business?

All of the ABS teams throughout the country work on or within a rural context, working closely with our estate and asset management colleagues. One area that might set us apart from the other ABS teams is that that the South East has the highest number of listed assets in the country. That said, we are known for our skills and knowledge of listed buildings as well as projects based within the context of the South Downs National Park.

What sets you apart from your competitors?

We, ABS, offer the full Architectural and Building Surveying service with the full Savills range of disciplines at our back, which strengthens the knowledge and insight we can provide clients. This collaborative approach to working closely with our asset managers and their clients’ demands provides a deeper understanding than any other architectural practice. We are unique in that we have the people in house to offer advice on both Architecture and Building Surveying with a consultant Quantity Surveyor on hand to offer greater commercial awareness to our clients. Also, and as a result of the array of project types we cover, our knowledge is as broad as it is deep which means there are very few projects we are unable to deliver.

How has the team grown over the last five years??As part of the Rural Management Department, the Petworth ABS team became part of the wider Southern region and operates between Kent, Oxfordshire and Dorset. This has increased access for our clients to a wider range of skills and knowledge, including Chartered Architects, Chartered Architectural Technologists, and Chartered Builders and Buildings Surveyors. We have been making strong relationships with other disciplines within Savills and raising our profile considerably.

What are your priorities for the year ahead?

To grow our Building Surveying team with key appointments to support, in particular, our rural management division colleagues. To roll out net zero and MEES (Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards) advice to clients and landlords specifically who are looking to achieve net zero and / or maintain compliant property portfolios.?We are also looking to make better use of technology to speed up delivery and save our clients’ time and money with investment in drones and computer modelling BIM/CAD software.

What are the key issues for your sector and how are you tackling them?

There has been a strong shift in Government-led legislation for increased regulation and compliance on new and existing homes. We are also making great progress towards government goals of Net Zero and making sure we stay ahead of the game so we can keep our clients well informed to make good long term decisions. The material and labour shortage of the last 18 months is easing but still causing significant issues to the procurement of building projects. There is still a lot of uncertainty nationally where volume housebuilding can cause a vacuum of supplies right down the chain to the everyday builder. We therefore rely on our network of reputable contractors and sub-contractors to ensure client confidence.

How often do you collaborate with other teams?

Have you got any success stories you can share??Collaboration and working with other teams in Savills is an everyday occurrence. Whether it’s with the estate managers, our planning consultants, arboriculturist or commercial valuation teams, we value each and every relationship we have and wish to grow more. It is one of our USP’s! For one estate client, we have successfully delivered an array of building projects including historic barn conversions, high-end residential barn conversions, new build houses, landscaping schemes, new farmsteads and various commercial and agricultural structures. Not to forget various other planning applications and feasibility studies for multi-unit schemes. This has been through working closely with rural management, food and farming, planning - to name a few – and the client has welcomed this one-stop-shop.

Has the Savills brand enabled you to achieve something that might not have been possible elsewhere?

Being part of the Rural, Energy and Projects Division inevitably means many of our clients are familiar with the Savills brand and have approached us based on their confidence of service and professionalism they expect from Savills. The Savills brand is also known for its commercial awareness, its relentless research and formidable planning and development teams.?

Name one thing you always mention about Savills when pitching for new business?

Savills is full of dynamic, positive people who can help solve most property problems. If we can’t help you directly we can usually find someone within the business who can.

Where do you see the biggest opportunities coming from in the next year or so?

Net Zero and upgrading existing properties and re-purposes of buildings – particularly those that are historic. We currently offer a tailored service for carbon/energy auditing for clients and estates to help them meet these targets.