How Artic Building Services is Adapting its Hard FM Solutions to Meet University Needs

The Association of University Directors of Estates (AUDE) have recently published their latest Estates Management Report (EMR) covering 2025 covering how university hard facilities management (FM) needs to adapt. This essential report focuses on how university estate teams must adapt their facilities management to mitigate risks from the challenges their estates will face in the upcoming years as outlined by AUDE. As a key vocal point for university estate teams, Artic will be aligning its hard facilities management solutions to the strategic priorities that AUDE denotes. Creating the foundations for optimised higher education estate facilities will not only support the focussed priorities of university estate teams but is also intuitive of student learning and staff teaching environments.

What are AUDE’s Strategic Focus Points for Hard FM?

AUDE shares its six-year plan in its Strategic Plan report for 2025-2031. The report is put together through a collaboration of its key stakeholders, putting the perspective of university estate managers at the forefront.

The AUDE Strategic Plan for 2025-2031 covers these major focal points:

• Sustainability
• Efficiency and Effectiveness
• Innovation and Digitalisation
• Risk Mitigation and Resilience

Alongside their Strategic Plan, AUDE have also just released their EMR for 2025 which highlights their benchmarking for the upcoming year, as well as reiterating what their strategy is to ensure university estates are fit for the future through proactive and attentive facilities management actions.

As part of its dedication and commitment to its university partners, Artic aligns its services to the exact needs of university estate teams, gaining an in-depth understanding of what higher education environments need both in the present and for the future to create robust facility management strategies.

Supporting AUDE Strategies

Taking the AUDE Strategy plan and EMR into consideration, Artic will be aligning its hard FM solutions further to support university estate teams create cohesive facilities management solutions that go beyond the essential repair and maintenance.

Sustainability:

AUDE outlines “Sustainability and Net Zero” as one of its focal points to create efficient and sustainable spaces which can adapt to present and future challenges for Net Zero targets. Currently, according to AUDE’s EMR report, energy accounts for 30.3% of total property costs which was a 14% increase from 22/23[1]. Through effective and efficient hard facilities management, university estates hope to build climate resilient buildings and campuses. This means putting minimum pressure on water and energy resources and building estates that are prepared for changing climate demands, such as wetter winters and dryer summers. The AUDE Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Guide highlights university estate vulnerability to the physical impacts of climate change which is causing more damage to “roofs and internal water systems,”[2] as well as physical outdoor infrastructure which can lead to critical outages for facilities. “Prolonged heat and drought contentions”[3] is also posing significant risk to university environments and conditions for students and teaching staff alike. Harsher conditions are creating disruptions to the daily operations of universities, health & safety risks and inefficient use of buildings leading to higher incurred costs.

To support universities in creating sustainable environments and climate resilient campuses, hard facilities management is the frontline in risk mitigation and facility adaptation that prepares buildings for a sustainable future. Artic had worked with its clients to create solutions that support universities in their targets to become net zero; through auditing and plant management, Artic finds opportunities to reduce energy consumption and lower emissions in every building and room. Working with universities in London, Artic has been to support on energy saving initiatives, reducing fan consumption by up to 70%. This not only supports universities on their road to Net Zero but also reduces overall spend on energy and utility bills, which according to AUDE’s EMR 2025 report accounts for 30.3% of total property costs.[4]

Efficiency and Effectiveness

Improving efficiency and effectiveness of estates is a focal point in Aude’s Strategic Priorities for 2025-2031. Its importance is further reiterated as an overarching theme in the AUDE EMR 2025; universities must find ways to improve how they use their spaces with “10-40% always associated with ineffective use.”[5]  With inefficiencies comes cost; empty rooms are almost always still heated, cooled, cleaned, all of which means “associated property costs rack up quickly.”[6]  To tackle this problem, AUDE is calling for initiatives that “enhance operational efficiency…financial resilience, resourcing sharing and…collaboration.”[7]

Hard FM is at the centre of optimising university buildings to work more effectively and efficiently for the students, teachers and visitors that use them. By continuously monitoring buildings and their outputs, Artic identifies areas of inefficiencies and implements methods to counteract wasted resources by considering the changing demographics and demand challenges of universities, buildings and their occupancies. With building needs constantly changing, universities require a proactive and collaborative approach to hard FM which supports dynamic higher education environments.

Innovation and Digitalisation

The digitalisation of university estate management is a fundamental part of the AUDE Strategic Roadmap. By implementing a digital landscape for management, estate teams are able to effectively action other AUDE strategies and initiatives including “low-carbon energy solutions.”[8] As outlined in their EMR 2025, “energy costs have more than doubled since 2022,”[9]  this is putting increased strain on university estate teams to cut energy costs and their associated carbon emissions. To respond to these issues, AUDE is calling for universities to utilise innovative solutions and lean on digital technologies to assist in this initiative. Hard FM will be essential in supporting these adaptations in estate initiatives and must take a proactive approach to providing their key facility expertise to achieve success.

Utilising digital tools such as building management systems can help to monitor building needs in real time, giving universities vital data on how their buildings are used, empowering higher education estate teams to make data-driven, informed decisions regarding their buildings. Artic Building Services utilises its AIM Energy Saving Pathway to support its partners through real-time monitoring of their buildings and creating tailored solutions which audit, investigate and manage energy consumption across multiple buildings. By considering the assets currently in place and the unique aspects of each building, Artic is able to leverage this alongside its expertise in reducing the carbon footprint of M&E assets to create a bespoke plan that creates real results for its partners.

Risk Mitigation and Resilience

Risk Mitigation and Resilience through estates management is another key priority highlighted in the AUDE Strategy for 2025-2031. Its importance is a key theme in the EMR from AUDE as well, highlighted as a priority to ensure university estates teams prepare for rising financial challenges and emergency planning. With facility repairs and maintenance accounting for 28.5%[10], building services for university maintenance needs to adapt and create new solutions that maximise university resource without creating additional financial burden.

Artic supports its university partners with risk mitigation and resilience by having a in-depth understanding of the risks which universities face and how it can best support their estate initiatives. From providing key expertise and support in black building emergency planning, to re-using and utilising plant to create cost savings and reduce waste, the Artic university division aligns itself to the needs of its partners, supporting them on all initiatives across their building services.

Supporting University Facilities Management

Overall, with its strategies and priorities outlined, University estate teams will be building stronger foundations to create resilient and efficient estates. With over 25 years of experience working with university estate teams, Artic is confident in its ability to be a strategic partner that can use its expertise and support higher education environments in the utilisation of estate resources and creation of efficient buildings for the optimal student learning experience.

 

 

[2] AUDE Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Guide, pg.14, https://www.aude.ac.uk/

[3] AUDE Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Guide, pg.14, https://www.aude.ac.uk/

[4] AUDE EMR 2025 Executive Summary, pg. 8, https://www.aude.ac.uk/news-and-blogs/emr-report/

[5] AUDE EMR 2025 Executive Summary, pg. 2, https://www.aude.ac.uk/

[6] AUDE EMR 2025 Executive Summary, pg. 3, https://www.aude.ac.uk/

[7] AUDE Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Guide, pg.4, https://www.aude.ac.uk/

[8] AUDE Strategy 2025, pg. 12, https://www.aude.ac.uk/

[9] AUDE EMR 2025 Executive Summary, pg. 3, https://www.aude.ac.uk/

[10] AUDE EMR 2025 Executive Summary, pg. 8, https://www.aude.ac.uk/