Background

When acquiring or leasing commercial property, precise floor area measurements are essential for accurate financial and legal decision-making.

Malcolm Hughes was commissioned by MC2 Offices, an independent real estate agency specialising in Scotland’s cities and towns (Learn more), to conduct an area measurement survey on behalf of a leading financial institution. The project involved surveying a multi-story office building located in the Euro Central business park, strategically positioned between Glasgow and Edinburgh. 

The client required rapid, highly accurate property measurement data to support lease negotiations and finalise the acquisition within a tight time frame. Given the scale and complexity of the building, conventional measurement methods would have been time consuming and potentially inconsistent. The solution needed to be fast, precise, and compliant with International Property Measurement Standards (IPMS) (Learn more). 

Overview

• The client required fast and accurate land and building measurement to support a commercial property acquisition and leasing transaction. 

• Our team deployed the NavVis mobile laser scanning system to capture comprehensive 3D site measurement data in a single visit. 

• We extracted Net Internal Area (NIA) and Gross Internal Area (GIA) measurements from the detailed 3D point cloud model. (From the RICS ‘Code of Measuring Practice’ terms that are used to understand the usable size of a building. NIA takes into account minimum head room, wall thickness and communal space whereas GIA is everything within the external walls). 

• The client was provided with an interactive 3D visualisation for enhanced property analysis and decision-making. 

• The survey was conducted in full compliance with IPMS and RICS measurement standards (View RICS standards). 

Tools + Tech used

• NavVis mobile laser scanning system for high-speed, high-accuracy building measurement.
• 3D point cloud data capture to create a digital model of the office building.
• Digital floor plans highlighting NIA and GIA areas, in an interactive 3D visualisation portal for client access.

Challenges

• Tight project timeline:  The client needed precise square footage calculations within a very short window to finalise financial agreements. 

• Complexity of data collection:  The multi-story structure required efficient navigation to ensure complete and accurate site measurement. 

• Coordination with multiple stakeholders:   Seamless communication between the survey team, client, and property consultancy was crucial. 

• Accuracy requirements:  The results had to be both precise and IPMS-compliant to ensure consistency and reliability to support legal and financial documentation.