Why Building Forensics is a critical tool for asset owners

Q&A with Nick Gibbons MRICS MCIOB, Building Forensics London and SE Lead at Hollis

What is Building Forensics, and why is it essential for asset owners?

Building Forensics is the detailed technical investigation of how a building has been designed, constructed, altered and maintained, and how those factors affect its current and future performance.

Its importance has grown significantly as regulatory expectations, market scrutiny and investor requirements have all intensified. Changes driven by fire safety reforms, the Building Safety Act (BSA), Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES), occupier ESG expectations, and post-covid wellbeing initiatives mean that buildings are now judged on far more than basic compliance.

Issues that may once have been overlooked can now directly affect value, insurability, lettability, and liquidity.

For investors and owners, Building Forensics provides confidence. It allows risks to be identified early, understood properly and addressed in a way that protects long-term value –rather than reacting under pressure at the point of sale or lease event.

Our ‘Readiness for Sale’ service offering is the asset owner’s secret weapon. At its core, it is about proactively understanding asset health in a much more robust and evidence-based way than traditional reactive inspections.

What are the most impactful defects that can truly damage the asset value?

The most damaging issues are those that affect a building’s ability to be occupied, traded or financed.

Fire safety compliance is often the most significant, particularly where there are concerns around life safety, structural protection, external wall construction, compartmentation, or combustible materials.

Even in commercial buildings that are technically compliant, anything that raises questions around life safety can have a disproportionate impact on market perception.

Other high-impact issues include waterproofing and ingress, mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) defects, latent defects, poor-quality construction, and historic alterations.

These problems are not always obvious on the surface but once identified during due diligence, they can lead to price reductions, delayed transactions or loss of tenant confidence.

The common thread is uncertainty: where buyers, lenders or occupiers cannot clearly understand the condition and risk profile of a building, value is quickly eroded.

How can forensic building investigations help speed up the selling, letting and buying processes?

Delays and price chipping usually arise because problems are discovered late. A forensic approach allows asset owners to move from a reactive position to a proactive one.

By investigating buildings well in advance of a transaction or lease event, issues can be resolved or mitigated before they become negotiating points. It ensures the asset is effectively “ready for market”, with clear evidence to support its condition and compliance.

This reduces the need for last-minute investigations, shortens transaction timescales and gives confidence to all parties involved.

For lettings, the same principle applies. Providing clear technical information upfront helps occupiers make decisions quickly and avoids issues emerging during legal or technical reviews.

When should building owners consider a forensic investigation – before, during, or after a project?

Always before. That’s when you can shape the strategy, get a grip on potential issues and define the remediation pathway.

That said, Building Forensics shouldn’t be seen as a one-off exercise. Regular reviews throughout the lifecycle of an asset – particularly in portfolios – help ensure the property stays investment-grade and market-ready.

What does a Building Forensic investigation actually involve?

It’s not just a tick-box exercise. Forensic reviews demand a more lateral and investigative approach than a standard survey. It’s about understanding how the building was constructed, what’s changed since, and what risks those changes introduce.

For example, in a recent case involving water ingress, we went all the way back to the c1910 structural design and traced it forward – through additional floors, fit-out changes, waterproofing installation, and door detailing.

That’s what makes it different from typical investigations. We don’t just look at symptoms; we build a full picture using design documents, operation and maintenance manuals (O&Ms), historic data, and firsthand site analysis to find root causes and provide a defensible position for action.

What makes Hollis’ approach different from traditional surveyors?

At Hollis, our forensic work doesn’t end with the report – we go from cradle to grave. This involves identifying the issue, scoping the remediation, and delivering the solution.

My background includes Building Surveying, Project Management, Fire Safety, and building engineering. That multidisciplinary knowledge means I can give clients end-to-end technical advice without needing to bring in multiple consultants.

It’s also about mindset. Traditional surveys often take a more focused and narrow view. We think more broadly – about how the whole building functions, how it’s perceived in the market, and what it needs to remain a safe and profitable asset.

Are you using any technology to support Building Forensic investigations?

Yes. Besides the usual surveying tools, we use drones to inspect difficult-to-reach areas like roofs and façades, capturing high-resolution imagery that avoids assumptions and supports our findings. We’re also exploring LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) scanning to build accurate 3D models for further analysis. These tools help validate our reports and provide clear visual evidence for clients.

Can you share an example of a building issue you’ve helped solve?

One standout project was a high-profile central London commercial office complex. It involved multiple services – Building forensics, Building safety & fire, MEP Engineering, Façade Consultancy, and Technical Due Diligence, all coordinated by my team and I to provide the client with a single point of contact.

We conducted a thorough technical review, addressed a number of issues proactively, and the asset was then sold for c£300 million with no significant price chipping. This shows how forensic work can deliver real commercial value.

What should clients look for when appointing a Building Forensics consultant?

Competency and breadth of experience are key. You want someone who understands the full picture – surveying, fire, mechanical and electrical services, and construction. They also need to be pragmatic, not just technically correct. And – crucially – they must deliver solutions, not just identify problems.

That’s what we aim to offer at Hollis: technically robust, commercially focused advice that protects value and enables clients to act with confidence.

To find out more about Building Forensics and our offering, visit: https://www.hollisglobal.com/services/buy-and-sell/building-forensics