Estates Optimisation
Unlock greater value across your estate through evidence-led strategies that improve performance, optimise space, reduce carbon and support confident long-term investment decisions.

How we help our clients
Many estates have evolved over time in response to changing organisational priorities, leaving buildings and spaces that no longer fully support operational needs, future growth or sustainability ambitions. Organisations are increasingly expected to improve efficiency, reduce carbon, optimise utilisation and respond to changing technologies, while continuing to deliver value from existing assets.
As specialist advisers, we help organisations develop estate strategies that align operational requirements, investment priorities and long-term organisational objectives. Combining stakeholder engagement, estate analytics, strategic planning and multidisciplinary expertise, we identify opportunities to improve performance, optimise space and shape future investment. Our Great Estates Tool provides evidence-led insight into estate performance, enabling clients to make confident decisions and develop estates that remain adaptable, resilient and fit for the future.
Optimising estate performance
A successful estate strategy begins with a shared understanding of organisational objectives, operational requirements and long-term ambitions. Establishing clear priorities at the outset creates a framework for evaluating opportunities and balancing competing stakeholder needs.
We work collaboratively with leadership teams and stakeholders to define strategic objectives, establish design principles and create a clear vision for future estate performance. This provides a consistent basis for decision-making throughout the optimisation process.
Effective decisions rely on understanding how an estate currently performs. Quantitative analysis, qualitative insight and stakeholder feedback reveal how buildings and spaces support operational requirements, where inefficiencies exist and where opportunities for improvement can be realised.
Using our Great Estates Tool alongside detailed estate analysis, we benchmark existing performance and establish the evidence needed to inform future investment. This creates a robust foundation for identifying priorities and measuring long-term success.
Estate optimisation requires different scenarios to be explored before investment decisions are made. Testing alternative approaches allows organisations to compare options, understand implications and identify the strategy that delivers the greatest overall value.
We evaluate a range of development scenarios, considering operational requirements, capital investment, repurposing opportunities, decarbonisation priorities and future flexibility. This enables organisations to make informed decisions with greater confidence and reduced risk.
A preferred strategy must be practical, deliverable and capable of adapting as organisational priorities evolve. Considering implementation early helps maintain momentum while reducing uncertainty during future delivery.
We develop phased implementation strategies that align estate priorities with capital programmes, operational requirements and wider organisational objectives. This creates a realistic pathway for delivering change while maintaining business continuity.
Decarbonisation is most effective when it forms part of an integrated estate strategy rather than a standalone initiative. Considering carbon alongside operational performance, utilisation and investment enables organisations to maximise long-term value.
We help clients identify opportunities to right-size, optimise and decarbonise estates through coordinated strategic planning. By balancing carbon reduction with operational efficiency, financial performance and future resilience, we support practical pathways towards lower-carbon estates.
Estate optimisation is about creating a portfolio that continues to perform as organisational needs evolve. Long-term success depends on establishing a strategy that remains flexible, evidence-led and responsive to future change.
We help organisations make informed decisions that improve estate performance, strengthen resilience and maximise the value of future investment. The result is an estate that is better aligned with organisational priorities, operational performance and long-term sustainability objectives.
A living, interactive strategy lab for your estate
Our Great Estates Toolkit is a strategic planning tool designed for organisations managing a large and complex estate. At its core, it is an estates optimisation tool, supporting clients with multiple buildings to make informed decisions about how to maintain, consolidate, and evolve their portfolios over time. Each client receives a tailored version of the tool to allow them to independently manage their estate strategy.
Optimising Estates
BDP’s team of multidisciplinary experts have developed a holistic framework which explores interconnected campus layers; a framework that is agile, phased and deliverable; an approach that delivers a route to Net Zero Carbon, supports business needs whilst creating distinctive and enjoyable campus environments for all.
Strategic solutions
Palace of Westminster Restoration and Renewal
Our full interdisciplinary advisory services are helping shape the long-term restoration strategy for the Palace of Westminster, safeguarding its future while protecting its historic significance.
Newcastle University, Optimisation Strategy
Our strategic estate advice helped Milton Keynes University Hospital develop an evidence-based business case, aligning future capacity, infrastructure and estate investment.
Milton Keynes University Hospital
Our strategic estate advice supported business case development, aligning future capacity, infrastructure and long-term investment.
Sheffield Hallam University Masterplan
Our strategic estate optimisation advice helped Sheffield Hallam reshape its campus, improving utilisation, unlocking investment and future value.
University Hospitals Leicester, Estates Optimisation, Energy and Infrastructure Strategy
Our strategic advice supported estate consolidation, aligning infrastructure, decarbonisation and long-term investment priorities.
University of Cambridge, Reshaping our Estate
Our estate optimisation advice helped Cambridge develop an evidence-led strategy, improving asset performance, utilisation and long-term value.
Speak to our experts

Sue Emms, Education Estates Optimisation Adviser
Sue is an Architect Principal and Global Head of Education for BDP, having designed and delivered some of our most innovative and award-winning education projects.
She specialises in leading university masterplans which incorporate estate optimisation and decarbonisation strategies. Sue's experience of leading teams and external groups through complex processes has been fundamental to achieving stakeholder consensus for clients.
Sue is involved with several Universities as both a designer and client-side project board member. This provides a unique insight into higher-education design and delivery management, processes and priorities which is a key advantage when developing estate optimisation strategies.
During Sue’s 20 years at BDP she has worked on a wide range of projects from conversions of listed buildings to large masterplanning schemes for universities and city centres across the globe. Clients include McMasters, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool, Warwick, Sheffield Hallam and Manchester Universities.
Sue has an unwavering commitment to design quality and understands that dialogue is critical to building trust with clients and their stakeholders.

Max Martin, Healthcare Estates Optimisation Adviser
Max is an Architect Principal with over 20 years’ experience advising healthcare clients on estate strategy, optimisation and transformation. His experience spans strategic estate masterplans, complex hospital environments and specialist healthcare facilities.
He specialises in helping healthcare organisations align clinical priorities, operational requirements and investment decisions to optimise estate performance and support future service needs. His experience leading complex projects and stakeholder engagement enables him to develop practical strategies for evolving healthcare estates.
Max brings extensive knowledge of healthcare estate planning, NHS processes and international healthcare projects across North America, Asia and Europe. He combines strategic insight, operational understanding and design expertise to help clients make informed decisions about the future of their estates.
Further Reading
Asset Optimisation
Unlock greater asset value through lifecycle insight, targeted investment and strategies that improve performance and support confident decisions.







