Flexible spaces conquer the Tricity

The choice between the traditional work model in offices and flexible spaces has become a significant challenge for many companies. The pandemic has ushered in a new reality where remote working has become the norm, which in turn has forced companies to rethink their office infrastructure models.

According to a survey conducted by Crowe, Contract Administration and TGC Corporate Lawyers in 2023, more than half of employers (51%) would not like to introduce changes to the current work model. On the other hand, 16% of companies are open to offering employees more freedom in choosing where to perform their professional duties. Only a small part of companies (11%) want to motivate their employees to visit the office more often.

Some companies have decided to introduce hybrid work, and when employees come to the office, they work in the hot desk model and do not have fixed places assigned. Instead, they choose a free workstation every day. Thanks to this, they have the opportunity to interact with new people, strengthening cooperation between teams.

Modern = sustainable

Office spaces in modern buildings are equipped with innovative technological systems managing, among others, lighting and air conditioning. Considerable emphasis is placed on environmentally friendly design solutions, integrating the facilities with their surroundings and reducing energy consumption. Green terraces, roof gardens or rainwater collection systems are a standard that contributes to improving the quality of life in cities. An example of such an office complex is the Olivia Center in Gdańsk, where there are seven buildings with the BREEAM certificate (awarded for creating a sustainable environment). In addition, WELL HSR certifications were renewed in 2022, which allowed to obtain 25 out of 25 points and maintain the highest world level. Thanks to pro-environmental activities, the emission intensity of buildings was reduced by 21% during the year.

Another investor who focused on creating ultra-modern office spaces in Gdańsk is Torus. The FORMAT office building consists of 5 floors and offers almost 16 k sqm of office space for lease. The facility has obtained the LEED Platinum certification, which means that the design included use of materials and natural resources, effective water management, high quality of the internal environment and a location adapted to sustainable transport.

Skanska also kept the ESG standards in mind when preparing the design of the Wave building: Wave is 100% powered by energy produced from renewable sources, primarily from hydropower plants. Nearly a quarter of the materials it was made of contained recycled elements. On the other hand, nearly half of the products used came from local companies and suppliers. During the construction of the office building, products with a low content of volatile organic compounds were also used. The wood used in its construction had the FSC certificate, setting standards for responsible forest management – said Konrad Ziejewski, project director at the Skanska office company in Central and Eastern Europe.

Coworking

Companies offering coworking office facilities feel great in the modern spaces of the Tricity. Before the pandemic, flexible surfaces were an intriguing alternative to traditional business models, but the events of 2020-2021 forced the adaptation of standards to new, often surprising customer requirements. It is thanks to the openness to tenants' solutions that the development of coworking spaces gained momentum, and the Tricity became one of the leaders of serviced office space in Poland.

– In recent years, serviced offices have been constantly growing in popularity, not only of freelancers and small companies, but also of large global corporations. Flexible solutions give the opportunity to adjust the size of the leased space and conditions to the current needs of the company at the stage of entering a new market, which is a great solution with ongoing recruitment – said Paweł Falkowski, BSS Investor Support Project Manager, Invest in Pomerania.

Custom made office

The biggest advantage of the flexible rental model is the offer tailored to the customer. In the interiors of 04 Coworking and Chilliflex, both renowned corporations as well as smaller enterprises and start-ups have found their places. A variety of spaces are available: from two-desk boxes to entire floors, according to the tenant's preferences. There is absolute freedom in arrangement of the office: from the placement of the walls to the type of furniture.

– We offer our own desks or cabinets, but it happens that customers prefer their own furniture. With space in two buildings of the Alchemia complex, we are able to respond to all the needs of tenants. Both hot desks, which require the least personalization, and offices for dozens of people, personalized down to the smallest detail, are very popular – said Agnieszka Zglinicka, Managing Director, Chilliflex.

Common spaces

Common spaces are an invariably important advantage of serviced offices. City-Space in Tryton Business House offers telephone booths, Mind Dock – silence capsules, and Collab in the Format office building – a bold styling of shared kitchens. Cafes with a barista and various food benefits are already a standard, and conference rooms with decor paying tribute to the history of the Tricity – are almost a duty. Chilliflex offers even a room with a fireplace and billiards, the decor reminiscent of an alpine hut.

Attractive locations

The assumption of coworking spaces is inclusivity, which, among other things, limits communication exclusion. Therefore, the Tricity serviced spaces are located in the immediate vicinity of the main communication routes: 04 Coworking, Chilliflex, Regus and Collab Fast Urban Railway, CitySpace, Quickwork – tram, and Sztuka Wyboru and Mind Dock – bus. Moreover, the latter two are located in the historic interiors of the 19th-century barracks of the Wrzeszcz Garrison and the building of the Imperial Shipyard Directorate.

Normalization of the situation

By adapting to the needs of the market, flexible surfaces have transformed from an attractive novelty into a natural complement to the Tricity business ecosystem. – Currently, during each investor visit that we have the opportunity to organize, we present both traditional office spaces and flex solutions to potential tenants. This trend will undoubtedly stay with us for longer, which will certainly affect further changes in the already heavily remodeled modern office space rental market – emphasized Paweł Falkowski.

The total area of office space in the Tricity exceeded 1 m sqm already in Q2 2022. If the investment climate continues to grow as forecasted (and it seems so considering the processed buildings in Punkt in Wrzeszcz and Palio B in the Shipyard), serviced offices will increase their market share even more. Intensified competition is great news for the consumer community, as well as for the business ecosystem – a wider range of office space enhances the investment attractiveness of the region.

This article comes from magazine:
FOCUS ON Business #12 September-October (5/2023)