In the series of articles The Perfect Office Building: Expectations and Potentials part 1 we present how the expectations of the tenants are met by the potentials of the developers within office space market.
The decision to rent office space is preceded by long and detailed analysis of many factors which can determine the way the company is functioning in a given location. Beside nationwide and local economic and demographic factors such as inflation rate, tax rate, personnel services and utilities, the choice of a given office building is determined mainly by the standard. Obviously, location and price are not of no importance but usually they go after the quality of the solutions adopted in the building.
Tenants' expectations are growing but not always are convergent. It forces developers to search – starting with the project – for ways to meet those diversified needs. Class A office building should be characterized by high standards of interiors finishing, adequate ceiling height and a proper number of parking lots. It is worth to have a closer look at these qualities of modern office buildings as they decide about the attractiveness of the place.
Bartering Chip
Meeting high standards in office buildings is particularly important on the market in Kraków, which is 10 times smaller than in Warszawa. Investments in Kraków can be competitive only if they offer the highest standards of tenant spaces. Kraków attracts many new BPO, SSC, IT and R&D companies which although do not need to be situated in the capital need qualified personnel and good life quality – says Maciej Gołębiewski. High standards of office buildings in addition to comfort and the advantages of the city are Kraków's most important bartering chip in the competition over demanding corporate clients.
Reliable power supply
Undoubtedly, providing reliable energy and communal infrastructure is of utmost importance. Energy infrastructure is particularly relevant to companies coming from Asia, where problems with energy supply are much more troublesome than in Poland. Beside reliable wiring it is important to provide emergency power systems in case of network failure. The most demanding clients expect 72 h constant emergency power supply provided by usually exhaust gas-driven power generators. They differ in terms of capacity and efficiency. The largest contain even 1000 litres of fuel and can be filled on an ongoing basis.
Healthy building
For located in Kraków BPO and SSC companies, which employ many people, it is crucial to ensure suitable work atmosphere. Currently the standards of office space tend to be focused on improving efficiency and work comfort through increasing the efficiency of heating system, air conditioning and ventilation as well as providing daylight – says Maciej Gołębiewski, Rental Manager in Avestus Real Estate. Present tendencies are influenced by so called sick building syndrome recognized in 1970s by American doctors. It was observed that office conditions influence creation and development of disease. Employees' health deteriorates and the employer has to bear the costs of sick leaves, staff rotation and drop in work efficiency.
Tenants' and developers' attention goes towards solutions which are beneficial for people who spend a significant part of their lives in office space. Crucial part among such solutions is played by temperature and humidity control. Modern air filters remove from the air not only various allergens, bacteria, mould but also odours and fumes. To regulate humidity, which should amount to 50-60% for best working conditions, humidifiers cooperating with air conditioning systems are employed. They increase or – when necessary – decrease humidity. Thanks to proper ventilation and maintaining appropriate level of humidity being in an office space does not have to be poisonous or tiresome.
In the next article of the series The Perfect Office Building: Expectations and Potential we will describe the importance of structural elements in modern office buildings.