WOOD & Company manages within the WOOD & Co. portfolio. Office sub-fund total of 11 administrative buildings, seven of which are located in Bratislava. According to Miroslav Hilčík, WOOD & Company Senior Investment Manager, the commercial real estate rental market has undergone several changes in the world and in Slovakia in recent years.
"The conditions for the performance of work are set more and more flexibly in companies, the hybrid method has basically become the standard. Therefore, companies naturally require a more innovative and flexible approach in the case of rentals as well," says M. Hilčík and continues: "Thus, co-working spaces, which companies can use according to their current needs, are also coming to the fore."
At the same time, employees do not want to spend a long time traveling to their company's headquarters, which may be far from their place of residence. They prefer to work in flexible spaces that are closer to them. Therefore, co-working spaces and small-sized offices are being created both in city centers and in their more peripheral parts.
We no longer want to work "like at home"
Requirements for the quality of premises are also changing. Employees want to use the time spent in the office efficiently and work in a professional environment, the availability and quality of services near the workplace is also important to them. "From a design point of view, we are clearly following a shift away from casual "living room" spaces, towards high-quality, representatively equipped offices and shared workplaces," adds M. Hilčík.
WOOD Real Estate also takes into account the new requirements of tenants. She created her own concept of furnished offices called ZONE, which offers private offices or coworking spaces for rent with an emphasis on comfort and efficiency at work. The realization of the concept in one of the central business centers in Bratislava also meets the requirements of the tenants for the quality of the location.
"Tenants in ZONE can choose the space that best suits their current needs. If the company is doing well and needs larger premises, we can meet this request. If, for example, an entrepreneur has completed a larger project and his job requirements have decreased, we can react flexibly," says Katarína Cihová, Leasing & Bussines Development Director, WOOD Real Estate.
"Thanks to its flexibility, ZONE brings the concept of shared workspaces even closer to smaller companies or independent professionals who have not considered such a form until now. It allows larger companies to place integrated teams outside their own
headquarters," adds K. Cihová.
What you can find in ZONE on Plynárenská street in Bratislava
Private office zone - offers a sufficient amount of independent office space, ranging in size from a three-person office to a team office for 12 people
Cowork zone - fixed desks as well as flexible hot desks
Meeting zone - multiple meeting rooms with a capacity of 4-12 people
Social zone - community kitchen with freely available refreshments and business lounge relaxation areas
Focus rooms – a private space for phone calls or short concentrated work
Podcast Studio - also available for external clients
Community manager - is available to clients and handles daily operations in the ZONEoffice premises
Smart solutions support communication
Upon entering, everyone is personally greeted by a virtual reception in the form of a communication panel, which also serves as navigation for visitors. Clients will find important contacts here, as well as information about events in the ZONE and in the BBC5 business centre. A virtual electronic card in a mobile phone is used to enter the ZONE.
Contact between the client and the space is ensured by the ZONE application. Through it, it is possible to reserve co-working spaces or meetings, and at the same time communicate with the community manager. Clients can report their requests or complaints to him in the application.
"When creating spaces, we emphasized the use of technology towards maximum comfort and autonomy when moving and working. At the same time, we tried to make the space personal and communicate with the client. We want the tenants to get the feeling that they belong here," explains K. Cihová.
Social contact and community building will also be encouraged by joint events. "However, ZONE is primarily supposed to be a space for undisturbed work by professionals, so our events will be more of a supplement than a central activity, adds K. Cihová.
Greenery is the central element
The ZONE design concept is based on the principles of biophilia, which uses greenery to heal and make interior spaces more attractive. All corridors are lined with planted plants, which creates a pleasant unifying element and an unconventional structure. Thanks to glazing and artificial light imitating natural lighting, an interesting play of light and shadows is created in the corridors.
"We decided to bring greenery into the premises as a focal element. Here you can experience the interplay of nature and modern technology, which works perfectly in the ZONE, despite the apparent contradiction," says Ing. arch. Adam Kubica, founder of adba company and author of the ZONE design concept.
The idea of ecology and sustainability is also supported by the maximum use of natural and recyclable materials. Wood is the dominant element, acoustic cladding is made of wood fibers, and service providers include mainly local companies.
Ergonomics played an important role in the creation of spaces. "In coworking spaces, there is often an effort to reduce the number of jobs, as we mostly use laptops. At ZONE, however, we decided to provide a truly generous space for each workplace, beyond the standards," adds K. Cihová.
At a good address under favorable conditions
In ZONE, tenants get quality office or co-working space in Bratislava's central business zone at very affordable prices. These start from EUR 150 per month for the rental of a hot desk for an independent professional, and part of the rent is the use of all community spaces, internet connection, community manager services and refreshments in the kitchen.
In addition, the terms of the lease allow for high flexibility. In the case of private offices, the minimum rental period is 3 months, in the case of a co-working space, it is 1 month. Hot desk workplaces can also be used as a one-time entry (day pass).
The ZONE concept is also part of the functionality of the building in which it is located. "ZONE premises can also be used by all tenants in the business center. They can book meetings here, host their temporary project teams, rent a podcast studio. After the end of normal working hours, i.e. after 5 p.m. our community spaces are also available to them for organizing events. ZONE is not just an area for rent, but provides added value to the entire business center," concludes Katarína Cihová.
Tenants can use the premises 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. ZONE is located in the building of the BBC5 business center on Plynárenská street in Bratislava. At the same time, WOOD Real Estate is ready to expand it to other locations.
