Latest office developments catering to the evolving workspace dynamics
By Chelsey Keith P. Ignacio, Special Features Writer
The concept of a workspace has been redesigned among office-based employees as companies shifted to a work-from-home setup due to the pandemic.
From having one’s own workstation at the office, people have designated an area at home as their workspaces. Meetings at the boardroom have been replaced by a video-conferencing platform. And collaborating with colleagues has been mostly powered by technology. This is the ‘new normal’ workspace that most office-based employees had to move into.
Having functioned in a different work arrangement for over two years, the interests or expectations in one’s office might have changed now resulting to the current conversations about the future of offices.
Envisioning work beyond the pandemic is prominently about hybridity. Among the findings of real estate services and investment firm CBRE’s 2022 Asia Pacific Occupier Survey released last May, which focused on crafting the post-pandemic office, involved balancing the ‘me’ and ‘we’ spaces. The surveyed office occupiers saw areas for more enclosed soundproofed space for individuals as well as collaborative space for unscheduled catch-ups and communal space for socializing as priorities.
Technology would also be crucial in empowering hybrid work. The survey recorded ‘little interest’ from occupiers in making their own employee experience applications or installing smart building features. But this is because landlords assumed most of the responsibility in this part.
Yet, the research also noted that hybrid work adoption would stipulate for “more sophisticated real estate and will drive demand for ‘futureproof’ buildings” that encompass physical, human, and digital elements. And among the surveyed occupiers’ most sought-after building attributes in these areas are flexible open space, indoor air quality, and touchless technologies, respectively.
Furthermore, CBRE’s survey saw that ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) compliant office buildings are “widely considered by occupiers as an essential criterion for a new office.”
Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC) recently announced the completion of the top floor of its new office building GBF Center 1, which the property developer said is designed to cater to the evolving workplace dynamics beyond the pandemic.
Keeping in mind the evolving trends and changing needs of office locators, PEZA-registered GBF Center 1 is designed to suit new workplace dynamics in the post-pandemic era and to support aggressive business expansion plans.
The 30-storey GBF Center 1 offers wide and flexible office spaces with floor plates of about 2,500 square meters (sq. m.).
RLC also took note of the demands of the modern workforce in building GBF Center 1, reinforcing its commitment to go contactless through modern features such as QR-activated turnstiles and elevators in the building.
In addition, the new office development would be equipped with generous provisions for treated outdoor air to deliver an ideal airflow rate that surpasses the prescribed DOLE standards.
Located at the entrance of Bridgetowne Destination Estate, RLC’s first mixed-use development that straddles the border of Quezon City and Pasig City, GBF Center 1 is a sustainable building. It is equipped with a rainwater collection facility, LED lights, as well as electric charging stations, and bicycle racks. The office building is aiming to secure LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification.
“The GBF towers are envisioned to be a landmark structure along the C5 IT corridor. The building design, technology, and green building features are meant to stand out,” said Jericho P. Go, RLC’s senior vice-president and business unit general manager for Offices, said.
Upon completion of GBF Centers 1 and 2, RLC plans to add more office buildings to its portfolio to accommodate tenants’ needs in the next five to 10 years.
“Bridgetown has been carefully master planned to offer the best in class for your live, work, play, and inspire experience. In our well-designed workspaces, we can truly say that work can be fun,” Mr. Go said.
As the economy further opens, more companies started to implement return-to-office, while outsourcing companies are pursuing expansion plans. Thus, a pickup in demand for office space is beginning to be seen by Colliers Philippines in its office market report for the second quarter of 2022.
The property consultancy firm recorded the completion of about 146,700 sq. m. of new office supply in Metro Manila during the said period, lower than the 306,100 sq. m. of the quarter prior. It expects the delivery of 356,200 sq. m. of new office space for the remainder of the year, with Makati Fringe and Ortigas CBD likely to cover 65% of the remaining supply.
Colliers projects the annual completion of about 543,300 sq. m. from 2023 to 2026.
