What is the future of office spaces? This is one of the main subjects being discussed right now and it was present at the Portugal Real Estate Summit with the debate «Offices, new work concepts & working from anywhere», promoted by Savills.
According to Joana Rodrigues, Architecture Director at Savills «people want to meet again». «Offices are definitely needed, although in a slightly different way», she recognised.
If «sustainability was being discussed when it comes to big investments, it is currently the state of the art. It is necessary for the users’ well-being and it promotes comfort and productivity». Along with sustainability, Joana Rodrigues pointed out other important trends «which already existed, but which were intensified by the pandemic». This is the case of travel costs.
One of the solutions offered to bypass this issue has been «the creation of hubs outside the big cities», mentioned Paulo Silva, Head of Country Portugal at Savills. This was done by Siemens which chose to use a warehouse in Corroios, as a sort of satellite hub available to its employees, but also to other companies’ employees, a coworking model
Porto is a strategic location for an increasing number of companies
Porto is starting to emerge as the first choice for office buildings. According to Ricardo Valente, councilman at Porto Municipality «sustainability is to offer good quality of life, take care of the environment and take care of people as well. In this new economy where people are at the centre of business, it is within the offices that we have quality and conditions to work», he stated.
Frederico Leitão de Sousa, Offices Agency – Senior Consultant da Savills; Giles Emond, Head of Real Estate at AGEAS; João Cristina, Head of Portugal at Merlin Properties; and Richard Betts, Director from Real Asset Media, also took part in this session.
According to the experts’ panel, these goals in terms of sustainability, mobility, flexibility, emissions, energy and water costs will «differentiate» the product, which may even be reflected on rental prices.
