HB Reavis is set to launch a portfolio of “ready to work” office spaces, combining a tech platform with physical flexibility, in response to businesses’ evolving needs post-pandemic.
The developer, which has reported a 60% return to the office within its UK team since July, will launch its first “ready to work” space at its 145,000 sq ft, Wiredscore Platinum-rated Bloom Clerkenwell site, EC1, in the new year to encourage businesses to return safely to offices.
The concept will comprise a tech-enabled platform through the company’s Symbiosy mobile and in-office tablet app, combined with physical flexibility. HB Reavis will work with occupiers to design a workspace around their needs and will front the cost. It will also incorporate elements to allow for continued flexibility as many businesses take time to work out how the offices of the future will be used. These elements will include moveable and retractable walls as well as modular building pods and structures.
Occupiers will have access to touchless technology and will be able to customise lighting and temperature settings. They will also be able to optimise energy consumption and, though live data reports, ensure that CO2 and humidity levels are monitored to create a healthy working environment.
The creation of tech platforms such as this has become increasingly common in the wake of Covid-19 as landlords look to encourage occupiers back to office spaces. But HB Reavis insists that the combination of a digital platform and a bespoke approach to physical flexibility sets it apart.
HB Reavis leasing manager Charlie Russell-Jones said: “We can give occupiers complete flexibility and control over their office spaces right down to the design. Not only will they have the benefit of data insight through the tech platform to see how the office space is being used in real time, they can take it one step further and reconfigure their office space quickly and easily to respond to each new iteration.
“The days of landlords saying to tenants ‘here are the keys, over to you’ are gone. This was already starting to happen and the current situation has just accelerated it. Over the past few months, we have all seen how important it is for office spaces to have the flexibility to accommodate a new company culture or a new use-case. It is this flexibility, along with a need for human interaction, that we believe will get workforces back to the office.”
Following a trial at Bloom Clerkenwell, HB Reavis’s new tech-led workspace will be rolled out across its wider pipeline of projects, including the 1.2m sq ft redevelopment of Elizabeth House in Waterloo, SE1, and the 135,000 sq ft redevelopment of Quick and Tower House in Shoreditch, EC2.
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