Co-working spaces are a key feature of future office buildings. “We are living the co-working revolution: there are more than 30 such centersin Bucharest right now. Technology, wellness and flexibility are the basic needs of occupiers and co-working places are answering them,” Mihai Paduroiu, CBRE Head of Advisory and Transaction Services said during CEDER Romania. CBRE announced that co-working spaces currently account for 5 per cent of the total Bucharest office stock of Bucharest, but will grow to over 20 per cent by 2030.
Tudor Popp, Managing Partner of REC Immpuls, is one of the leaders of Bucharest’s co-working revolution. He believes the big companies are more or less catered for, but “there are lots of small companies which at the moment cannot find their place in an office building”. The answer to that is “developing office buildings with smaller surfaces, but also co-working spaces which do not cater only to individuals or start ups, but also to smaller companies looking for professional office buildings with shorter lease terms.”
Co-working has become increasingly popular across the region and Skanska is one of the main developers pushing the idea. “Co-working is a layer in all our buildings and it has become a standard as of last year. It represents the integration of more services in the building,” Anne-Marie Diaconu, Leasing and Asset Director at Skanska told the CEDER audience in Bucharest.
“There are lots of start ups hosted by the co-working areas. If you look at the overall product, it is phased. We start from the design, when we take into consideration the co-working spaces of each building,” Diaconu added.
Geo Margescu also believes co-working is a must. “I am a fan of this model of business and, especially in big office parks, there should be at least 10-15 per cent of office space designed for co-working.”
According to CBRE, there is currently 50,000 sq m of flexible office space in Bucharest, with 50 per cent signed during the last 15 months.
