In recent times, a lot of attention has been paid to new high-rise office buildings that are transforming the Warsaw skyline and attracting the attention of tenants. However, as analysts from the international advisory firm, Cushman & Wakefield, have found, market data indicates that campus projects are the most popular among tenants. In Warsaw, campuses account for approximately 10% of modern office space, but in the first half of 2024, as much as 16% of demand was for this type of project. What features must an office project have to qualify it as a campus, and why is this format so popular?
The contemporary understanding of a campus project is based on several different parameters, the first of which is scale – usually, the campus character of an investment is achieved in large-scale properties. There is no clearly defined boundary area here, but under Warsaw conditions, it is difficult to classify office complexes offering less than 40,000 sq m of offices into this category.
The other criterion is a wide range of amenities available for tenants, which transforms a complex into an almost independent entity from its external surroundings, or seamlessly integrates with them. In general, campus users can find everything they need within the office complex. Cafés, restaurants, gyms, conference centres, clinics, kiosks, car washes, and beauty services ensure that the office complies with the ‘third place’ theory, which means it isn’t just a work environment, but a place to spend time outside of professional duties, explains Piotr Capiga, Deputy Head of Occupier Services, Office Department, Cushman & Wakefield.
Low, horizontal development is another characteristic feature of campuses. Thanks to this, the buildings do not overwhelm with their dimensions, and the size of the ground floors provides easy access to additional building functions. Furthermore, issues with shading are less troublesome, and there is no problem with disruption of airflow, which can occur with densely packed high-rise buildings.
The term ‘campus’ is primarily associated with university centres – and rightly so, as the idea of an office campus, where various functions are realised within one complex, is modelled on them. Aside from office work, these type of institutions can be a place for social meetings and relaxation, offering more opportunities for the exchange of ideas and experiences between employees. The most anticipated type of space surrounding office buildings is a combination of diverse and accessible greenery, with the feel of a city that can be created by internal shopping and service passages. This way, the complex has a city-forming function, also opening up to local residents, says Marcin Miazek, Associate Director, Office Department, Cushman & Wakefield.
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Due to their large scale, even the largest tenants are able to secure the necessary space today, with the prospect of increasing it as the business grows. Office complexes are usually implemented in a phased manner, and this formula perfectly meets the needs of tenants dynamically increasing their demand for offices. Additionally, in expanded complexes, a diverse business environment naturally forms.
Changes that have occurred due to the pandemic, at a time of extremely low unemployment, mean that the voice of the employees and their broadly understood well-being is becoming an increasingly important factor in choosing a company headquarters. The office is an element that can even have a decisive influence on the choice of employer, and an attractive headquarters becomes one of the main HR tools. Furthermore, taking into account the now quite common hybrid work model, amenities can serve as an important incentive for employees to spend more of their time at the office, which is welcome by the vast majority of organisations. Therefore, functional but not overwhelming campuses surrounded by greenery are an optimal location for many companies, explains Piotr Capiga.
Horizontal building has a very practical business aspect. It ensures a large floor area. As a result, the tenant is not forced to replicate auxiliary functions on several floors, which improves the efficiency of the space, and individual departments have more interaction with each other, building the company culture and supporting communication.
In LIXA, we offer over one floor areas exceeding even 3000 sq m, thus providing tenants with complete flexibility in arranging the working space and greatly facilitating communication between various company departments. This is highly appreciated by our clients, many of whom were looking for alternatives to tower projects. Moving between the LIXA buildings, we can feel like we are on a college campus. Office buildings usually have a small adjacent area, sometimes a square or patio, but in LIXA it is entirely different. In the entire project, biodiverse green areas occupy a total of approximately 5500 sq m. Another distinguishing feature of LIXA that gives it a campus character is the LIXA City Gardens concept. It creates a completely new urban fabric and a unique, public space that is open to all looking for an extraordinary place to spend time and relax. As part of the concept, on 4000 sq m of modern space on the ground floors of individual buildings (also along the 150-metre long city passage) we have arranged numerous commercial and catering premises. It is also worth emphasising that LIXA is an open project, without unnecessary fences, enabling convenient movement in the quarter of Kasprzaka, Karolkowa, and Giełdowa streets,– comments Marta Zawadzka, Leasing & Asset Management Director at Yareal Polska – the company that realised LIXA – the latest Warsaw office campus.
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Within campus projects in Warsaw, there are 630,000 sq m of modern office space, which accounts for approximately 10% of the city’s total resources. The average size of a single building is approximately 11,000 sq m. Their most common height ranges from 4 to 6 above-ground floors, although higher towers within complexes located closer to the city centre are also encountered.
In the first half of 2024, the total activity of office tenants amounted to approximately 716,400 sq m, of which 51,800 sq m (41 transactions) were rented in campus projects, which constitutes 16.4% of the market share. At the same time, within campus projects, the average size of the rented space was 1260 sq m, which is 31% more than the average for the entire Warsaw market during the same period. In addition, 19% of transactions were new leases, and 81% were lease extensions and expansions.
In the first half of 2024, the vacancy rate in campus projects was 7.7%, lower than the overall vacancy rate in Warsaw (10.9%).
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Inner-city campuses, usually located on the outskirts of the city centre, offer such amenities as excellent public transport access and a wide range of commercial services, while maintaining the intimate character of the buildings. These type of projects are incorporated into mixed-use complexes that create a rich urban fabric, also providing commercial, hotel or residential functions, and therefore constituting modern lifestyle centres in the city.
On the other hand, campuses located on the outskirts of the city are characterised by quick access to expressways and motorways, and the airport. As a result, they’re often chosen by tenants with mobile teams and large car fleets. A characteristic feature of these is also attractively organised landscape architecture within the complex, including lots of greenery that ensures a comfortable work atmosphere for users.
The common denominator of each kind of campus project remains large floor areas and amenities supporting modern workplace strategies focused on openness, inclusivity and collaboration. Campus projects also have more available parking spaces calculated per 1 sq m of office space, compared with tower buildings or standalone office buildings.
Source: https://managerplus.pl/popularnosc-kampusow-biurowych-w-warszawie-rosnie-77422
