Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2015 | Page 51

Björn Mattsson, Managing Director for
Skanska CDF, wants to find out if it's
possible to make the office 'cool'.
for every function, the productivity of the
work can increase as much as 20 %. Taken
together, the efficient use of space and the
increase in productivity can bring in savings
to the tune of 40 %.
Director Antti Nousiainen at Skanska
CDF adds that ABW can boost performance
in new or old premises – more than anything
else, it is a question of commitment.
“Companies do realise that these types
of solutions lead to better business performance – and that the competitors in the same
business streams are aware of this, too,”
Nousiainen says.

Rail Redemption
Looking at the Helsinki Metropolitan Area,
Nousiainen observes that the workplace is
not the only thing that is changing: massive
infrastructure projects are taking place in the
west and in the north, as metro expands to

Espoo and Ring Rail Line makes its way to
the Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport.
“Rails are giving the metropolitan
area better connectivity and we want to
make the most of the opportunities therein,”
Nousiainen says. And it’s more than talk: in
December 2014, Skanska CDF started the
construction of the new centre of Aviapolis
Area, an ambitious development project
which combines office construction with
residential, commercial and hotel construction. Located right next to the airport, and
on top of the Aviapolis Railway Station, the
Aviabulevardi Office building will feature
9,200 square metres of leasable space and
encompass six storeys.
“The location by the Aviapolis Railway Station is very attractive, since you’re
only a stone’s throw away from Airport terminal. We’ve already had numerous inquiries about the project and the first leases have
already been signed,” Nousiainen reports.
Needless to say, Skanska’s Activity-Based
Workplaces has been a strong selling point
in attracting the customers.

Ready for Take Off
Behind the high demand is the fact that the
Aviapolis area near the airport was already
a hot item for companies with a progressive mindset even before Ring Rail Line.
When you put rails and wings together, you
get something that is quite unprecedented in
Finland: a natural superhub.
“This will probably be the most international spot in the country,” Nousiainen
says.
With the Aviabulevardi office building serving as the strong heart for this new
community, what types of companies is
Skanska CDF looking to attract to the building? Nousiainen says that he knows for a
fact that many sales organisations or brand
offices are actively looking for just this kind
of space – and now it’s available.

“We aim for the medium size companies more than small companies,” he says,
adding that 400–800 square metres is the
projected average space per tenant.

Life After Five
But the business and office activities is just
one element here – Nousiainen promises
that there will be life in the neighbourhood
also after 5 o’clock when the lights go out
in the offices.
“We want to help in creating a 24/7
area where there is lots of activity and many
things to do.” Conceivably, as the identity
of the district is strongly linked with aviation, this is something that can be explored
in the realisation of the area.
“The Finnish Aviation Museum is
already located there,” Nousiainen points
out.
The residential offering is going to be
rather broad-based, with private/rental apartments and also assisted living solutions. In
the area, there will also be a shopping centre which brings a good mix of public and
commercial services to the local residents
and the workers.

Green Edge
Aviabulevardi will be a green neighbourhood, as well. Nousiainen says that the
office complex will go for both LEED and
EU Green Building certification, and bring
tried-and-true environmental solutions to
the project.
Skanska has a long history with LEED
– having almost single-handedly introduced
LEED certification in Finland a few years
back – but the company is not dead-set on
Platinum Level in every single case.
“With LEED, of course, the standards
keep rising all the time. Our intention is to
optimise the sustainable solutions and provide the best possible outcome here,” Nousiainen concludes.

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