Transactions in Romania’s commercial real estate market amounted to €298 million in the first half of the year, down 23% compared to the same period of 2020, according to a report by real estate consultancy Cushman & Wakefield Echinox. 

Aurelia Luca, Executive Vice President of Operations in Romania is now expanding her area of responsibility by taking over the Hungarian market as well. 

Real estate group Skanska says it fully completed the sale of office buildings Campus 6.2 and 6.3 within Campus 6, the complex developed in western Bucharest, in its biggest local deal valued at €97 million.

Another building of the Nowy Rynek complex in Poznan, developed by Skanska, has received its occupancy permit. Phase D provides approx. 39,000 sqm of office space and will be the first investment in the region to apply for the WELL Core&Shell certificate. It is also the only place in Poznan with a pavement made of green concrete that cleans the air.

A symbolic topping out was hung on the top floor of the third stage of the High5ive complex by Skanska in Kraków. This means that the main construction work has been completed and the building has reached its target height. Already at this stage of construction, the office section of the building has been completely leased out. With the commissioning, which is scheduled for the first quarter of 2022, Krakow will gain over 11,000 sqm of sustainable and modern office space. This is the first Skanska project in the capital of Lesser Poland, which will apply for the prestigious WELL Core&Shell certificate.

The Swedish developer launches the construction of another building in the Nowy Rynek complex in Poznań which is going to consist of approx. 28,500 sqm of office space. It will apply for a WELL Core&Shell certificate. The commissioning is scheduled for Q2 2023.

The pandemic brings a substantial evolution rather than a catalyst for a revolution. It accelerates ongoing changes in real estate strategies that otherwise would have taken years to implement, says Arkadiusz Rudzki, Executive Vice President of Leasing & Sales at Skanska office development in CEE, who shared his thoughts on workplace trends with Property Forum.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly changed the model of work around the world, attitudes on this matter are still visibly evolving – since the first wave of the lockdown until today the number of people working only from the office has increased by 26%. Almost half of employees go to the office every day, despite over 60% of respondents claiming that they do have comfortable working conditions at home. Employees in all surveyed countries indicated the ability to maintain a work-life balance and have direct conversations with co-workers as the biggest advantages of working in the office. These are only some of the conclusions drawn from a study conducted on behalf of Skanska office development unit in CEE.

Generation Park Y, the tallest Skanska office building in this part of Europe, located at Rondo Daszyńskiego in Warsaw, has just received the occupancy permit. According to the developer, this 140-meter-high building is the greenest skyscraper in the capital and  it will be the new headquarters of PZU Group providing workplaces for a few thousands of the company's employees.

Skanska has announced changes in the leadership team of its commercial development business unit in the Czech Republic and Hungary. Alexandra Tomášková stepped down from the role of EVP Operations for Hungary and the Czech Republic and is currently on a 2-month sabbatical. She is considering another role in the organization.