• Remote working is on the verge of making work not only flexible, but also very well-being and environmentally friendly oriented
• Hotspot Workhub is among the early adopters of sustainable flex-work environments and it was recently certified as BREEAM Excellent.
• The consultant that coordinated the certification process was BuildGreen, leading advisor in the field of sustainable development in Central and Eastern Europe. 

Bucharest, December 3^rd 2020 – Hotspot Workhub, the office space dedicated to flex-work right in the heart of Bucharest, Romania, has recently obtained the BREEAM Excellent certification for sustainable fit-out. Hotspot is thus one of the early adopters of “green” remote work environments, adding a higher level of comfort and efficiency to the standard design, development and management of sustainable office buildings.  

“The implementation of sustainable principles already became a widespread practice on the real estate market. With office buildings as icebreakers, sustainability is today’s strategic element in the development and management of all types of properties – retail, residential, industrial, mixed-use, factories or public buildings.

Going further, sustainability exceeded the standard approach in the real estate market, went beyond the doors of office buildings and offered owners and occupants a new perspective on their work environment. Hotspot Workhub is among the early adopters of sustainable fit-out concept and an active promoter of remote work that offers both flexibility and business performance”, stated Razvan Nica, Managing Director BuildGreen.    

Hotspot Workhub is the newest and most modern flex office space in Bucharest, offering premium workhub services and facilities. Hotspot comes with a high-quality mix of flexible team and bright open-space offices with access to high-tech conference rooms, events area and a live streaming Studio around a spectacular lobby with reception and speciality coffee. The space of around 2,000 sq.m is located in “The Mark”, one of the most stylish and state-of-the-art office buildings in Bucharest CBD. 

The exclusive central address of Hotspot Workhub opens up new perspectives on working: Hotspot combines productivity with clever details and flexible office equipment. It’s also a place with international flair, an inviting lobby area, and array of upscale and useful features. “An office is not only about work, it’s about lifestyle” Norman Foster

“As a German company with 15 years of experience on the Romanian market, we welcome amongst our members the Romanian-German Chamber of Commerce and multinational companies that appreciate quality and efficiency. Our first concern was to configure the work space for safety and well-being and now we have the only fit-out that is under BREEAM Excellent certification in Romania” says Tudor Popp, founder of Hotspot, the flex offices pilot project of REC Partners. REC’s team of experts, or “buildings’ doctors” as they are called,  is specialized in consulting, planning and project management and has been involved in major construction, refurbishment and successful fit-out projects all over Europe. 

High certification levels were obtained in the following categories: Health & Well-Being, Water, Waste and Pollution. Energy, Transport and Management of the space also obtained very good scores. The assessment has been carried out according to the technical manual for BREEAM International Refurbishment and Fitout 2015: Office.

BuildGreen assisted the client from the start, offering consultancy and assessment services in line with BREEAM requirements, advice for sustainable design and acquisitions, as well as BREEAM strategy definition, energy performance, natural water and ventilation optimization, materials, waste management etc. 

Founded in 2010, BuildGreen was involved in the first certification of a green building in Romania; its expertise now covers over 17 countries in Central and Eastern Europe. In its 10 years of activity, BuildGreen managed the sustainable development and certification processes of over 200 real estate projects, with a surface of over 5 million sq.m. and an overall investment value of over €8 billion. Razvan Nica, founder and managing director of the company, is also the first BREEAM International Quality Auditor outside the UK, a position from which he supervises BREEAM certification processes across the entire Globe. 

Hotspot will be the first company in Romania to certify the fit-out of its coworking space as BREEAM Excellent. The 2,000-square-meter space is located in Bucharest’s new high-tech office building The Mark, owned by Austrian S IMMO AG, which has already been awarded the BREEAM Green Building Certificate.

Green Buildings become a standard for new office buildings in Romania but Hotspot goes one step further with the certification of the fit-out of its office space and sets standards for a healthy environment and sustainability of workplaces.

“The ongoing certification of our Hotspot fitout, which will open in December, confirms that our co-working space is at the forefront of environmental, economic and socio-cultural standards,” said Tudor Popp, founding partner of Hotspot. “This is very important to us, as coworking tenants increasingly pay attention to the amenities, sustainability and healthy environemnt of their office space. Because the quality of the workplace is now one of the key factors in the quest of companies for the best employees.”

With the BREEAM certification, Hotspot can point to a forward-looking concept that brings together ecology and user appeal. At the same time, the coworking provider has a unique selling proposition in Bucharest’s office real estate market. Very different aspects flow into the evaluation. Among other things, this involves sustainable planning and construction, the use of ecological building materials, technical details such as insulation and connectivity, as well as accessibility and lighting quality.

Following the successful completion of the pre-assessment, the fitout of Hotspot is currently in the site monitoring phase. The construction is evaluated and all details of the building materials used are collected and tested for sustainability. “We expect Hotspot’s BREEAM certification as a sustainable coworking space labeled Excellent at the end of this year,” adds Tudor Popp.

About BREEAM

BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) is the leading and most widely used voluntary certification method for real estate, incorporating many environmental and sustainability aspects. The high standards serve as a yardstick for the environmental impact of a building.