Renovation of office buildings in the Corona era: balconies and garden offices, similar to residential towers

• Infinity Park in Raanana. Flexibility in the workspace

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  Imaging: 3Dvision

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The sun terraces, familiar to all of us from the field of saturated residential construction, are also trickling down to the office buildings. Many new projects have decided to change direction and offer ventilation corners on the roof or balcony to reduce health risk.

The world of offices is undergoing a change: reducing the number of employees, moving to work from home, demarcating the open space for cubes, adjusting the common work spaces. During the period of closure, many realized that a balcony or garden was a necessary thing, and the desire for a private air plot did not miss the office planning.  

The interior design style of the office blends in with the urban lifestyle outside. Following the new situation imposed on us, the trend of incorporating large balconies in offices is intensifying and has already become one of the main requests among business owners.

This requirement certainly fits in with government policy to encourage ecological construction. In the words of architect Erez Ben Eliezer, a senior consultant to the director general of the Planning Administration: "The closure during the Corona period emphasized the need for outdoor space, vegetation, and natural areas near the house."

Activities in open spaces were less restricted than others. Personal well-being and the ability to withstand closure were often determined by the degree of accessibility of green space and its quality. With attempts to return to routine, the importance of direct connection to outdoor spaces and vegetation also arises in the work spaces.

In the past offices included aisles and workstations (whether in private rooms or in cubicles) and a large number of office towers are characterized by a designed glass casing. In recent years, increased emphasis has been placed on common and open work spaces and places for informal meetings.

Along with the new interior areas, there was also a need for adjacent outdoor areas, and thus office buildings with balconies with direct access from the floor and green roofs began to appear. These spaces allow for social events for staff, personal meetings, ventilation after a long sitting in front of a computer in a closed space or simply working in ventilated and sheltered outdoor areas.

An office designed by Snir. A break on the balcony // Photo: Ronen Kook

According to Ben Eliezer, "In many office buildings it is not possible to open a window and the introduction of fresh air is done only by technical systems, which often causes the sick building phenomenon. Balcony allows direct access to pressure and ventilation regardless of system quality. In recent years wellbeing has received significant attention. And includes standards such as a standard for interior planning and design promoted by the Green Building Council. "

airflow

More and more projects are offering balconies or garden offices, similar to residential towers. Hajjaj's four towers, Besser Towers in Bnei Brak, Da Vinci in Tel Aviv, Vitanya in La Guardia, the Microsoft Herzliya building and many more.

Michal Drori, Property and Marketing Manager of Vitanya, notes that in the project on the Ayalon axis in Tel Aviv, which will be inhabited soon, the building was planned in advance with a balcony with two doors that open on its sides into the offices and allow fresh air to flow to the office.

"The balconies are also a design element, because we intend to install unique lighting fixtures in each of them so that a spectacular vertical lighting strip will be created throughout the building," Drori adds.

She notes that in the past the interest in balconies was mainly due to the desire to let in fresh air and the need for a smoking area, but following the corona the demand for offices with balconies has increased as part of dealing with the virus and the need for ventilation. "We are considering the addition of balconies in other future projects as well," she said.

Geva Real Estate has identified the potential and recently began marketing, as part of a purchasing group, an office project with private gardens at 16 Hazaz Street in Shikun Dan in North Tel Aviv. This is an existing office building that the group will purchase and renovate into small and medium-sized office spaces. Adjacent or private roof garden.  

The project covers about 2,000 square meters built on two office floors and a roof floor and will have about 300 office units for purchase, in an area ranging from 27 to 200 square meters gross. According to the planning options, these areas will include private roof gardens with an area of ​​10 to 12 square meters. The units in the project will be marketed (according to an estimate) starting at NIS 614,000 per unit. The project is being designed by architects Shani Tal and Raanan Stern from RUST.

Eran Lev, a partner at Geva Real Estate, describes the change in trend: "We have recently learned that a small office is an ideal solution when it comes to a complex that is close to home and allows access to it without traffic jams and without exposure to a large audience of people. The possibility of holding meetings in the open air or even going out to breathe on the balcony or in a private garden is a very big advantage. It requires thinking outside the box and special engineering planning and infrastructure. "

Garden in the office

Establishing a garden in the office changes the costs of the project, since specifications for the exterior finish must be prepared. On the other hand, just as an apartment with a balcony of the right size is worth more than an apartment without a balcony, so too in offices.

The Da Vinci Towers project is located at the intersection of Da Vinci and Kaplan streets in Tel Aviv. Architect Avner Yashar probably predicted the future, so it was pre-designed with a lot of ventilation, around three sides of the same inner square, to allow a direct connection between the office and outdoor spaces.

The entrance to the two nuclei used for the office building is from the same inner square, and the elevators lead to an outer corridor that surrounds the square, so the way to the office is made entirely outside. This planning solution makes it possible to attach a garden terrace at the entrance to each office.

Moving Street in North Tel Aviv. Adjacent courtyard or private roof garden // Imaging: Ibolav Media

The terrace allows work in the open air and encourages social gatherings between the occupants of the floor. Although this building was designed before the Corona era, its construction will be completed in a reality where those garden balconies will become even more attractive. In addition, a common green roof with seating areas, shading, trees and green vegetation is planned for the office building.

Natalie Marshall, who specializes in marketing projects in the field of income-producing real estate, notes : “In the Corona era, caring for an employee combines a focus on providing a pleasant and spacious environment along with maintaining his health and creating a safe work environment. "Another element that provides a healthy environment is the multiplicity of work areas outside the office in the open air, such as a large urban park with seating areas, cafes, amphitheaters, spacious balconies on the various floors and a large roof designed for meetings and events."

Infinity Park Raanana, an employment park currently being built at the Raanana junction at the initiative of the companies SEN Zahav Verit 1, will cover 150,000 square meters and will also include a 30-story office tower. Balconies of various sizes are planned on all office floors.

Rachel Feller, Senior Partner and Planning Director at the Yasky Mor Sivan Architects, who designed the project: According to the size of the company and in accordance with the needs. "

"This period sharpens the need for workers in the air, both physically and metaphorically, with an emphasis on outdoor areas that allow for meeting and conversation in an area that is both outdoor and open and used for work," she said.

Inspiration from nature

Another example of this trend can be found in a young and urban office called SNYK located in the city center, in the heart of the bustling city of Tel Aviv. The project was planned and designed by Lilach Henig in front of a designer and director of the planning and design department at Snir, a house for real estate marketing, and Michal Meislich, an interior designer in the department.

Opposite: "A balcony in the work space allows you to take a break and enjoy moments of privacy where you break away from thinking about work. In this way, you regain renewed strength to significantly improve your work abilities and ability to concentrate over time."

Meislich says that due to the limitations of the corona the consultation procedure was conducted in a number of zoom sessions, and only then in a frontal session. "After completing the work, the client enjoys a spacious space, a luxurious balcony and original seating solutions for conversations conducted with overseas, which have been specially tailored for him," she adds.

According to Osnat Perger, marketing director of May-Desk, a company that specializes in designing work complexes, "The biophilic worldview has existed for decades, but the corona crisis has given it an important and central place in work complexes in Israel and around the world." The crisis is intensifying in its wake.

"Company captains work to ensure their employees a safe and protective work environment. The employee's emotional state and sense of security reflect job satisfaction and increase productivity in the short and long term."

According to Perger, the reason for this is clear: "The characteristics of nature are integrated into the green design movement. Studies from recent years indicate the salient advantages of working in a green environment with elements inspired by nature and natural materials. The results show that They felt more energetic and less tired.

"According to a study by the British University of Exeter, these benefits could translate into an increase of up to 15% in employee productivity. A green work environment that incorporates natural elements such as wood, vegetation and natural light is not considered a luxury enjoyed by the lucky few. Bringing nature into the office is now a business investment Really, with a special emphasis on employee well-being. "

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