AREAL SLATINA spreads over 18.4 ha near the motorway exit, the railway line and the airport in Tuřany. In the vicinity of the largest industrial zone in Černovická terrace in Brno, it offers tenants offices, warehouses, outdoor and parking areas and all services necessary for their successful business operation. The 6 buildings of the complex now provide a seat to 230 companies. We discussed the company’s activities with Ing. Luděk Beneš, a member of the Board of Directors of AREAL SLATINA, a.s., who is a relatively frequent guest on the DN website.

As a result of the Covid epidemic, companies began to use the possibility of home office much more. How does this affect office occupancy? What is the companies’ strategy regarding their employees’ return to the workplace?

Due to the focus of the companies located in our area, these are mainly companies from the field of engineering, construction, logistics, infrastructure and state administration, home office is used primarily as a tool to combat the pandemic. We do not feel a reduced interest in office occupancy due to home office.

You have commenced – for Brno a fairly large – development project. Can you reveal the stages it is going through?

We are now in the process of completing the occupancy of the GREEN BUILDING II (GB II), which was put into operation on 1st January 2021.

Resulting from our past interviews, it is clear that you approach the overall operation of the offices from a slightly different perspective than the developer who wants to build and rent or even sell...

The construction and operation of our complex is based on a philosophy that can be called ‘In harmony with nature’. We strive to build functional, high-quality buildings with the minimum possible carbon footprint, both during construction and operation. We place great emphasis on the management of drinking and rainwater. Our buildings are not to shock the architecture but to convince users with its functionality. We consider them as buildings with two A’s. The first A belongs to classification regarding the class of office buildings, the second A corresponds with the category of energy performance of the building. An integral part of our approach is the affordability for the widest possible range of customers and thus the availability of AA premises, not only for large companies but also for small and start-up companies or entities.

You opened Green Building II in January 2021. How is it different from its older sibling?

On the 1st underground floor of GB II, there are technical background facilities common to both buildings. In GREEN BUILDING I (GB I), we used waterless urinals, in GB II we use rainwater to flush all toilets. Aluminium and plastic windows in GB I are installed in the façade in the configuration of triple glazing 6–4–6, whilst the windows in GB II are installed within the window jamb with composite frames in the configuration of triple glazing 8–4–6. In GB II, we achieved a reduction in air flow rate by using 20% longer ceiling beams and other air conditioning elements. With these evolutionary solutions we have achieved a reduction of external and internal noise by 2 dB. We also used F9 bacterial filters and steam humidification. The proof that this is not just a response to Covid but a purposeful improvement in quality is the fact that I already talked about this in our interview in February 2020.

These times are very hectic and are influenced by various aspects, including the requirements of clients. What is your experience in this regard?

Clients’ requirements have not changed fundamentally since our interview a year ago. Open office space is not virtually demanded, the basis lie in dividing space into offices of about 40 sq m. What has increased are the areas with catering facilities and entrances to individual companies, this all being due to the pandemic. There is no interest in service premises.

What are the most difficult obstacles for you at the moment?

Due to the fact that we implement fit outs for our customers, it is the increase in input prices and, above all, the lack of materials that makes life very uncomfortable. For instance, when we get the door, we don’t have locks to go with it. When we have the locks, we don’t have keys. Although it is difficult, we do handle it, though with a slight time delay.

AREAL SLATINA is a large project, which must also include transport solutions - I mean accessibility by public and passenger transport and parking capacity. How do you deal with that?

One of our advantages is the above-standard number of parking spaces – we usually have one parking space per 30 sq m of leased premises. We also have customers who need more parking spaces. We also meet these requirements and are able to offer one space per 20 sq m of leased premises. The accessibility of our complex by public transport improves constantly alongside its development. In front of the main entrance to the complex is a bus stop, which is now called Slatina Areál. Even this triviality contributes to a better awareness of the area and its transport services for our customers’ partners. On top of that, we are also within walking distance of trolleybus stops and the Brno-Slatina railway station. Our administrative centre is the closest of all administrative buildings to Brno-Tuřany Airport. We do not even lag behind in the field of electromobility as the customers have 16 charging stations at their disposal and we plan to build 16 more in 2022.

What are your future plans? What can both current and future tenants of your offices look forward to?

Our customers have three separate catering establishments, three fast food stalls, two cafés and the Žabka grocery store at their disposal. On 1st October 2021, we increased the catering capacity to 1,200 main dishes in the largest gastronomic establishment Slatina Bistro and there is also a new À la carte restaurant. The customers can have breakfast, lunch or dinner within our premises. Services are generally undergoing a difficult period and their more significant development will not occur until the Covid situation is under control. Nevertheless, we are opening two dental surgeries, five physiotherapeutic surgeries and hairdressers.

What is the occupancy, or what is the current offer of premises and under what conditions?

As of 1st January 2022, occupancy of the entire complex is 98%, while the GB I building is occupied by 99.6% and the GB II building by 96%. Prices in the ‘GREEN BUILDINGS’ buildings range from EUR 8 to 10 sq m per month depending on the size, rental period and type of customer. Energy costs for heating and cooling are low, stable and long-term guaranteed. Payments are made monthly without advance payments and billing. This is the benefit of our low-energy buildings, which we fully reflect in the benefit of our customers.