Active interest: Interview with Dr. Gregor Brendel, member of the EUROPA-CENTER AG executive board
ADLERSHOF SPECIAL: What induced the EUROPA-CENTER real estate group to invest in this location three years ago?
DR. BRENDEL: There were many decisive factors, above all the location’s potential and its development. Adlershof’s encouraging growth figures fulfilled all of our expectations.
How does EUROPA-CENTER fit in here exactly as a lessor of office and industrial space?
With a huge range of research, technology and media production services, Adlershof is one of the most successful high-tech locations in Germany. It is the address of companies specialising in the most diverse fields, and these companies need suitable office space. The flexibility of our buildings provides everybody interested with the option of becoming a part of the location, of realising their full potential and of expanding whenever necessary.
August saw the start of the second phase of construction. What will be in store for us?
The present office and business building will be extended by 8,000 square metres to a high design standard, including a high quality facade and an underground car park with direct access to the building and an attractive inner campus. Overall, the premises will be kept open plan, with a lot of available space for cafés and other catering trades.
Who will be the tenants?
The tenants will be in need of the most diverse range of floor space and indoor configurations that they will find in the building’s highly flexible partitioning facilities. These provide all of the conventional office concepts, whether the single office of various sizes, the business club, open space or open plan. Also, some of the space on the ground floor can be used for laboratories.
A third phase of construction for additional 35,000 square metres will follow in the summer of 2011. Have the plans already been drawn up?
The third phase of construction still has room for visions. What we can say now is that this phase will be a milestone in the architecture of Adlershof and South Berlin. The particular features are the large entrance halls and the elevated architectural elements. We believe that the space for the third phase of construction will be ideal for group headquarters.
Are your buildings based on sustainable concepts?
As a member of the German Sustainable Building Council DGNB, we attach great importance to the sustainable functionality and effectiveness of our buildings, for both the tenants and the lessors. It is a matter of course that we optimise the whole range of influencing factors over the building’s entire lifecycle, whether this is the extraction of raw materials, the building work itself or dismantling. The retention of value and the efficiency of our real estate are important to us. Our roofs are fitted with solar installations in the second and third phases of construction as well. We concentrate on the improved utilisation of resources and use only ecologically sound building materials and products.
Your projects are a powerful drive for the location’s development. Why is that important to you?
We have an active interest in the development of this location. Our support for local events and promotion of social facilities are to contribute towards the development and maintenance of a healthy social environment. At the same time we want to make the location attractive for new setups and so provide the driving power behind new jobs.