Skanska Care for life office concept

Have you ever imagined today’s reality that we’re living in right now?

It’s new for us as well. But it doesn’t mean we haven’t been prepared for it. As a continuation of the Futureproof platform, we came up with Care for Life Office Concept.

There you have a nice, quick explainer of how buildings by Skanska are going to function during these new times. Here you’ll find a few solutions prepared to make you feel safer. And smile more! Even if it’s hidden under the mask.

What is the new normal?

How can you stay productive when everything goes crazy? For us, well-thought-out architecture creates a space where people can function healthily, both mentally and physically. As the situation may not be the best ever, we still want to derive something positive. It’s not the first time humanity has had to do it. There wouldn’t be sewers in London if they hadn’t had to deal with a cholera outbreak. Necessity is the mother of invention.

Healthy working environment

There’s no healthy workplace without prioritizing employees’ health. Both physical and mental. Inspired by our previous actions and after detailed research and cooperation with experts, we keep creating spaces that are easy to work in. Our office is the place where the natural osmosis of ideas, knowledge, and experience happens. So get your creativity on and let’s do something good together. Teamwork makes the dream work!

According to the WHO, health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. And we stand by that. It’s about the light. Sustainability. Nature. And, most importantly, about being social.

We’ve prepared a holistic approach to your wellbeing. It is not only based on one set of rules and sticking strictly to them. It is about a healthy working environment with air quality, light efficiency, facilities for cyclists, surrounded by plants, and even a special place for an office buzz – beehives on buildings’ roof. A little piece of normality makes everything better!

How do we balance safety, sustainability, and feasibility

Aleksandra Polkowska Kramek
Epidemiologist

Online calls cannot simply replace social interactions

“That’s why it is so important to prepare a healthy environment both for physical and mental health. Skanska’s actions prevent spreading the virus so employees can feel safer and they have the opportunity to come back to their previous workflow.”

Skanska's road to health, sustainability and well-being

We’re always sure to be one step ahead. Now we see that our constant actions are paying off. With the Care for Life Office Concept, it’s easy to understand - there’s nothing new here. It’s just the continuation. Now, it’ll be easier for you to keep track of and follow all of the new guidelines we provide in our offices to prevent spreading viruses and other diseases.

We love gaining certificates as a result of our work. Because we’ve been thinking about sustainability and well-being and health of office users for a long time now, we have successfully met the requirements of the new WELL Health & Safety Rating for multiple buildings, as a first office developer in CEE. It’s another distinction after LEED and WELL.

Some time ago we came up with a platform that guarantees sustainability, innovations, and design. We have already received the certification for nine projects in CEE with WELL Health & Safety Rating and we are making it a standard for our buildings. As an answer to today’s needs of office space users, here comes Care for Life Office Concept.

We balance safety, sustainability, and feasibility based on following categories; air quality, touch-free solutions, space planning consultancy, updated facility management procedures.

That is to say by working safely from your desk, you take care of your mental health. Everything comes full circle.

Adrian Grecu
Head of South East Europe Vlatris (former Mylan)

Innovative yet human

"An imposing building in the northern part of Bucharest with futuristic architecture, this space meets our expectations as a home for Viatris. We believe that, in order to achieve remarkable performance, the employee needs safety, comfort, and space which inspires. We stopped our search for office space at Skanska. It resonates with our desires and offers a space conducive to business development. At the same time, Skanska responded promptly to our requests, with employees very well trained in their fields, receptive to our proposals and very adaptable, offering innovative and sustainable solutions."

Introducing

Here’s our take on being healthy and productive while again enjoying our work premises. How does it work? Nice and simple. So save this brochure for later and in case of doubt.

First off.
Air quality!

The air in Skanska offices is monitored thanks to smart building management. The collected data provides statistics and measures the constant supply of fresh, non-circulated air. The volume of fresh air is greater than required by regulations and is not mixed with exhaled air. The purity of the air is ensured by high quality filters used for example in health care.

Constat supply of fresh, non-recirculated air-01

Fresh air supplied at 40 m3 hr per person and 6 m2 area per person-01

Use of high-quality air filters used in health care-01

Maintenance of humidity between 40-60 % where viral spread is limited-01-01

Secondly.
Can't touch
this!

This is cooler than you think! With the Connected by Skanska access system, you can use the smart infrastructure in the building, for example the licence plate recognition in the car park. Last but not least, we use automatic, touch-free devices for door opening, lift calling and for hygienic practices in toilets.

Automated elevator calling with access card-01

Automated equipment and dispensers in toilets-01

Entrance doors which open automatically with photocells-01

License plate recognition access system in the car park-01

Thirdly.
Give yourself
some space!

Since social distance is key, we design spaces so that it can be intuitively maintained. Two staircases or one wide staircase encourage people to exercise within the allowed distance. Appropriate signs in visible places tell about allowed limit of people in elevator and particular rooms. Conference rooms allow for face-to-face as well as remote collaboration.

Despite the distance, we can be closer than ever before.

Corridors incorporate social distancing requirements-01

Limited elevator capacity clearly marked in the elevators-01

Lobby area designed to minimize dwell time and interaction-01

Separated flows for entry & exit to the building-01

Signage encourage social distancing in all commnon areas-01

Lastly.
Building management

We adapt properties to the challenges of the current reality by implementing procedures to help people stay safe. The actions that were taken have been approved by the International WELL Building Institute, successfully meeting the requirements of the new WELL Health & Safety Rating. We also offer free consultancy for our tenants looking to get WELL H-S rating for their premises.

What else? Entrances are supervised for employee safety. This means temperature scanning of entrants, strict rules for deliveries, and facemask checking at the turnstiles. Highly exposed surfaces have an antiseptic wrap and a separate disinfection plan, while those exposed to moisture have regular inspections against mold and leaks. The water system is controlled to prevent bacteria. We promote health through disinfection points, signs and a building mobile app.