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What else did the class A criteria include? Buildings had to be constructed using high quality
materials. The waiting time for lifts was also specified, which was about 30 seconds. Fulfilling 13
of the 16 criteria could gain a project a class A rating.
A and B are not enough
In 2006, with the development of the office market in Warsaw, the WRF decided to extend the
list defining a project’s class. In between class A and B buildings, a new term for a building was
introduced – B+, which was more modern than a class B building, but did not meet all the expec-
tations of a class A building. A division, therefore, was introduced into mandatory and optional
specifications.
Class A office buildings had to meet all the mandatory criteria and 2 of the 6 optional criteria.
In turn, projects referred to as B+ had to meet 12 of the 14 mandatory criteria and also 2 of the
6
optional criteria. Class B office buildings had to meet 10 of the 14 mandatory standards and
2
of the 6 optional criteria.
In fact, themandatorycriteriacompared to thepreviousdivisiondidnotchange thatmuch.Aclass
A building had to be modern, have an air-conditioning system, have interesting architecture, be
built with good quality materials, have a great location and have the ability to arrange space
flexibly. With the development of technology and the advent of computer systems to manage
buildings, class A projects had to have BMS (Building Management System). In addition, they
also had to provide future tenants with access to various types of facilities: restaurants, canteens,
ATMs, small medical centres, dry cleaners and the like. On the other hand, optional standards
included: the creation of a building’s brand that will differentiate the site in the real estatemarket,
anelegantreception lobby,parkingspaces forguests,kitchenareaandcarpeting forofficespace.
Regardless of the class of the building, each project A, B+ or B had to satisfy at least 2 of
the 6 optional criteria.
Or maybe a different perspective?
Over the years, it turned out that the classification developed by the WRF did not suit everyone.
Rolfe Judd Architecture and CBRE developed a different approach to the classification of office
buildings.ModernOfficeStandards:Polandstate thataclassAbuildingmustmeet the12manda-
tory criteria and at least 5 of 8 additional criteria. These criteria apply only to quality aspects. The
location is evaluated separately. Sites that in terms of both quality and location will be evaluated
best will be defined as class AA buildings.
Some approaches differentiate only three classes of buildings A, B, and C. Others assign two letters
to projects such as AB, the first of which relates to quality, and the second specifies the location.
The approach to location is highly controversial, when determining the class of an office building.
According to some systems, only sites located in the city centre can belong to class A. Modern
Offices Standards: Poland (MOSP) address this issue through separate evaluations for location
and quality aspects.
As can be seen, a multitude of definitions and the lack of one regarded as primary creates a flex-
ible approach to the classification of individual buildings. Over the years, there has been a failure
to develop a system that would be accepted by all market participants and commonly used. This
means that projects classified in the same category may vary significantly.
A, B, C are not important?
The standard of a building should be reflected in the price that a tenant has to pay to lease space.
And tenants are increasingly no longer paying attention to the classification, but rather examin-
ing the value that a building can offer them and the extent, to which it meets the needs of their
business. A higher class, in accordance with accepted standards, is not necessarily more valued
by tenants. With the changing approach to work and office space, customers have new expec-
tations that are not included in classifications. What a few years ago was a factor necessary to
obtain a class A rating does not now constitute added value for some companies. An example
may be suspended ceilings – today many companies do not want them, preferring to have the
additional space – the rooms are higher, and the installations and wiring mounted on the ceiling
are a decorative element. Currently, the ability to open widows fully or only slightly is important
for a large group of tenants. A few years ago it was an unprecedented phenomenon. Another
criterion that can often draw a company’s attention is the ability to travel to the office not only be
public transport or car, but also by bike. Developers are responding to these needs and increas-
ingly providing specially dedicated parking areas for bikes, and even entire areas with changing
roomsandshowers forcyclists.Somecompaniesarealso trying tomatch theexpectationsof their
employees as much as possible. They are checking, where the majority of their staff live and then
looking for an office in the same location, regardless of the category into which the building has
been classified. Still, for many companies themost important thing is to optimise the costs associ-
ated with renting space, and therefore they are accepting a lower standard or an older building,
which means that they are opting for space in class B or C office buildings.
B and C? No. Everything is A
In today’s world, virtually every office investment calls itself class A. Over the years, the bounda-
ries between office projects has begun to blur. Developers of office buildings put a great deal
of emphasis on the quality of their projects, technology and facilities for future tenants. More
and more attention is being paid to the creation of social space for tenants, creating an effective
place to work – not just in financial terms, but also in terms of time savings. Today, companies
value places that let their staff do their day-to-day shopping on site and take advantage of other
services, for example day care for children.
The criteria for the classification of office buildings will certainly continue to evolve. The list of
crucial factors for assigning the appropriate class to a project will certainly be extended by factors
relevant to the users themselves, i.e. the tenants. As the officemarket develops, there will be A, A+
and AAA classes, mainly used to differentiate buildings from the competition.
Anna Szymańska
Associate Director, Office Agency | Landlord Representation, Colliers International
Natalia Sokolik
Associate, Office Agency | Tenant Representation, Colliers International
