Project development for companies

What is the starting point?

There are currently over 100,000 skilled workers being sought in Switzerland, and everything indicates that the situation will become more pronounced in the coming years. To remain competitive in the market, it is important for companies to offer their employees a future-proof working environment, while also responding to new forms of work and aspects of sustainability.

The question arises as to whether the current company location and the existing built environment are suitable for the diverse challenges.

What are the challenges?

The working environment is an increasingly important criterion when recruiting employees. In particular, the requirements of new forms of work such as “hybrid work” or the increased implementation of “activity-based working”, a concept with areas for different activities to promote performance and creativity, have a major impact on the planning of office spaces. Topics such as multiple usability of spaces, materialization, room acoustics, air quality and daylight are addressed.

The introduction of innovative forms of work and concepts also means changes in everyday working life - the elimination of a permanently assigned workstation, for example, can lead to uncertainty among employees and requires a readjustment. Therefore, the early involvement of employees in change processes (change management) is an aspect that should not be underestimated.

The ESG goals and sustainability requirements formulated by the company are often difficult to implement in an older building. International companies in particular have increasingly strict requirements with regard to sustainability aspects and there is a clear trend towards "green leases", i.e. requirements for the sustainability of a building are stipulated in the lease agreement.

The current interest rate environment also makes it more difficult for companies to invest in real estate themselves, as financing with debt has become more expensive. It may therefore make sense for them to invest the available capital in the company's own production and thereby securing operating resources instead of spending capital on the construction of real estate.

Often, companies do not have internal personnel resources for managing their real estate. In particular, companies that operate internationally usually do not have locally based specialists in this area.

Which factors influence the success?

The following factors have a significant influence on a project development for a company's headquarters:

A sound analysis of the current location and the corporate strategy are the basic prerequisites.
If the company does not want to own the property itself, it is worth involving potential investors at an early stage in order to check the marketability of the project.
A high degree of flexibility of use and usability of the premises for third parties is important.
The involvement of a specialized workplace design firm is essential to ensure the subsequent well-being of the employees.
It is worth involving employees in the planning process at an early stage, especially when new forms of working are introduced.
In planning processes, the consistent involvement of all relevant stakeholders (stakeholder management) is crucial to success.

How do we proceed?

1. Analysis: We put ourselves in your situation to first understand your business model and your specific needs and requirements for a location.

2. Strategy: We develop the optimal real estate strategy for your company. If the potential analysis of the existing property shows that an improvement of the premises is not effective, we will begin evaluating alternative locations.

3. Feasibility study: With a feasibility study, we map out your investment case and show the approximate costs and the anticipated timeline. We also illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of the options "ownership" and "sale and lease back", i.e. sale of the property to an investor with subsequent lease back.

4. Soft sounding: We test the market potential of the project with an early "soft sounding" with potential investors.

5. Project planning: The subsequent presentation of different options for action provides a sound decision-making basis for the further project planning (preliminary project, construction project, building application, approval process and implementation).

6. Search for investors: In the case of the "sale and lease back" option, we take on the investor search and conduct a structured bidding process to find a suitable buyer and future landlord.

7. Realization: When implementing the construction project, we look after your interests as the owner's representative and ensure a successful implementation.

What are your advantages?

You benefit from the following advantages:

AREA represents your concerns and coordinates the entire project; You can focus on your core business.
We act independently of other market players and provide all services from site search over project development to a possible sale of the property to an investor.
AREA examines your options for action and limits the risks; You receive the certainty of the best possible solution.