The Property Portfolio of Tomorrow: 4 Emerging Assets

Hybrid working has ushered in a new era for real estate portfolios.

The future of work will be a fine balance between employee flexibility and business necessity – a fresh mix of distributed, dynamic workspaces.

Let’s take a look at four emerging assets.

The Mega-Campus

These juggernaut HQs will be like small towns in their own right.

KGX1, Google’s new King’s Cross campus, is due to be completed in 2024.

1 million sq. ft., 11-storeys, their first wholly owned and designed building outside of the US.

It will accommodate 4,500 employees, feature a gym and pool, multi-use games area, landscaped terraces, retail outlets, Events Centre, and its own Town Halls.

Mega-campuses fuel a culture of entrepreneurship and vibrancy, a resource not just for employees, but local community too.

The Local Office

Rooted in its neighbourhood, attracting community, enabling employees to make the most of the city.

An immersive, familiar, and friendly experience – the local office builds an authentic company culture that contributes to its surrounding ecosystem.

Partnering with nearby coffee shops and eateries contribute to placemaking; daily interactions with the barista who knows the customer’s order draws them back.

As recent LinkedIn study reveals, “Head of Belonging” charts the top of new work titles: the local office answers this demand – fulfilling what WFH cannot.

The Third Space

In today’s competitive market, strategic approaches to elevate employee experience are required. This means incorporating “the third space” – built-in, hospitality-level amenity.

Transformational spaces can be created through food & beverage or wellness offerings.

Discover 7 trailblazing examples.

Outdoor Space

As humans, we have not evolved to spend 90% of our lives indoors – but we now do.

In perspective: if the whole of human existence was 1 day, we have been living sheltered city lives for 14 minutes.

The benefits of outdoor space and fresh air are now clearer than ever. Relaxing, inspiring, socialising.

Rooftop terraces, balconies, and communal gardens are key.

Global research by JLL reveals that 41% of employees put outdoor spaces in their top three expectations of a wellbeing-oriented workplace.

Conclusion

Our future placemaking must do a better job of serving our human needs.

People are seeking a sense of community, belonging, inspiration, and enjoyment in a “connected office” rather than being constrained by four walls.

It is time to step back and reimagine what the workplace can be, embracing and developing progressive human spaces.