CREJ

Page 12 — Office Properties Quarterly — September 2020 www.crej.com Insights A s an office building owner with five high-quality office buildings in Denver, we consider the health and wellness of our customers a top priority. This is why our com- pany launched a comprehensive program entitled “Inspire Wellness” and is investing more than $10 mil- lion to make meaningful, long-term improvements to the safety and health of our office building com- munities here in Denver and portfo- liowide. Many of us have been working from home, and while some enjoy the flexibility, others miss the ben- efits of working in an office, includ- ing the opportunity to collaborate, create, foster relationships and experience culture. To support our customers’ transition back to the office, we have spent the last sever- al months researching and incorpo- rating technological solutions and design updates to make significant safety improvements to our build- ings. The following initiatives are designed to boost the wellness and productivity of our customers and help mitigate the transmission of COVID-19 and future viruses. n Air quality. One of the Inspire Wellness lead initiatives is integrat- ing Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization technology, a safe, ozone-free and active air purification solution by Global Plasma Solutions to exist- ing heating, ventilation and air- conditioning systems in our Denver buildings. We also are installing bipolar ionization into our eleva- tors. NPBI produces high concentra- tions of positive and negative ions that travel con- tinuously through the air and attach to harmful patho- gens, like bacteria, mold and viruses, including COVID- 19. The ions inac- tivate pathogens by disrupting the surface proteins and destroying their ability to replicate. A recent independent study conducted by Innovative Bioanalysis and designed for Global Plasma Solutions aviation partner, Aviation Clean Air, showed that GPS NPBI reduced SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) by 99.4% in 30 minutes. Combining NPBI technology with our Denver buildings’ existing HVAC filtration systems has demon- strated providing an equivalency of a MERV 13 filter or higher, meeting or exceeding the ASHRAE standards for controlling pathogens, and cre- ating a higher air quality similar to most hospital standards. n Touchless experience. We began exploring how to create a touch- less path from the car to the office last year, before COVID-19. We have researched touchless technologies for elevators, doors and bathroom stalls, as well as studied the use of antimicrobial materials and other creative ways to help customers avoid touching surfaces as they walk through the building. We have installed features including touch- less faucets, soap dispensers, toilet flushing and paper towel dispensers as well as foot-operated door open- ers in the restrooms. Many of our building entry doors are touchless as well. We also have placed self- cleaning NanoSeptic skins on high- touch surfaces including building entries, elevator buttons and rest- room doors. Powered by light, Nano- spetic skins turn these touchpoints into continuously self-cleaning surfaces by continually oxidizing organic contaminants. n Outdoor workspaces. A common feature of our buildings is outdoor workspace, now more important than ever to reduce the risk of transmission and enable social dis- tancing. We are in the process of enhancing the outdoor experience across our portfolio to provide more outdoor options to our customers. These large patios offer a variety of seating options for work meet- ings or a quiet space to focus while enjoying the fresh air. n Customer communication. Since the pandemic hit, we have been in close communication with custom- ers and have conducted regular customer surveys to address con- Health, safety take center stage with new initiatives Stephanie Lawrence Senior managing director, Granite Properties T his year’s coronavirus pan- demic has altered the way we live our lives in varied and fundamental ways. In a short amount of time, many people have adapted to an evolving new normal: working from home, isolating from previously routine interactions, observing strict rules on social distancing, donning face masks, washing hands and clean- ing everyday items more frequently, and embracing other precautionary measures. As the real estate indus- try continues to navigate these uncertain times, we have seen a need to focus attention on adapt- ing existing building operations and developing new high-quality buildings to meet the rapidly evolv- ing standards and expectations of tomorrow’s office tenants. While the response to the COVID-19 pandem- ic continues its hold on society, it can feel difficult to imagine what the future of the work- place will look like. As a commercial real estate investor, developer and operator, our firm finds itself in a position to listen and learn from all sides of the real estate universe: tenants, investors, designers and individual employees. We believe it is incumbent on owners and man- agers of real estate to ensure their tenants have a functional platform upon which to conduct business activities in the best and most effi- cient way possible. From an operational standpoint, the pandemic has reinforced the importance of preparedness, empa- thy, communication and innova- tion. A longstanding commitment to high-quality, sound design and forward thinking allowed our opera- tions team to implement opera- tional changes across our platform in a timely manner. One of the key ingredients of successful response and engagement, which often is overlooked, is empathy – being able to understand the stresses that are pulling tenants and their employ- ees in uncertain directions, and the stresses inherent to the job of keep- ing buildings operational and run- ning. Understanding those factors, and showing humility, humanity and calm leadership under stress goes a long way toward instilling comfort and confidence in the peo- ple who matter most. In order for companies and their employees to feel comfortable re-entering the workplace, our team has found that communicat- ing openly with them regarding plans and protocols is essential. To address these needs, we and many of our peers within the industry have created new guidelines for reoccupancy along with a tailored plan of action for each of our prop- erties across the nation. As we pre- pare to operate in a post-COVID-19 world, guidelines will need to be updated regularly to reflect current protocols and ensure the safety of office tenants, building personnel, visitors, vendors and contractors. A critical foundation of that safety is the enhancement and reliability of building operations – includ- ing both physical assets such as mechanical, electrical and plumb- ing and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, as well as on the human side, with visible benefits through regular cleaning, maintenance and proactive engage- ment from building management Evolving spaces: Changes to design & operations David Haltom Vice president, Patrinely Group Granite Properties Granite Properties’ portfolio is undergoing a comprehensive upgrade program entitled “Inspire Wellness.” Please see Haltom, Page 25 Patrinely Group Quality building design is fundamentally tied to operations and should be a top point of discussion as properties begin to operate in a post-COVID-19 world. Block 162 in Denver offers elements to achieve this with features such as column-free floor plans, indoor/ outdoor flexibility and access to light and air. Please see Lawrence, Page 25