The first Well certification in Hungary was awarded to Futureal’s Corvin Technology Park office building on Corvin Sétány in 2021. That was followed by the two phases of Advance Tower and now the three phases of Budapest ONE.

Indeed, the opening phase of the latter development was the first in Hungary to meet the International Well Building Institute’s most stringent Well “Platinum” level requirements in 2022, which the last two phases have subsequently also met. Abud Engineering supported Futureal in achieving the rating.

The Well certification aims to guarantee that the air and water quality in the office building is of the highest standard, as are the acoustics and lighting. The building provides a multifunctional “Well room,” courtyard, green roof garden and a rooftop running track.

Showers, changing rooms, and numerous indoor and outdoor bike storage facilities are available. Half a hectare of open public space has been created inside the complex. A low-flow irrigation system has also been installed, controlled by the weather. The development is equipped with a building management system, heat recovery ventilation and solar power to meet the electricity needs of the offices; electric car charging is available, as is selective waste collection.

“The office market has changed drastically in recent years, with tenants turning to office buildings that provide inspiring communal spaces for colleagues and team spirit while contributing to companies’ ESG performance,” says Gábor Radványi, chief architect at Futureal Development.

“The success of the Budapest ONE concept is demonstrated by the fact that the new phases are home to Vodafone’s new office center and BT’s regional service center, among others,” he adds.

Well-certification Growing

The number of Well-certified buildings in Europe has risen by 23% in the first half of 2024, according to the IWBC.

The seven Well “Gold” accredited office buildings in Hungary are Agora Tower and Agora Hub by HB Reavis, IP West (the first renovation certified in Hungary), Corvin 5: Corvin Technology and Science Park, Advance Tower Phase I and II, all by Futureal, and the Nordic Light Offices Trio, developed by Skanska.

Well-precertified office projects include the Corvin Innovation Campus by Futureal, H2Offices Building “B” by Skanska, Tlila by Hexagon Offices, the Academia Modern Wing and Academia Traditional Wing by ConvergenCE, Scandinavian Gardens, and Essence Garden “A,” “B,” and “C” by S Immo, and the headquarters of National Bank of Hungary, renovated for the MNB’s centennial celebrations.

Well’s holistic, evidence-based approach has provided a roadmap for organizations to promote social sustainability performance and enhance their ESG strategy, says Regina Kurucz, sustainability consultant at Rewell Consulting.

Wing Completes Liberty, Unveils Contemporary Artwork

Wing has celebrated the completion of Liberty, which the developer described as one of the country’s most modern and ESG-compliant mixed-use complexes. The second phase of the project, comprising a total of 20,000 sqm, has been inaugurated, and a contemporary sculpture unveiled.

“The Liberty complex offers an ESG-compliant, high quality and sustainable environment. It is dynamic in its appearance, is Breeam “Excellent” rated, energy efficient, runs on 100% green electricity and has a near-zero energy demand,” says the developer.

“The handover marks the completion of a project where the range of services for tenants is now complete: the premium well-being and amenities of the Ibis and Tribe Budapest Hotel, the panoramic Cloud IX rooftop bar, the Tribe Table restaurant and café, and the conference facilities have been complemented by a terrace and sports courts on the roof of the building. Nearly 80% of the building has already been leased, but there is still some office space available,” Wing adds.

As part of Liberty’s inauguration ceremony, the “Lemniscate,” a sculpture designed by Péter Szalay and commissioned by the developer, was unveiled between Liberty and the neighboring Telekom Campus, both the work of Wing. The artwork is eight meters wide and four meters high and made of stainless steel.

“Liberty is one of Wing’s iconic real estate developments, which has already been chosen by a number of national and international companies. The completed office building offers excellent opportunities for potential tenants to move into a people-oriented complex with a variety of services and green solutions, in line with modern real estate trends,” commented Noah Steinberg, CEO and chairman of Wing, at the inauguration.

“With the Liberty and Telekom Campus buildings, Népliget and its surroundings have been repositioned from a previously under-appreciated location to a highly prestigious office submarket. The variety and quality of services available here will be enjoyed by companies, employees, residents and the wider community, as well as visitors for tourism purposes,” he said.

Diverse Space

“At Wing, it has always been important to us that our buildings are not only outstanding in their functionality but also in the values they represent. We believe that with the newly inaugurated ‘Lemniscate,’ the space we have envisioned will become more diverse and special, and we trust that it will provide an experience for as many people as possible,” Steinberg added.

“It is important that contemporary art does not disappear from the built environment. However, this requires new forms of collaboration between investors, real estate developers, designers, and visual artists; collaborations that have become increasingly rare in Hungary over the past decades,” said József Mélyi, curator in charge of the Wing Contemporary Art Program.

“Wing’s commitment is exemplary, primarily because it is open to the experimental tendencies of contemporary visual art, allowing for the realization of a significant work within a Central and Eastern European context,” Mélyi added.

The construction of Liberty as an energy-efficient green property was also supported by public funds invested under the Real Estate Fund sub-program of the Baross Gábor Capital Program. The Hungarian Development Bank provided funds as a co-investor to the winning real estate funds in the Capital Program’s tendering process, thus contributing to increasing investment activity, improving energy efficiency and implementing green developments.

This article was first published in the Budapest Business Journal print issue of September 6, 2024.