Berlin, 11 January 2022 – CA Immo has concluded two long-term leases for around 6,200 m² of office space in the Grasblau office project in Berlin. The tenants are Zeit Digital GmbH, a subsidiary of ZEIT Verlag, with around 3,900 m² of rental space, and a company in the financial services sector with around 2,300 m² of rental space. With the conclusion of the lease agreements, the building, which has around 13,500 m² of rental space, is now pre-let to a good 50 % before completion. Completion is scheduled for the 4th quarter of 2022. The overall investment made by CA Immo amounts to approximately €71 million. CBRE acted as consultants for the conclusion of the lease agreements.

Sonja Bischoff, Head of CA Immo Berlin: “We developed Grasblau with a consistent focus on sustainability. Consequently, we are very happy that our new tenants also see this factor as something that is very important. Thus, we were able to conclude a so-called ‘green’ lease with both companies and, in addition to the usual economic details, also agree on significant issues regarding the protection of our natural resources and the environment. This includes arrangements regarding renewable energy, creating incentives for taking public transport; using resource-saving and environmentally friendly materials when fitting out the leased area and more.”

Monica Sawhney, CFO of ZEIT Publishing Group: “We were impressed by the holistic green building concept developed by CA Immo for Grasblau. As ZEIT, ESG is very important to us and we are constantly reviewing how we can work in a more ecologically conscious and climate-friendly way. We were therefore delighted to sign a lease for our new offices, where environmental and resource conservation is given high priority. In addition, the digitalisation of the building helps us to use our space efficiently and to have an accurate overview of our energy consumption at all times.”

Tomorrow-proof: Consistent development as a Smart Commercial Building and high standards for sustainability and well-being

With the Grasblau building, CA Immo is continuing to pursue its digitisation strategy, including such high-end project developments as cube berlin; the Upbeat in Europacity, which was fully leased exclusively to DKB at the start of the year; and the ONE office and hotel tower in Frankfurt. Smart commercial building technology also provides many services for tenants and their employees through a building app, or an app that the tenants themselves have installed. These services can include keyless entry or intelligent smartphone-based bookings of workplaces, offices or meeting rooms, for example.

Through the use of sensor technology and digital meters (smart-meter technology), the building can also be operated much more efficiently and thus more sustainably than conventional buildings. For instance, tenants can have their own energy dashboard that lets them optimise their energy consumption in connection with a room utilisation analysis at any time.

In light of the growing significance of holistic and sustainable development, as well as the well-being and health of office building occupants, CA Immo intends to obtain sustainability certification the Grasblau building from the German Sustainable Building Council (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen e. V. (DGNB), as well as certification in accordance with the WELL Core Standard.

CA Immo paid a great deal of attention to the project’s energy concept, with an aim of operating Grasblau as efficiently as possible. By connecting it to the existing district heating network, purchasing solely renewable electricity, using state-of-the-art heating and cooling technology, recovering energy through heat exchangers and optimising building operations with digitalisation, the building will be kept well below the reference values for primary energy consumption in accordance with the Building Energy Act (GEG). The holistic sustainability strategy for the building is rounded off by things such as EV charging stations.

Grasblau will be CA Immo’s fifth office property at this location—not far from Potsdamer Platz—when it is completed in the 4th quarter of 2022. 

Attractive architecture with efficient floor plans in a central location

The Grasblau building, designed by HPP Architekten, is being built in a prime location just a few minutes’ walk from the urban centre of Potsdamer Platz, directly on the Landwehrkanal. And yet, despite this convenient city centre location, the building itself is tucked away in a quiet, park-like plot at the rear of the existing CA Immo building at Hallesches Ufer 74-76. Surrounded by large trees, the Grasblau building offers around 13,350 m² of flexible rental space over six storeys. The floor plan enables efficient office solutions for a wide variety of user needs, from single-room occupancy to combination solutions and open space. The architecture is distinguished by the high proportion of glass in its façade, a variety of projections and recesses, and a large number of balconies and terraces. Other special features and highlights, which are available to all the building’s tenants for their shared use, include an approximately 240 m² rooftop terrace with a view over Berlin and an interior atrium connecting the floors with stairs.

Facts & figures about the Grasblau office building

Images
Images of the project “Grasblau” building can be found in the image archive in the Press section at www.caimmo.com using the keyword “Grasblau” or downloaded from this link.