J8 Office Park opens in Bucharest
J8 Office Park, Portland Trust’s latest project in Bucharest, has opened in Romania.
The 46,000m2 NLA scheme is in Bucharest’s 1st District, in the north of the city, and comprises two separate and self-contained, eight-floor office buildings set over a shared two-level basement.
The buildings are set in a carefully considered urban environment designed to create public and semi-public spaces of human scale with a calming and inclusive atmosphere.
The offices have U-shaped floorplans, with centrally positioned, double-height entrance lobbies facing the central courtyard between the buildings. The floorplates are flexible and can be sub-divided to provide four tenancies per floor, as required.
The ground level includes 3,000m2 of amenities such as retail, a bakery, restaurants and a gym, which provide convenient services for the everyday needs of office staff and nearby residents. These activities also help the project engage with the local community and create an attractive streetscape.
The development is targeting BREEAM Outstanding ratings for both office buildings. The project is conceived to be highly energy-efficient, thereby reducing ongoing running costs for the tenants. The construction incorporates recycled material sourced from the site and the buildings have been specified with responsibly sourced materials.
The technical specifications make J8 one of the first of a new generation of office buildings, providing enhanced volumes of fresh air and UV-C disinfection and HEPA filtration in the ventilation system to ensure a healthy internal environment, as well as touch-free smart lifts, motion sensor taps and no-touch light controls. The building is also targeting WELL ® Health Safety certification, demonstrating Portland Trust’s commitment to occupier health and wellbeing.
High-quality landscaping and well-lit parking garages create a welcoming and safe environment for all users, with contactless technology from the moment of entry. The landscape is a continuation of the main planning grid and develops a pixilation theme, reflecting the digital industries targeted as the key tenants.
Design concept
Portland Trust commissioned British sculptor Colin Spofforth to create a piece of public art in the entrance courtyard. The resulting stainless-steel sculpture is named “Pajura”, which means “eagle” in Romanian and is also the name of the district in which J8 is sited. The eagle sculpture emerges from the pixellated landscape, transforming into a graceful and powerful symbol, the surface reflecting the sky and the surrounding buildings.
Chapman Taylor was the lead architect for this high-specification and sustainable new office development, working for Portland Trust and ARES Management Corporation. Other key consultants were Cundall, Western Outdoor, Allied, UTCB and Optim Project Management. The main contractor was Bog’Art. The project will host the national headquarters of a gaming industry leader, Ubisoft, which has leased a total of 28,000m2, including the entire space in one of the two buildings.
If you would like to take a virtual tour of the innovative complex, please click here.