Sustainable Development Report 2015

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• Six new roof and/or garden improvements
spread out over 2016 and 2017.
• Three buildings equipped with Flex
Corner ® in 2016.
• Analysis of the potential for using big
data*.
2015 achievements
• Optimising the roofs and gardens
Today, the roofs represent an unused potential of
65,000 m². By improving the roof terraces, Cofinimmo
can offer its clients an additional outdoor relaxation or
meeting space or the possibility to organise events.
The model improvement consists of a wooden terrace,
pots of plants, and a bench outside in the form of
Cofinimmo’s logo. Depending on the client’s choice,
the pots of plants could be converted into mini
aromatic gardens and represent the embryos of a
broader urban agriculture project. The pilot project was
carried out during the renovation of the Guimard 10-12
building in Brussels.
Just like the roofs, Cofinimmo seeks to optimise the
use of the gardens and surroundings of its buildings.
A first embellishment project was carried out on
the garden and parking areas at the Park Hill site
in Diegem. The parking area was expanded and a
parking for persons with reduced mobility as well as
a food truck area were added. Additional relaxation
areas, such as a petanque court and a walking path
between the site’s buildings, are also planned.
• Temporary use of vacant spaces
Temporary occupancy concerns both residential
real estate and offices and meets the needs of
clients in search of spaces for work, living, or cultural
activities at a reduced cost. At the same time, this
initiative makes it possible to capture potential future
tenants and decrease the costs associated with
rental vacancies. For 2015, these costs amounted to
approximately six million EUR.
The first temporary occupancy projects, in partnership
with Camelot Europe**, involve the apartments above
five pubs/restaurants of the Pubstone portfolio***
and the vacant Woluwe 106-108 office building for
which Cofinimmo is awaiting permits for conversion
into a nursing home. This partnership is not limited
to Belgium. Currently, five temporary residential
occupancy contracts are also in progress in the
Netherlands.
• Cofinimmo Lounge
Cofinimmo makes shared, flexible work spaces
available to its clients and their visitors. These modern,
inspiring, pleasant spaces are equipped to allow
people to work and meet there but also relax, and they
reflect a positive image of their company. Cofinimmo
thus meets its clients’ needs for flexibility and
* Big data represent all information available in databases, also external, such as social networks, public statistical databases, etc. The company’s objective is to improve its predictive models relating to important
issues of its strategy (e.g., changes in its client portfolio) by exploiting external data and cross-referencing it with its own databases.
**
*** Subsidiary of the Cofinimmo Group - see also the 2015 Annual Financial Report - page 70.
diversity of living spaces at work. The development of
the first Cofinimmo Lounge is currently underway and
will be finalised in 2016.
• Flex Corner ®
This innovative concept offers clients in search of
small office spaces the opportunity to rent a private
space in offices equipped with shared common
infrastructures (kitchen, lounge area, meeting rooms).
The rental is offered for a monthly amount including
rent, taxes, and charges for both private and shared
areas. Contracts are entered into on the basis of a
period corresponding to the client’s needs (one year,
three years, etc.), but a rental formula “Custom your
lease” is also possible, giving the tenant the possibility
of determining the duration of the lease according to
adapted contractual terms.
Two pilot projects are currently in progress and will be
inaugurated during the first quarter of 2016.
2016-2017 Objectives