Better Offices, Happier Employees, Richer Companies – An Interview with Gabriel Avasiloaiei, MT&T-Atalian

But what makes an office fit for tenants nowadays? We asked Mr. Gabriel Avasiloaiei, Executive Director MT&T-Atalian in Romania.

ATALIAN, a major provider of global services to companies, has recently become the new owner of MT&T Property Management in Romania & Bulgaria. MT&T-Atalian is providing integrated services for the commercial real estate owners and occupiers, such as facility and property management, as well as an important segment of services dedicated to various construction works in relation to office, industrial and commercial spaces, mainly fit-out, design and refurbishments. 

The first generation of office buildings in Romania has already come to maturity, so a large percentage of properties are or should be in the process of face-lifting. What are your specialist recommendations for the owners or asset managers?
Fit-Out & Construction for MT&T-Atalian has a special meaning. We offer to our Partners a unique perspective as on the ground team of thoughtful planning & design, we revitalize your working & living spaces. 
Our experience since 2000 helps us to understand the evolution of these buildings and finding feasible technical solutions to implement them.
Of course, the need and desire to start projects for renovating buildings is always present, but funds are usually limited. Their implementation is mandatory sometimes because they might affect the activity and function ability of these buildings.
We are connected to this European evolution via Atalian group, plus our standing relationship with IFMA and ROFM. Therefore, are partnership with some of the most important design companies in Romania, which in turn brings substantial benefits to our design project.

What are the current trends in fit-out for the office owners?
The focus in corporate offices is moving from square meters per person to generating more revenue per person by enhancing the employee experience, providing workspace options and using space more efficiently wherever employees are working. Providing modern, flexible workplaces has become a competitive imperative for building owners. Moreover, staying competitive today hinges on having well-designed and people-friendly workplaces, encouraging a real productivity and collaborative ways of working, promoting health and happiness, helping customers to attract and retain top talent.
Creating more comfortable, productive and customizable experiences for employees MT&T-Atalian Fit-Out & Construction Experts Team KNOWS HOW to enable all these new ways of working, playing and living for it Partners delivering successful projects for more than 15 years now.

The green talking eventually influenced a lot the construction sector. There is not major project to leave aside the environmental concerns. But what about older buildings, which didn’t catch up with this movement? What are the possibilities for them to “turn green”?
Technically anything is possible, but usually the market dictates. Solutions exist, specialists exist, and with the correct decisions and funding where it is possible can lead to incredible outcomes.
We have at least 5 building projects which the outcome has realized incredible savings of the utilities just thru energy management. At present MT&T-Atalian the only functional solution on the Romanian market, contractually implemented and proven!
We hold positive solutions for owners as well as tenants. Solutions that are flexible and with minimum investment, we currently save about 2$/m2./year to several clients.

There is an entire debate ongoing about working space, and not only in Romania. Over the last ten years, offices have shaped in larger, more common rooms, including a bigger number of desks compared to offices in the past, which used to be more intimate and more isolated at the same time. From your experience, what is the current model favourite by tenants and why? 
Coming from our experience we could say that the flexible way of working – where you may have different co-workers every day or on different projects – is becoming a common thing. To stay flexible, tenants need to adapt very quick. Here is the point where the MT&T-Atalian Fit-Out & Construction Team jumps-in.
Yes, you are correct open space is still the trend but now we have solutions for past problems such as photoacoustic and modular furniture.
Like any trend it is applied in a brut way in the beginning, afterwards it is adapted to fit the needs of people.
We put the emphasis on people, together with our project team we find the right solution every time for an efficient work environment. We pay close attention to our beneficiaries needs to achieve a good result.
New generations even if they are on liners prefer “share location” work from home share desk.

Is open space fit-out cheaper than individual offices? Are the common rooms and relaxing spaces though compensating in costs?
They are and are not cheaper, because the furniture and the solutions have similar costs. Long term through flexibility, comfort, and safety bring a raise in efficiency which in turn bring lowered costs.
Design brings a higher work performance from happy employees which in turn keep your primary resources.
Creating a relaxing environment is always a permanent benefit, and we pride ourselves on the recognition of our innovative and sustainable solutions. Relaxation has been redefined from Quiet room to Game room and now to Sports room. 

What are the most innovative trends in designing office spaces, from your point of view? 
Pay-as-you-go offices, touchdown space, meeting rooms and drop-in business centers for use by specific project teams, or creative configurations of corporate office space to accommodate fluctuating requirements. Within the upcoming future we expect to see more and more of these scenarios coming to life.
From our team’s experience with multifunctional meeting rooms. The future will start to amaze us with new generation multifunctional and even possibly VR or 3D meeting rooms. That will allow a better line of communication.
For multinational corporations and local companies these meetings are costly and consume resources. But thru R&D, technology will accommodate complex solutions that will have more acceptable costs.