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Commercial property developer Portland Trust is creating new standards of hygiene and cleanliness at its office developments in Bucharest. Innovative devices minimising the risk of bacteria and virus transmission in elevators join a range of safeguards implemented by the company to protect the health of workers and visitors in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Portland Trust’s EXPO Business Park has become the first major office complex in Bucharest to install ground-breaking safety solutions pioneered by global elevator and escalator producer Schindler. CleanAir and CleanCar systems utilising powerful disinfecting ultraviolet light combine to make enclosed elevator space as hygienic and bacteria-free as possible. The two systems will also be installed in Portland Trust’s J8 Office Park development, scheduled for completion in summer 2021.
The UV CleanAir system turns stale elevator air into a ventilated, sanitised environment as clean as any other area of the building. Using ultraviolet light technology and a specially developed filter to purify elevator cabin air, it activates automatically throughout the day to ensure a consistently clean and safe environment. The system ensures complete filtration in 2.5 to 4 minutes.
UV CleanCar destroys bacteria and viruses on elevator surfaces using ultraviolet light. A UV-C lamp is activated by three fail-safe sensors to switch on when the cabin is empty. This discreet solution for the frequent disinfection of all surfaces, including buttons and handrails, also protects the environment by minimising the use of chemical-based cleaning products.
“We have always been focused on promoting the health of all who work in or visit our parks, and the Covid-19 pandemic has intensified our efforts to create clean and safe environments,” says Robert Neale, CEO of Portland Trust. “With elevators in such high use, by so many people, and with limited space, the environment inside them can facilitate the spread of infections. These innovative UV solutions allow full use of the lifts and join our other measures intended to set new standards of hygiene and cleanliness for institutional office buildings in Bucharest.”
J8 Office Park’s advanced technical specifications will also feature health and safety safeguards unprecedented in any other Bucharest office development. A ventilation system ensuring 100% clean air with no recycled air intake, HEPA air filters removing 99.995% of microscopic contaminants, UV-C disinfectant technologies, and touch-free systems throughout will combine to make it the first of a new generation of office building.
J8 Office Park is designed to meet BREEAM “Outstanding” certification. This certification for employee wellbeing, sustainability and environmental protection has only been achieved by one building in Romania to date – EXPO Business Park, Portland Trust’s latest completed major office development in Bucharest. The company’s efforts to raise living and working standards, together with its passion to ensure best practice and compliance with Covid-19 guidelines, contribute to making its office developments some of the most sought-after in the city.
Portland Trust is a commercial property developer and investor active in Central and South Eastern Europe for over 20 years. J8 is a joint venture with ARES Management Corporation, a global alternative asset manager and SEC registered investment adviser with approximately $145 billion of committed capital under management and more than 900 employees. Together Portland and ARES have developed over 800,000 sq m including 7 office buildings and parks in Bucharest and have won many awards for design and sustainability.