greenIMMO News

Here you find the industry news from our cooperation partner greenImmo.

Hamburg Must Improve Internationally its Position as a Metropolis

Hamburg currently undersells itself. This according to the preliminary results of a University of Stockholm research project titled "Branding Metropolitan Place in Global Space" which analyzes the strategic positioning of cities and metropolitan regions. The study begins with the Swedish capital and compares such cities as Copenhagen, Hamburg, Hong Kong, San Francisco and Sydney. One conclusion is that Hamburg lacks a unique, distinguishing public image and therefore does not achieve its potential. Hamburg currently undersells itself. This according to the preliminary results of a University of Stockholm research project titled "Branding Metropolitan Place in Global Space" which analyzes the strategic positioning of cities and metropolitan regions. The study begins with the Swedish capital and compares such cities as Copenhagen, Hamburg, Hong Kong, San Francisco and Sydney. One conclusion is that Hamburg lacks a unique, distinguishing public image and therefore does not achieve its potential."In the framework of increased marketing activities, cities are coming more and more to resemble brands," says Markus Walz, who conducted research on behalf of Swedish economists Per-Oolf Berg. Other European cities are also using environmental themes to market themselves and the Elbe Philharmonic as an architectural landmark offers no unique features - see the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao or the Sydney Opera House. The guiding principle of the growing city would furthermore be characterized by political drivers - with their omission the initial vision is forgotten. For Hamburg it is therefore important to establish an overall context with which it can fundamentally position itself internationally. Thus, being "green" in and of itself helps little; it must establish an economic and social identity. Hamburg will then be on the right track.

New Perspectives for Shopping Centers

The shopping center industry in Germany has undergone in recent years a continuous process of innovation. In the first half of 2010 the real estate industry confirmed German Shopping Centers as a No. 1 asset class. Of the total 8.99 billion Euros invested to date in commercial real estate, the percentage invested in retail real estate has slipped the most. This is not the rule. For decades investors have focused on office buildings, with retail and logistics attracting only secondary consideration. This picture has changed dramatically! A recent study conducted by GFK Geomarketing on behalf of the German Council of Shopping Centers (GCSC) provides well-founded market data as well as 10 enduring shopping center megatrends. The shopping center as a "third living room" will therefore serve as a communicative space for the people of a city and region, hence the recent "back to the city" trend". Moreover, the maxim "quality over quantity" takes effect in regards to the size of the space, whereby using this claim, visitors can be encouraged to extend the duration of their stay. In this context, innovative retail concepts and new brands will be important if they create an enjoyable shopping experience. Sustainability factors also will play an important role in the construction and operation of shopping centers. In the near future shopping centers without "green building" will no longer exist in Europe. Also planned are novel retail formats that will be created from green "center" and "lifestyle" concepts.

Hamburg Welcomes its First Hybrid House and Green Building

In conjunction with the "Building Expo within the Building Expo" at the IBA Hamburg exhibition, the first hybrid house conceived as a "green" building is being built in the Wilhelmsburg neighbourhood. To mark the start of construction on July 27, 2010, IBA Hamburg and the International Garden Show (IGS 2013) unveiled the ten most popular IBA-related construction projects. The future IGS administration building on Neuenfelder Street is a type of flexible hybrid house that adapts to the wishes and changing needs of its inhabitants. "Hybrid houses must comply with the principle of mixed use as well as provide the flexibility and sustainability which enables them to adapt as economically and environmentally sustainable buildings," said Uli Hellweg. The trendsetting building is silver-standard pre-certified by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). The investment arm of Otto Wulff Construction GmbH & Co. KG and wph Housing and Project Development Hamburg GmbH are responsible for project. Completion is scheduled for summer 2011.

CSR is Embracing Sustainable Real Estate Investments

According to the Union Investments study "Real Estate Investments in Europe", sustainability criteria, which now account for 64%, are firmly established in the investment strategies of real estate companies. The study was conducted by the marketing research firm Ipsos, which interviewed 185 investment decision-makers at real estate companies and institutional investors in France, Germany and Great Britain. Of those interviewed, 62% intend in the future to invest significantly more in sustainable buildings, and 52% have set as a short term goal the modernization of the sustainability component of their own stocks. French investors in particular plan to develop new "green homes". It is noteworthy that roughly 50% of respondents view investing in green buildings as part of overall corporate social responsibility (CSR). The study concludes that sustainable buildings have what it takes to form a separate asset class. The high entry of French investors, with 45 percent, suggests that France could play a leading role here.
 
"Retail 2020": the Trade Will Change Rapidly

Social changes and technological innovations will be the key challenges for the European retail market in the next ten years, states real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) in their study titled "Retail 2020". Future trends will be influenced increasingly by Internet initiatives and non-retailers, leading to a "democratization" of the trade itself. In almost all cases, start-ups with new and creative approaches to remote shopping are being developed, and subsequently established market leaders must demonstrate the ability to adapt. "The stationary trade must evolve to offer consumers attractive shopping experiences and fulfill their wish for diversity", says Christine Wegner, Head of Acquisitions at JLL's German Shopping Center Management Team. As a result, the coming years will generate new demand for contemporary properties, says Wegner. Furthermore, it will be necessary to invest in employees who are familiar with digital technology.

HafenCity is a Showcase for Green Architecture and Good Business

Hamburg, "green environment capital 2011", already has its showpiece: HafenCity. And with good reason: eight buildings - including the new Unilever House, the Spiegel Publishing building, and Greenpeace headquarters - have been certified according to the latest environmental standards. For future buildings, including homes, there is a stipulation in the tender to "build green". In addition to environmental aspects, economic factors are responsible for the boom in green architecture. "Sustainably built and managed properties achieve continued cost benefits, higher rental incomes, and higher real estate values in comparison to conventional buildings," says a new study conducted by Hamburg fund provider Hesse Newman Capital. Those who see higher construction costs as an obstacle are shortsighted, because the subsequent operating costs of green properties are 30-33% less than those of conventional properties. In addition, according to one U.S. study, tenant satisfaction climbed by 27%. Following the successful launch of a closed real estate fund for Green Buildings, Hesse Newman Capital will soon offer a second fund.