O1 Standard was named Russia’s Best Property Management Company of 2021 at the prestigious Commercial Real Estate Awards 2021 (CRE Awards). The award ceremony was held in Moscow on April 22.

O1 Standard currently manages 15 sites with total space of ​​815,000 square metres, including such Moscow landmarks as the White Square, Aurora, Vivaldi Plaza, Stanislavsky Factory and Ducat Place III business centres and Space 1 flexible offices. The SkyLight business centre was added to the O1 Standard management portfolio in 2020.

The Company ensured continuous operation of all its facilities during the COVID crisis period of spring-summer 2020, taking measures to ensure safety of tenants and their offices. The safety measures were accompanied by open and intensive dialogue with tenants who returned employees to their offices in the summer of 2020.

Also in 2020 the company introduced quarterly surveys to improve its understanding of tenant needs and successfully implemented new skills borrowed from the hospitality industry in order to raise levels of tenant satisfaction and quality of services provided.

O1 Standard works hard to involve its tenants in environmental initiatives and encourages steps to improve the environmental performance of offices. This contributes to a healthy and productive atmosphere in buildings and to the well-being of the people who work there. Twelve sites in the O1 Standard portfolio have already received BREEAM international environmental certification. Starting from 2021, the Company will offer a new in-house service for environmental certification to the BREEAM and FitWell international standards. Dmitry Sveshnikov, Managing Director of O1 Standard, said: “I thank the jury for its endorsement. For a company that entered the market in 2019 to receive such a prestigious award after a year and a half of work is a considerable achievement, particularly after the ‘pandemic year’ that we have just lived through. Congratulations to my team! Thank you for your work and for your readiness to evolve, address non-standard tasks, build processes and find the best way of communicating with people.”

Natalia Skachkova, Commercial Director of O1 Standard Management Company, spoke at the on-line conference “Sustainable management of facilities in a post-pandemic environment”, organized by Russia’s Green Office Club and Laboratory.

Natalia described how O1 Standard uses green guidelines to manage and operate office real estate and why the demand for environmentally efficient buildings and high-quality management will increase post-COVID-19.

Environmental performance standards in office real estate are not limited to engineering technologies that reduce natural resource consumption. They also depend on skilful property management, which includes regular prophylaxis and disinfection of main engineering systems. Studies show that buildings where environmental standards are observed ensure more comfortable and (importantly today) more healthy working conditions. The COVID-19 experience has focused attention of building tenants on issues of illness prevention, particularly by good maintenance of air exchange systems.

Today, as companies prepare strategies for the safe return of employees to offices, the challenge for management companies is to ensure a comfortable and safe working environment. O1 Standard has introduced mandatory thermometry procedures for all employees and visitors to its business centres, installed sanitizers throughout buildings, laid out markings to maintain social distancing, and required the wearing of masks. Daily disinfections are carried out and intensive-use surfaces (door handles, lift buttons, turnstiles, etc.) are disinfected twice per hour. Additional measures are being prepared to ensure safe infrastructure management, including a procedure for contactless courier deliveries.

O1 Standard management company has carried out work to prepare for the return of tenants to their offices at business centres.

Thorough disinfection of common areas at all business centres under management was carried out during the May holidays, including air conditioning systems. Daily disinfection of common areas will be continued, and surfaces such as pens, elevator buttons, electronic card readers, etc., will be disinfected twice per hour.

Markings have been installed in common areas and elevators in order to maintain social distancing. The previously introduced thermometry procedure for all visitors is still in effect at all sites. Constant availability of sanitizers in common areas is monitored and new sanitizers are provided as necessary.

Wearing of masks is mandatory inside buildings, in accordance with the order of the Mayor of Moscow.

A mechanism for contactless delivery of correspondence by courier services is in preparation.

Work to prepare for the summer season has continued as usual, despite the exceptional circumstances. Seasonal landscaping has been completed at the grounds of O1 business centres. This includes planting, pruning and treatment of trees to resist pests, weeding, etc. Lawns have been tidied and mowed, and spring displays for indoor and outdoor flowerbeds have been designed and put in place. Masonry borders have been painted and parking marks have been refreshed. O1 Standard management company has cleaned building facades and glazing. Outdoor paving stones have been washed and floors of lobby areas and elevators have been polished.