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How Landid Refined The Art Of Delivering Valuable Amenities

Landid has built a company (and won awards) on the practice of creating finely detailed amenities in well-connected urban environments. Development director James Silver talked with Bisnow about how Landid’s projects in the pipeline are delivering the right amenities to ensure its tenants' success.  

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In 2014, One Queen Caroline Street was not very appealing to investors. Located directly above Hammersmith tube station, it had a central location but was hopelessly outdated. Having been occupied by Coca-Cola for 20 years, it had been barely maintained to a late 1990s connectivity standard and design. Landid acquired the scheme despite its need for a total gutting, and created a building of uncommon value in West London.

The refurbishment of One Queen Caroline Street transformed the lacklustre office block into a modern workplace that feels exciting with co-working spaces, fitness classes and a rooftop terrace with panoramic views of West London. The new development hit all the sweet spots for occupiers: value, design, connectivity, sustainability and character.

The launch immediately attracted tenants. A+E Networks, home of channel brands including History, A&E, Lifetime and Crime + Investigation, took a 15-year lease on the entire fifth floor, totalling 20K SF. Swedish software company Kambi took 13K SF on the third floor on a 10-year lease.  

Silver said delivering the right amenities allows occupiers to focus on their business. He said any landlord with morality will focus on the health and safety of their buildings and tenants, but what sets good landlords apart is that they have a holistic view, with tenants’ satisfaction being vital to the overall success of the building. They care about what their tenants want, and strive to deliver it.

“We want occupiers to enjoy the place they work — to enjoy coming into work and to not watch the clock," Silver said.  "We like to provide our tenants with more than just a workplace. The fitness classes we had at One Queen Caroline Street were great as they brought the Landid team and the tenants together — ensuring that our tenants know their landlord is here to help.”

The formula of meaningful amenities, connectivity and central locations has been a hit. Last year, Landid and JV partner Brockton Capital won the Office Agents Society's Fund/Developer of the Year award to celebrate the partnership’s committed and innovative vision for development.

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Being generous with useful amenities helps employers retain talent and it makes life easier for the employees, Silver said.  

One tried-and-true way to keep employees happy is to feed them. One of Silver’s tenants found the kitchen was underused. People would filter in, make a cup of tea and leave. There was no interaction with other employees, and no real delight. The company decided to remake the kitchen like one at home, filling the fridge with snacks and ingredients to make sandwiches. Almost instantly, it became a friendly, communal space where colleagues could have discussions over lunch without leaving the building.  

If tenants do want to leave the office to eat, they will find genuine dining offers. At Landid’s new 187K SF Thames Tower development in Reading (launching in May 2017), the first tenant signed was a Scandinavian restaurant.

Another project that launched in January, The Charter Building in Uxbridge, is steps from Uxbridge Tube Station and has a special emphasis on design. With a double-height reception area, large floor plates and small intimate spaces, the 240K SF office block is already attracting both SMEs and large corporations. It has been designed to foster collaboration, co-working and creativity, Silver said. 

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At Thames Tower, Landid has taken an even more direct approach to ensuring tenants have what they need to succeed. Thames Tower will employ a full-time concierge who will deliver hotel-style services, such as dry cleaning, ordering flowers for an anniversary or a cake for a birthday, hiring a car or running an errand. By outsourcing those tasks for tenants, the businesses can focus on what they do best.  

Recruitment specialist Austin Fraser was the first to sign a lease at Thames Tower, and there are two floors under offer, Silver said. The building is near the University of Reading, and the company plans to host architecture students and startups in the new space to collaborate — so the building is the amenity to students and the wider business community.

Silver said he is thrilled with the progress the company has been making in leasing up its projects and the excitement Landid's buildings are generating. "Some fantastic occupiers have already signed up and we are looking forward to make more leasing announcements in the coming months," he said. 

Landid has two projects in the pipeline, Broadwick St. Soho, purchased in a JV with Brockton Capital, and The Parklife Building, Putney, in partnership with Hermes. 

CORRECTION, March 7, 11:21 a.m. ET: A previously version of this story incorrectly listed the timeline of the Charter Building and has been updated.