Creating Sustainable Work Environments: The Way Forward
Sustainability-focused businesses are gaining popularity and significance in today's world. As people become more aware of environmental problems, it's crucial for all industries to adopt sustainable practices, including coworking spaces, a rapidly growing part of commercial real estate.
László Varga and Manuel Bastos have co-founded a network of sustainable coworking spaces in Portugal, driven by their shared vision to revolutionize how people work and interact with their surroundings. László, an architect with experience designing office spaces for tech giant Google in California, and Manuel, an experienced entrepreneur, joined forces to create inspiring environments Heden for urban dwellers across Portugal. The company Heden currently occupies more than 6500 square meters in Lisbon, with a total of 900 jobs aimed at companies in the technological and creative areas, but also for freelancers.
In creating the Heden brand, László and Manuel focused on environmental protection and a commitment to delivering top-notch working spaces and services design. The idea for Heden coworking spaces came about when László noticed that the nature of work was changing. With the rise of freelancers and remote workers, there was a demand for flexible and inspiring workspaces different from traditional offices. The Portuguese creative coworking brand has now established five locations in Lisbon. Beyond sustainability, Heden's areas aim to promote coworking wellbeing by providing yoga, massage, meditation and other therapies at affordable prices.
The founders proudly announce that Heden has become a B-Corp-certified co-working space in Portugal! It means being part of an ecosystem focused on making the world a better place for future generations. Heden's sustainability strategy is based on four fundamental principles - central location, renewable energy, sustainable design and conscious financing. These encompass the business's environmental, economic and social aspects, which the founders believe are the main factors contributing to Heden's positive impact on society and staying true to its green principles and vision.
B Corp certification addresses the entire company's operations and covers five key impact areas: management, employees, society, environment and customers. The certification process is rigorous: candidates must score over 80 points while providing evidence of socially and environmentally responsible practices related to energy supply, waste and water use, employee compensation, diversity and corporate transparency.
With B Corp certification, Heden is joining the global ranks of innovative, forward-thinking and purpose-driven companies such as Patagonia, The Body Shop, Allbirds, entree, and Ethique, just to name a few - who believe in the 'Power of Business to do Good.'
Heden Santa Apolónia, which opened in December 2021, is known as the most eco-friendly coworking space in the country because it uses solar panels for energy, has a green facade that cools the room, and energy-efficient lighting and materials such as wood and bamboo. "Choosing central areas with good transport links, we can make the CO2 footprint as reasonable as possible in that context, which helps in the process of building local community", says Manuel Bastos.
Collectively, we can shape a future where business success aligns with environmental and social well-being by championing sustainable practices and choosing eco-friendly options.
