Renting Haussmann-style offices: history and advantages

Haussmann buildings are an integral part of the Parisian landscape. True witnesses to an era, these majestic buildings with their sculpted facades and elaborate balconies embody French elegance and refinement. But beyond their aesthetic and historical value, they also offer a unique working environment for companies wishing to locate their offices here.

Offering an average surface area of 206 m², the office spaces nestled in these buildings benefit from generous volumes and exceptional luminosity, giving employees a feeling of space conducive to creativity and well-being.

With an average rental price of €756/sq.m/year, however, moving into Haussmann-style offices represents a certain investment, so it's normal to hesitate before settling in.

The benefits of Haussmann-style offices: the perfect blend of aesthetics and functionality

In addition to their prestige and charm, Haussmann-style buildings offer a host of practical advantages for companies that decide to locate their offices there.

A timeless architectural style to enhance your brand image

True gems of Parisian architecture, Haussmann buildings embody the very essence of timeless elegance. Their majestic facades, adorned with delicate sculptures and elaborate balconies, bear witness to an attention to detail and refined aesthetic that transcend the ages.

By renting office space in a Haussmann-style building in Paris, your company will enjoy an architectural showcase of unbridled elegance that is sure to impress your customers and partners.

Choosing to locate your offices in a Haussmann-style building is therefore a strong strategic choice for asserting your brand image and conveying values :

• excellence,
• refinement,
• and reliability.

Your offices become a showcase for your know-how and your difference. But much more than a brand image, Haussmann architecture offers a pleasant working environment for your employees.

Ceiling heights for thermal comfort

Haussmann-style buildings are renowned for their exceptional ceiling heights, often in excess of 3 meters. This distinctive feature not only contributes to the aesthetics and sense of spaciousness of these offices, it also plays an essential role in the thermal comfort of occupants.

Generous ceiling heights promote better air circulation and more even temperature distribution throughout the room. Warmer, lighter air tends to rise, while cooler air remains closer to the floor.

This natural stratification of the air maintains a more pleasant temperature at occupant level, avoiding the suffocating sensation often felt in more confined spaces.

Employees therefore benefit from a healthier, more comfortable office, conducive to their well-being and productivity.

Spaces bathed in natural light thanks to high ceilings

The impressive ceiling heights of Haussmann-style apartments also enable them to offer their occupants a feeling of space and exceptional luminosity.

With their large windows that let in a flood of daylight, Haussmann-style offices offer a bright, airy setting conducive to team well-being and creativity.

Flexible layouts for flexible workspaces

With their typical configuration of vast, open-plan floors with few partitions, Haussmann apartments lend themselves to great flexibility in the layout of workspaces.

You can easily adapt your offices to your specific needs, opting for :

• an open-space environment to encourage communication,
• a coworking area
• partitioned offices for greater confidentiality,
• formal or informal meeting rooms,
• relaxation areas...

Everything is possible to create a work environment adapted to your corporate culture.

Natural ventilation for healthy, constantly renewed air

Finally, thanks to their large openings to the outside, Haussmann offices offer optimal natural ventilation.

This means the air is constantly renewed, without the need for artificial ventilation systems that are often energy-hungry and sometimes a source of discomfort (overly dry air, draughts, etc.).

A powerful argument, given that air quality is an essential factor in well-being and health in the workplace. In a Haussmann-style office in Paris, your teams can breathe both literally and figuratively!

Despite their undeniable advantages, however, Haussmann-style buildings face a number of challenges in adapting to modern working habits. But you'll see that there's nothing insurmountable about it.

Contemporary challenges for Haussmann offices: turning challenges into opportunities

While the typical Haussmann building has undeniable assets, its transformation into a modern workspace also raises a number of challenges. But for visionary companies, these challenges are opportunities to stand out from the crowd with innovative solutions.

Air-conditioning while preserving historical character: the technical and aesthetic challenge

Built at a time when air conditioning did not exist, Haussmann-style apartments were not designed to easily accommodate modern air-conditioning systems.

Integrating such equipment without altering the historic character of the premises can therefore prove complex and costly, due to the technical constraints to be respected and the administrative authorizations to be obtained.

But this should not be seen as an obstacle. Your office can still be air-conditioned, but you'll need to be creative and opt for innovative, environmentally-friendly air-conditioning solutions such as reversible systems or assisted natural ventilation. All the while enhancing the architectural heritage!

Converting apartments into offices: a potential to be exploited with the blessing of the Architectes des Bâtiments de France

Another major challenge when creating offices in a Haussmann-style building is to comply with the strict legislation governing the transformation of these historic buildings.

Each project must be validated by the Architectes des Bâtiments de France (ABF) to ensure that the work respects the original listed elements and blends harmoniously into the whole.

A sometimes daunting obstacle course, but one that also opens up an infinite range of possibilities for companies prepared to play the game. Once you've mastered these constraints, you're free to create unique, inspiring offices that combine the soul of the old with the comfort of the new.

However, it's important to understand the essence of these buildings, which are steeped in history, in order to design them in the best possible way.

History and evolution of Haussmann architecture: a timeless style that reinvents itself

To fully appreciate the value of Haussmann offices, we need to go back to the source of this legendary architectural style that revolutionized Parisian urban planning. A fabulous heritage that continues to reinvent itself to meet the needs of today and tomorrow.

The birth of the Haussmann style: the transformation of Paris under the Second Empire

It was under the reign of Napoleon III, between 1853 and 1870, that Baron Haussmann, then Prefect of the Seine, embarked on a titanic project to transform Paris into a modern, luminous capital.

His program:

• build wide avenues,
• create parks and gardens,
• build public amenities and prestigious residential buildings.

The result was the Haussmann style, characterized by highly codified architecture:

• 5-6 storey ashlar buildings,
• richly ornamented facades,
• wrought-iron balconies,
• mansard roofs...

An aesthetic model that epitomizes the Parisian art of living.

Despite their unchanging standards, Haussmann buildings have evolved and adapted with the times. Which means they can also be adapted to your company's needs.

Structural adaptability for social and functional diversity

Although Haussmann buildings were originally designed for residential use, they have adapted over time to accommodate a variety of activities:

• retail
• offices,
• public facilities...

This functional mix enhances neighborhood vitality and reduces the need to travel. Likewise, by offering luxury housing and offices in the same building, Haussmann architecture contributes to the social mix that makes Paris so rich. Haussmann buildings are therefore a living heritage to be preserved and enhanced.

In short, with an average rental price of €756/m²/year for an average surface area of 206 m², Haussmann-style offices in Paris represent a sound investment for companies looking for an exceptional working environment.

So, are you ready to write a new page in your company's history in a Haussmann-style building with Deskeo?