Atrium 1 – the greenest office building in Europe has been LEED Platinum certified. The Warsaw-based project received the highest number of points for an LEED 2009 certified office building in Poland. Furthermore, Green Day in Wroclaw has recently received an LEED Gold certificate. Both buildings were developed by Skanska Property Poland. The company has over 130,000 sqm of certified office space in 6 projects in 4 cities in Poland.
Atrium 1 was designed with a focus on creating an environmental standout project. Over two years, 5,000 people were involved in the construction of the building, which remains the most environmentally advanced project ever undertaken in the CEE region. The complex was commissioned for use in January 2014, with a new owner, Deka Immobilien fund, already in place. Green Day, which was LEED Gold certified, is another example of a well-conducted business – it was not only sold to an investor, Investec GLL Global Special Opportunities Real Estate Fund (managed by GLL Real Estate Partners GmbH and Investec Bank PLC), but was also almost 100% leased long before its completion.
"Gold and Platinum for buildings developed by our company are a result of Skanska’s long-term strategy of sustainable development. It is a fundamental part of our global philosophy that aims to minimize our projects' impact on the environment. Even 5 or 6 years ago, when we were introducing the principles of sustainable buildings to Poland, not much was known about environmetal certificates. Today, we are proud of the fact that Poland is one of the countries that leads the way in environmental certification in Europe”, comments Katarzyna Zawodna, President of Skanska Property Poland.
In 2012, Skanska was the first company in Poland to receive a Platinum certificate for its Green Towers building in Wroclaw. Today projects developed by Skanska provide over 130,000 sqm of certified office space. These buildings have received seven LEED Core&Shell certificates on the highest levels in four Polish cities. Another six, located in Krakow, Katowice, Wroclaw and Warsaw, have already been pre-certified, and will apply for Gold or Platinum certificates.
Looking at the numbers, the last platinum certificated building, Atrium 1, is very impressive. When compared to referential buildings, applied green solutions can reduce energy consumption by a further 39.7% and water by up to 60%. Furthermore, the building emits 40% less carbon dioxide and is entirely powered by means of renewable energy. 95% of materials used for its construction had been recycled. The ROI for green investment is calculated at between 6 and 7 years. Gold- certified Green Day is also equipped with systems reducing water and energy consumption. Both buildings are locations that offer good communication and good working conditions. Situated in the heart of Warsaw and Wroclaw, they offer friendly space with a high level of fresh air and access to daylight. Their assets also include: parking bays for bicycles, locker rooms with shower cubicles for cyclists and charging points designed for electric cars.
The certification of Atrium 1, on November 2014, was awarded with CIJ award in ESSA Green Certification of the Year category, and the building now holds the title of ESSA Leading Green Building of the Year. Skanska Property Poland was honored with Green Developer of the Year award.
The owner of Green Day is Investec GLL Global Special Opportunities Real Estate Fund, managed by Investec Bank PLC and GLL Real Estate Partners GmbH. Atrium 1 is owned by Deka Immobilien.