The Generation Park Y skyscraper, developed by Skanska in Warsaw’s Wola district and bought by HANSAINVEST Real Assets, received the most important distinction awarded to office spaces – the WELL Core & Shell Gold certificate. Solutions based on its requirements ensure the safety and comfort of office users.
The WELL Building Standard is a certification system developed by the International WELL Building Institute, which measures the quality of office space by assessing over 100 building parameters. WELL takes into account not only the design or issues related to the use of the office building itself but also how it affects human behaviour and health.
The certification process assesses such matters as access to fresh, clean air, good water quality, adequate interior lighting, and acoustics. Tools, technologies and solutions that affect the mental and physical well-being of employees are also assessed.
“We develop all our buildings in accordance with the proven principles of sustainable development. First, we work out project details, and then, thanks to the WELL certification, we can verify whether we achieved what we had planned. This makes us certain that our buildings will be of absolute top quality,” says Monika Chacińska, Environmental Expert at Skanska’s commercial development business unit in CEE.
Generation Park Y is equipped with a ventilation system with high-class filters that provides 30 percent more fresh air. Adiabatic humidifiers ensure proper humidity. Filters trap pollen and fungus spores that cause allergies. Air conditioning using a chilled beam system is silent and guarantees a comfortable temperature and energy efficiency.
The water in the building will be tested for the presence of over 30 chemical compounds, which will allow it to be safely consumed from each tap installed in the building. Generation Park Y employees will also have adequate access to daylight.
Issues affecting the well-being of employees are also very important in WELL certification. Subdued colours, natural materials from which the furnishings are made, a green terrace on the 35th floor or pergolas overgrown with vegetation facilitate concentration and stimulate creativity. There is a 15-meter green wall in the lobby of the office building with over six thousand plants. The oxygen they produce daily would suffice for 150 people.
“Our strategy is to create ideally designed, well-thought-out and user-friendly office buildings that provide the best conditions for work. We focus on the comfort, well-being and health of the tenants. We also use sustainable solutions that reduce the environmental impact of our buildings. The certificates we receive – such as WELL Gold, are the best confirmation that our approach is effective. They are also recognized by business partners and investors,” says Rafał Stoparczyk, Project Director at Skanska’s commercial development business unit in CEE.
“We are very pleased that the Generation Park Y office building in Warsaw, which will soon become the headquarters of PZU, has received the WELL Gold certificate. This is proof that the building meets the highest standards of sustainable development, which is so important to PZU, measured primarily by the safety and comfort of its users and the pro-environmental solutions used. PZU attaches great importance to sustainable business development, which is why an important criterion in selecting the building to house PZU’s headquarters was the combination of care for the well-being of employees and a positive environmental impact. The WELL Gold certificate received by the Generation Park Y office building confirms that we have made the right choice,” says Dorota Macieja, Board Member at PZU Życie responsible for the real estate area in the PZU Group.
Skanska’s flagship investment in this part of Europe
Generation Park Y is a 38-storey building with a height of 140 meters, crowning the largest Skanska office complex in Warsaw. Its entire office space was leased by PZU as the company’s headquarters. In December 2021, the building was bought by HANSAINVEST Real Assets. The value of the transaction was €285 million, making it the largest transaction in the history of Skanska’s commercial development business unit in Central and Eastern Europe. It was also the largest purchase in the office sector in this part of Europe in 2021.
The office building was designed and built in accordance with the ESG principles, focusing on environmental and social aspects. In addition to the WELL Gold certificate, the building also has other certificates, such as LEED Platinum and the WELL Health-Safety Rating. All certificates were obtained as part of Core & Shell. The office building is also applying for the Building without Barriers accessibility certificate.
Generation Park Y greatly reflects Skanska’s approach to creating healthy and sustainable workspaces. Thanks to innovative solutions, such as energy-saving devices or the grey and rainwater recovery system, Generation Park Y tenants use fewer resources. The office building uses only energy produced from renewable sources. A quarter of the materials used to build Generation Park Y contain recycled components.
