The second stage of the Park Rozwoju office complex, which is being developed by Echo Investment, has obtained a BREEAM Interim certificate at the Excellent level. Only eight other office projects in Poland have received such a high score so far.

The certificate for the building which is being developed as part of the second stage of Park Rozwoju had a score of 72.9 pct which translates into the Excellent level that only a few developers are able to reach. The elements assessed in the certification process include: energy efficiency, materials used, healthy working conditions and waste management. The building which constitutes the first stage of Park Rozwolu and was put into operation in Q1 also received a BREEAM Interim certificate with one of the highest scores in Poland – 67.8 pct. The certification process regarding the second stage of Park Rozwoju is being carried out by WSP Enviro. “Such a high score for Park Rozwoju is great news for us. The certification is no longer just a new method of design. It has become a platform for reaching an understanding with users of our facilities, who just like us expect really good office projects,” says Igor Grabiwoda, director of the team of architects at the Office and Hotel Department of Echo Investment. Echo Investment"s portfolio includes seven BREEAM-certified buildings – two Park Rozwoju buildings in Warsaw, Aquarius Business House in Wrocław, the first stage of A4 Business Park in Katowice, Oxygen in Szczecin (2 BREEAM-In-Use certificates: Building Management and Asset Rating) as well as Galeria Amber in Kalisz and the Galaxy shopping and entertainment centre in Szczecin. BREEAM is an evaluation method for buildings with regard to their eco-friendliness and comfort of future users. The buildings scores points. The points acquired are converted into percentages which in turn are multiplied by the weight attributed to a given category. The points ultimately provide a score in a six-step scale: <30% - Unclassified, 30% - 44% - Pass, 45% - 54% - Good, 55% 69% - Very Good, 70% - 84% - Excellent, >85% - Outstanding. The most popular types of certificates are BREEAM Interim (the design stage of a project), BREEAM Final (confirmation of a design) and BREEAM In-Use (an existing building). Park Rozwoju consists of two buildings and a restaurant which is located in the connector. The total area of the complex is 32,000 sqm. The buildings will have a two-storey underground car park and a ground-level car park offering a total of 740 spaces. The complex will include some leisure and recreation areas: a courtyard with a water cascade and a canteen, internal squares with comfortable benches, green roof terraces and an outdoor gym. Cyclists will be able to use a bicycle parking area with bike racks as well as changing rooms with showers. The office project of Echo Investment is being developed in the southern part of Mokotów at 10 Konstruktorska Street. The location provides quick and easy access to the Fryderyk Chopin airport and the city centre. The facility is surrounded by an excellently network of public transport – there are two tram terminals and one bus terminal nearby. The southern ring road of Warsaw and the Marynarska interchange provide easy access by car. The architectural design of Park Rozwoju has been created in the JEMS Architekci architectural studio. The project is being carried out in two stages. The completion of the second stage is planned for Q2 2015. www.parkrozwoju.com.pl