The Hampton by Hilton hotel building, which is part of the Hi Piotrkowska office and retail complex in the very centre of Łódź, has been awarded a BREEAM in Use certificate with a rating of Excellent. Earlier, the entire mixed-use complex, which is famed for its modern space and for being the tallest office building in the region, received a similar assessment. Master Management is the manager of Hi Piotrkowska while JWA, a company that specialises in green construction and ecological certification, was the consultant for both certification procedures.
An In-Use certificate has been granted so the ecological sustainability that was both planned for at the building’s design stage and was predicted in the preliminary studies has now been fully realised. The requirements of BREEAM In-Use concentrate on limiting energy and water consumption as well as on limiting the negative effects of operations on the natural environment by minimising waste and pollution. Putting the restrictive certification requirements drawn up by the international certification institution into effect not only means that the building becomes more friendly for the people of the city and its users but it is also of importance to the investor since it lowers costs and raises the value of the complex.
“This development represents a high level of environmental responsibility, which is to a large extent due to the management company and the PRC Architekci architectural studio, who designed both the building and the hotel interior,” says Sylwia Bieda, Green Building Specialist at JWA. “We jointly set out the recommendations to allow the building to achieve an even higher certification rating. We are still waiting for the BREEAM IN-USE Part. 2 stage, which we can apply for after the building has been in operation for twelve months. This will allow us to focus on an even deeper study of utility usage and will set out the goals for reducing the usage of energy and water as well as how effective our activities are. The full certification that has been undertaken by Master Management Group is an exemplary step taken by a responsible and fully committed investor that has set a high ecological standard for its centres,” adds Sylwia Bieda.
A host of solutions have been applied within the building to limit energy usage. These include LED lighting that is zoned and timer controlled both inside and outside the building, energy saving elevators and a timer-controlled HVAC system to efficiently replace the air in the rooms of the building. For the water management, energy efficient taps and household appliances have been fitted, the building has leak detectors and will quickly cut off the supply when there is a breakage.
One interesting solution used in the building is the sustainable material management policy.
An area is designated for the storage of materials intended for recycling and management standards have been drawn up for them. For workers, it is important to have a policy promoting sustainable transport, which takes the form of facilities for cyclists such as showers and roofed bicycle storage areas and there are also charging stations for electric vehicles. Within the building, a policy has been implemented to ensure clean air and water. The workplaces have access to natural daylight that is bright enough to meet all standards and there are views from the windows while workers have full control of room temperatures.
Throughout the building, care has been taken to accommodate people of limited mobility as well as parents with children. Workers also have access to social areas. A gym can also be found in the building allowing people to maintain their physical fitness. Moreover, an outside ecologist ensures that the standards implemented are maintained including the care of both plants and birds, which have been provided with water dispensers on the building’s roof.
