Skanska Property Czech Republic, s.r.o., an experienced developer of commercial real estate properties, has announced that the office building Nordica Ostrava, whose construction is just being finished, was the first Czech commercial building to be awarded the GreenBuilding certificate by the European Commission. GreenBuilding is a voluntary program of the European Commission which was launched in early 2005 in order to improve the use of potential energy savings in non-residential buildings. A certified building must meet the condition of at least 25% saving on energy against the energy norms in the given country. Nordica Ostrava has – according to calculations – 30% lower consumption than is required by the Czech norms.
Nordica Ostrava received GreenBuilding certificate namely because of its energy efficiency and environmental-friendliness: from the initial design to the operation and maintenance of the building. The project is unique in that Skanska have used both their developing and construction experience. While the project is developed by Skanska Property Czech Republic, the construction works are being carried out by Skanska CZ. The balanced ratio of glassed and insulated parts contributes to the saving of energy costs while obvious is heat recuperation. In all of their buildings, Skanska Property installs an efficient cooling and ventilation systems. The technologies are controlled by specially developed software.
“We have been focusing on energy efficiency of buildings and on energy efficient technological solutions in building maintenance and optimization of energy costs for many years. The first of our office building projects to win the GreenBuilding certificate was our office building in Sweden - Hagaporten 3 in 2007. We are very proud that it was our building Nordica Ostrava that has been awarded the first GreenBuilding certificate by the European Commission in the Czech Republic and I am convinced that its energy efficiency, reduced discharges of CO2 and environmental-friendliness will be appreciated especially by the tenants,“ said CEO of Skanska Property Czech Republic Rikard Henriksson. The office building Nordica Ostrava has a compact shape and thicker insulation has been used during the construction than is required by the norms and special facade with shading devices reduces heat gains. Much emphasis has been put on airproofness of the coat of the building. District heating is used for heating and more energy savings are achieved thanks to the ventilation system which has been designed for low-speed airflow. The systems uses frequency controlled ventilators and heat exchangers recuperate the heat from the building. The central cooling system uses high efficiency aggregates and more savings have been achieved by the free cooling. Underground parking lots are ventilated and tempered by exhaust air from the office area. The sufficient share of natural light and use of more efficient lighting also contributes to higher overall efficiency of the building. The aim of the developer, Skanska Property Czech Republic, is to contribute to sustainable development by using clever construction solutions, materials and processes. This effort is well documented by the fact that the company received the certification ISO 14001 already in 2000. The seven-floor tall Nordica Ostrava has been built in the very centre of Ostrava at the corner of Českobratrská and Soukenická streets. Besides offices, it houses retail space and 123 parking places in two underground floors
The building has been designed by the Swedish architects of the Tengbomarkitekter studio whose main architect is the Ostrava-born architect Ivan Krejčí. The project combines local traditions of purposefulness and simplicity with the elements of Nordic architecture – this was the reason why the building was named Nordica Ostrava. „My key purpose was to design a building that would serve its purpose and that would be easy to understand. I wanted the users to have a pleasant feeling when they go to their workplace in the morning. Also, I wanted the building to be warm, light and to have state-of-the-art technical solutions that would be at the same time aesthetically pleasing. This is something we pay utmost attention to in our project,” says Krejčí who welcomed the opportunity to return back to his native region thanks to this project. Besides Tengbornarkitekter the studio Qarta Architektura and the architects David Wittassek a Jiří Řezák contributed to the project.
Skanska Property Czech Republic, s.r.o., a subsidiary of the Swedish company Skanska Commercial Development Europe (SCDE), is an experienced developer focusing on development and construction of commercial real estate properties. The company has been operating on the Czech market since 1997, focusing, besides the Czech Republic, on the development of office buildings and logistic real estate in the metropolises of Hungary and Poland. Currently the company is constructing two office buildings in Prague and Ostrava. A large logistic park is being designed for construction. The company is fully responsible for all the projects from the original concept to the lease of the buildings. The buildings are much popular among the tenants not only for the high quality of works and materials used but also because of Skanska’s sensitive approach to the environment.