Sustaining the argument

Is it a marketing ploy or a real expression of concern for the environment and the welfare of future generations? The concept of sustainable development is still little known in Poland, although it is increasingly popular in the West

The concept of sustainable development (SD) has yet to take a hold in this country, where knowledge about the subject is still in its infancy. Questions about Polish projects consistent with SD principle tend to be shrugged aside.

Plans, plans

and plans again

There is certainly no lack of declarations that successive developments will be more pro-ecological, as well as being better integrated with local communities (which is also a determinant of a sustainable project).

Stephen Pragnell, a representative of the Polish Council of Shopping Centres and general director of Apsys Polska, says that: “Warsaw’s Arkadia shopping centre is one of the most important and largest shopping projects in Poland containing SD elements. For example, in such elements as the green roof with its planted vegetation, or the special systems installed to reduce water consumption. But the idea is not only to care for the environment; there also has to be a positive influence on local society. Polish shopping centres, being usually situated in the hearts of cities, including those owned by Apsys, have an unusually motivating part to play in their local communities.” He has to admit with some embarrassment, however, that there are not very many Apsys-managed Polish shopping centres employing SD elements. Stephen Pragnell does mention the cultural activities that take place in these shopping malls and also the use of ecological finishing materials, such as the floor of the Łódź Manufaktura centre, which is made from wood from a cultivated forest. The situation differs in France, where Apsys was one of the first developers to accept the High Environmental Quality rule which enforces the use of materials made from recycled products or that can be reprocessed, from the beginning to the end of a project.

Building from waste

A number of Polish companies, among them the housing developer Dolcan, plans to use SD elements in its projects, although it does not use the name. It plans to install solar heating systems in the estates it is developing in the Targówek district of Warsaw. The stock exchange listed TUP company is one that consciously stresses its positive approach to CSD and which some time ago changed the profile of its operations from transport and logistics to real estate.

According to Robert Jacek Moritz, TUP’s president: “It is an increasingly popular world-wide trend, since apart from profits it is what investors and customers expect.  Our project in the derelict Modena clothing factory is an example how cooperation with a local community and concern for the natural environment can translate into the value of a project.” But he goes on to add the classic SD scheme employed by TUP is Living Steel, an international programme promoting steel structure construction. Living Steel houses are energy effective, built out of recycled materials.

So that cities may live

Maciej M. Mycielski of the Mycielski Architecture & Urbanism design studio is also a SD enthusiast.

He explains: “The idea of designing integrated districts rests on the simple assumption that the principal institutions required for living and normal functioning – such as homes, workplaces, shops, schools and recreation points – should all be situated within a 5-minute walk of each other.” Such districts become friendly places to live in, which is absolutely essential for families with children and elderly members. An additional environmentally-friendly strong point is the reduced exhaust emissions, since cars are no longer necessary for each journey. In the case of revitalization projects, this form of design may prevent the processes which lead to city depopulation and – ultimately – to their demise.”

A crucial question which arises when designing integrated settlements is, according to architects, how to become acquainted with the expectations of local communities and bring the decision-makers into the process. Special ‘charrette’ planning workshops are organized with that in mind (the name comes from the small carts used in 19th-century fine arts academies by junior lecturers to collect drawings produced during exams). In meetings that can last several days, representatives of local government, residents, architects, town planners and investor representatives gather to discuss, get to know and put the final touches on the requirements and possibilities of a given project. Such a meeting will soon be staged in Siewierz near Katowice on a TUP initiative. This is where the company intends to develop a small town on an area exceeding 120-ha with a comprehensive infrastructure together with multi- and single-family housing.

Check and appraise

If you are a developer and want to find out whether your project is sustainable, then make use of the Sustainable Project Appraisal Routine – SPeAR. Alina Kledyńska of Arup Polska explains: “The method our company has developed allows the sustainability of projects, plans, products and organizations to be measured and illustrated graphically at any required stage. The appraisal facilitates the optimizing of key elements of environmental, social and economic employment of resources. Its simple and logical methodology may be applied to all kinds of projects at any stages – from drawing up the general plan, through planning, construction, use and maintenance, up to and including demolition or dismantling.

This instrument was used on the Polish market in the case of the Złote Tarasy complex in Warsaw.

Carrot and stick

‘Responsibility for the natural environment’ is not just a motto which sounds good and can be used in company promotion, but also a real necessity. Stephen Pragnell remarks that: “There is a EU directive entitled ‘The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive’ which precisely defines how energy consumption should be controlled in all types of building, including shopping centres. There is also a law which demands reduction of carbon dioxide emission”.

A straightforward costs and profits calculation may also act on developers, as well as legislative ‘enticements’. A representative of the Polish Council of Shopping Centres assures us that: “Special investments reducing energy and water consumption may seem expensive at the beginning for instance, but are regained after a protracted period. As an illustration, think of energy-saving light bulbs in our homes, which cost much more to buy but result in low electricity bills. That apart, investors who are on the search for ‘green’ buildings and can pay more for them can also serve as enticement, since they are aware there will be no headaches with them in the future in the form of protests or additional pro-ecology expenses.”

Ground-floor effort

Maciej M. Mycielski also stresses the significance of personal culture and the need for society to change its way of thinking.

“Everyone from his very earliest years, independent of social standing, should know what is good and what is bad for our common heritage and surroundings, so that what is created leaves a positive value for generations to come”.