Green wings in a glade of gold

The tenant survey was carried out in the August/September 2015 period in the form of anonymous telephone interviews and by e-mail, by the Millward Brown market and opinion research institute. In awarding points the tenants used a scale of -5 to 5 (excluding 0) to grade such features as the location, the working conditionsn, the costs and the building management method, among others.

The results of the survey revealed that overall the most important aspects for tenants continue to be, in descending order: the location, the costs and fees, the working conditions and whether the building offers the option of changes, additional options, ecological issues, the parking facilities, the general aesthetics and interior design of the building, as well as the management. GreenWings was rating highly across these fields, achieving the top score in more than one category.

“The Eurobuild Award for the GreenWings Offices building in the Office of the Year category gives us confirmation of just how satisfied our tenants are, since it was their opinion that determined our victory,” comments Maciej Lewandowski, the general director of Okre Development. “We are very glad that our tenants feel this way and this motivates us further to maintain the top quality of the space we offer. GreenWings Offices is a unique location on the Warsaw office map; it was built using high quality materials and in line with sustainable development principles, which allowed it to integrate perfectly with its surroundings,” adds Maciej Lewandowski.

Tenants’ praise

The positive features of the building were also attested to in the words of the tenants who use it on an everyday basis. It received a very high score in the location-related categories. When it came to access by car and public transport the building obtained the maximum scores, with average of 2.49 points and 3.44 points respectively. “GreenWings is a modern and highly compact office building in an excellent location. It provides very comfortable working conditions, thanks to the good access to natural light, fine architecture and the assiduous attention to detail in terms of the quality of the finishing: starting from the tilt window system, the unique corridor and ceiling lighting, as well as the greenery in the lift foyers on each of the floors,” effuses Jolanta Dąbrowska, the director of M.P. Polska, a tenant of the building.

The building also scored the maximum number of points for interior arrangement, with an average of 3.05 points. “The floor plate makes it possible to design an unusual office, in which even the open space can be given a subtle character and the kitchen areas can be given a new dimension. We tried to utilise the architectural assets of the interior of GreenWings and we hope that we have succeeded,” says Jolanta Dąbrowska. “The Office of the Year is a fantastic award for both the building and Okre Development. We are proud that our office is located in such a facility. The award confirms that when we opted for GreenWings over a year ago we made the right choice,” adds the representative of M.P. Polska.

Uncommon architecture

The architecture of the building and its ecological standards, as corroborated by the BREEAM ‘Very Good’ certificate it has obtained, also received high scores. “When we compare it to other three-star office buildings, the factors that deserve to be emphasised in the case of GreenWings Offices include: the very well exectued construction process and the practices employed by Okre Development; workstations in the office building with very good access to natural light thanks to the shape of the building and the lack of shade from neighbouring buildings; and facilities for cyclists – racks, changing rooms including lockers and showers,” explains Marcin Gawroński, a certifying assessor at Grontmij Polska.

According to the tenants the factor that catches the eye of the GreenWings building is its architecture, which is enclosed in the form of wings, composed of both concrete and a steel façade and with a high ratio of glass, providing good access to natural light. It is not possible to travel along ul. 17 Stycznia without noticing the building. It integrates well with the greenery of the surrounding allotments, but also lives up to the standards envisaged in the design. “The GreenWings building constitutes an excellent combination of modern architecture: concrete, glass, steel, the austerity of the area featuring an open, green perspective provided by a view onto the neighbouring allotments, and the green area that creates a carpet of colours that change with each season, which is of great importance for a company such as ours that is involved in the furnishing of office space and creating optimal working conditions. The location issue, the proximity of the Warsaw ring road and the airport, the hassle-free exit towards ul. Żwirki i Wigury as well as al. Krakowska, mean that this place is ideal for us and for the customers who are eager to visit us,” argues Jolanta Dąbrowska. “The ease of access, the high number of parking spaces and the bicycle parking area, the option of renting a conference room on the ground floor as well as the very warm and appetising atmosphere of the restaurant in the building, provides us users with a very practical range of benefits that we are eager to take advantage of,” she adds.

The tenants of GreenWings were also satisfied with the rent levels, the service fees and the quality of the services provided. The building also scored best in these aspects, with averages of 2.22 points, 2.27 points and 3.05 points.

One bad apple

Each barrel must contain at least one bad apple. And GreenWings Offices is no exception. However, this particular apple is exceptionally small and not so significant. “I suggest modifying the outfit of the lady working at the reception and introducing a more subdued business-oriented design. Mirrors could also be added in the lifts, which would add some elegance and broaden the smiles of women as they enter, while the rugs could be removed in the lobby on the ground floor,” suggests the director of M.P. Polska. In spite of this, the building obtained the top score with an average of 3.01.