Poland GTC barrier-free with green objectives

GTC is improving the quality of the office space in its portfolio. Recent months marked the implementation of many amenities designed to make the space more accessible to people with disabilities. The most important among the solutions that have appeared in the buildings are: evacuation chairs, a sign language interpreter at the reception desk, induction loops for the hard of hearing, glazing wrapped in foil to mark glass as an obstacle, additional marking of stairs, handrails and floors in consideration of the visually impaired, installation of intercoms and access control panels at a lower height, equipping elevators with voice message emitters, as well as buttons labelled in Braille with convex symbols and numbers. The buildings also gained additional ramps and handrails to facilitate access for people with disabilities.

The implemented amenities have been recognized by the Integration Foundation which has resulted in the Barrier-Free Facility certificate being granted to eight GTC buildings in three complexes. The Korona Office complex in Kraków and the Francuska Office centre in Katowice were certified in December of 2022, while the University Business Park office buildings in Łódź were certified in January of this year. The remaining buildings belonging to the GTC’s portfolio are in the process of certification. The Barrier-Free Facility certificate testifies that a company takes social responsibility in a serious manner. To obtain the certificate, a successful architectural accessibility audit is required.

Sustainable development and reducing environmental impact are important aspects of GTC's operations. The company is consistently working to provide green solutions for its facilities. In 2022, GTC upgraded its LEED certification to Platinum for the Nothus building in the Aeropark Business Centre in Warsaw. This year, the Pixel office building in Poznań has received an additional BREEAM In-Use certificate at the Excellent level, raising the current level of the BREEAM certification. 100 pct of buildings in Poland and almost 90 pct of buildings within the entire GTC Group portfolio are LEED/BREEAM certified or in the recertification process. At present, the GTC Group utilizes green energy in all its buildings in Poland, Hungary, Romania, Croatia and in the Advance Business Centre I and II office buildings in Bulgaria. In addition, the tenants of the majority of GTC buildings in its Polish portfolio have access to electric car chargers.