Spark is the first office building in Poland to receive WELL registration. Office workers will also be able to use a mobile application, the most advanced of its type in the CEE region, to access a wide range of the building's facilities.

By moving to Spark, Skanska has created the company's first head office for all of its business units in Poland. Skanska's construction, office and residential companies already occupy approx. 7,400 sqm. area on five floors of the complex's first office building.

- Skanska's drive stems from a combination of cooperation and a unique business model. Our development investments are financed by our own resources. The establishment of a Skanska headquarters for all of its business units in Poland is a logical consequence of the close cooperation strategy that we have adopted - says Magnus Persson, president of the Skanska construction company. - As a construction company, we are not only a general contractor for Skanska's office and residential projects, we are also strongly involved in the implementation of construction projects from an early stage of a project. We also transfer such working models to external clients. We want to be a partner for clients not merely in an investment's construction stage but during the entire implementation process - adds Magnus Persson.

Innovations for people

Skanska is testing and utilizing its own prop-tech solutions in the new office that facilitates the effective use of the building by employees and its management by an administrative team.

- Spark is one of the most innovative office buildings in Poland! Thanks to the Connected by Skanska system, we have created an intelligent building in which you can easily move without using traditional access cards. By using this app, we can book meeting rooms throughout the building, control the temperature and lighting in a specific area, or arrange car sharing. Thanks to the integration of the parking application, we can invite our guests and manage parking spaces via the same application. We will continue to work on new innovations that increase the comfort of everyday work. Solutions tested in our office will be offered to both tenants and business partners. Ultimately, Connected by Skanska will be included in all our investments, in Poland and elsewhere - says Arkadiusz Rudzki, Managing Director at Skanska office company.

The Spark office building was also selected for the testing of solar panels based on perovskites. Skanska is the first company in the world that will cover office buildings with these translucent photovoltaic cells. The use of perovskites means that the building façade will generate energy from sunlight and even diffused light.

Skanska has also created two Experience Labs. In these rooms, which are dedicated to innovations, one can present office projects to potential tenants as well as the history of the Skanska group by using Holo Lens technology, augmented reality (AR) or 3D projections.

Sustainable construction

The office at Spark reflects the philosophy of Skanska. It combines a special emphasis on the natural environment with designs that responds to people's needs.

- Spark will be the first office project in Poland to receive the WELL certificate by the end of the year. It is one of the most demanding systems, putting the health and well-being of people “up front and center”. We have applied for a certificate in two areas: for the building (Shell and Core) and for the office space (Interior). Once again, we are setting a trend on the office market, and one which increases the quality of workspace in Poland - says Arkadiusz Rudzki.

We spend up to 90% of our time in office buildings. The WELL Building Standard® is a certification system developed by IWBI™ (International WELL Building Institute™). As part of the certification, seven categories are monitored and evaluated: air, water, nutrition, light, physical condition, comfort and mind. In total, the Institute takes into account 102 aspects of a building and workspace.

Spark is also the first office building in Poland that has been designed in accordance with the guidelines of the Fundacja Integracja (Integration Foundation) and fully complies with the requirements of the “Obiekt bez barier” (“Facility without barriers”) certificate. To ensure the well-being of people who use Spark on a daily basis, foundations specializing in the planning of a friendly urban space - Fundacja na Miejsce and Project for Public Spaces - have been invited to cooperate in the design. Thanks to this cooperation, an amphitheater will be built for both office workers and local residents. Between the buildings there will also be space for working outdoors as well as comfortable passageways for residents between ul. Wolska and al. SolidarnoÅ›ci.

Skanska, while implementing its office investments, always supports the use of bicycles. A special external lift for cyclists is located in Spark, which takes cyclists down to an underground parking area. There are also bicycle maintenance stations and changing rooms equipped with showers.

In addition, Spark, like all of Skanska's commercial investments, was built in accordance with LEED Platinum certification guidelines, the highest level of the LEED system.

Space where you want to stay

Thanks to the cooperation between Skanska and Kuryłowicz & Associates, a space has been created that allows for both a comfortable working environment as well as a place where one can relax. Employees can use spacious kitchens, many meeting rooms ,other meeting places as well as spaces where one can choose the most convenient form of work on a daily basis.

The architectural concept of the office space was created by In Design - Zbigniew Kostrzewa, Kaim and Bursche Architects. The unique character of the interior of Skanska's offices is accentuated by features such as the murals designed by Olka Osadzińska and other designs details created by the Kolektyf group. Each of the conference rooms is named after a Skanska project and is inspired by a colorful mural and other aspects that match the investment's character. On the office building's exterior, one can already admire a mural by the well-known watercolorist and architect - Tytus Brzozowski. The mural depicts the history of buildings that formerly stood on the corner of ​​Okopowa and Wolska streets.

Spark is not only the headquarters of the Skanska Group in Poland. The Skanska housing company now has a new customer zone ion the ground floor of the building.

- On July 2nd, we opened the Home Center. It is a 300 sqm area which has been designed in a modern Scandinavian style, complete with a mezzanine and nearly 60 sqm of glazed walls. The multimedia table available on site allows you to visualize all of our housing investments that we are currently implementing in Warsaw. There are areas for meetings and discussions with consultants. Above all, the Home Center offers the opportunity to get to know the full range of our investments and purchase finance options - says Bartosz Kalinowski, Managing Director of the Skanska housing company.