Visionary became the first office building in the Czech Republic and the first in Central and Eastern Europe to achieve WELL Core & Shell Certification.
(Prague, New York, 11 April 2019) – Skanska announced today that it has been awarded WELL Core & Shell Certification at the Gold level for its Visionary project by the International WELL Building InstituteTM (IWBITM). The prestigious distinction was awarded through IWBI’s WELL Building StandardTM (WELL™), which is the premier building standard to focus on enhancing people’s health and wellness through the building where we live, work and play. Visionary, the prime office building in Prague, Czech Republic, is the first WELL Core & Shell Certified™ building in the Czech Republic, the first in Central and Eastern Europe and 24th in the world. Visionary is the greenest office building in the CEE region having achieved LEED Platinum certification with 95 points shortly after its completion in 2018 and WELL Core & Shell Certification at the Gold level.
Created through seven years of rigorous research and development working with leading physicians, scientists, and industry professionals, WELL is a performance-based certification system that marries the best practices in design and construction with evidence-based scientific research. Visionary earned the distinction based on seven categories of building performance – Air, Water, Light, Nourishment, Fitness, Comfort and Mind, plus Innovations – and achieved a Gold level rating.
“Visionary has become a pioneer in several aspects. The project opened up in an emerging location and put Prague-Holešovice on the Prague office map. Our scheme earned 95 points in LEED Platinum for Core & Shell and became the most sustainable building in CEE last year. On the top of that, Visionary is the first building awarded WELL in the Czech Republic,” says Alexandra Tomášková, Managing Director of Skanska Property Czech Republic.
“We are proud that open cooperation within Skanska group on the WELL certification confirms that sustainability and health is a priority for us. During the construction our focus was on the material selection meeting strict certification requirements. Close cooperation of all parties involved is a key aspect in sustainable design and construction for future. We have succeeded and know that we will use our knowledge and experience on other construction projects,” says Michal Jurka, President of Skanska Czech Republic & Slovakia.
Project features that helped Visionary achieve its WELL Core & Shell Certification rating include:
Light
Natural daylight is provided to more than 85% of all regularly occupied spaces. The project is designed with big element façade panels which maximize natural daylight.
Mind
Adaptable spaces: in the building there are many terraces and balconies with sittings areas, trees, and chairs, which can be used by the employees during the day to have a break and enjoy the fresh air.
Outside areas: an atrium with wooden platforms is used during the day by tenants, visitors and the public as well. Movies can be projected onto an outdoor cinema screen.
Biophilic elements are integrated into the design of the building such as a staircase resembling a seashell, railing to echo bamboo, and lights as flowers.
Fitness
A running track on the roof gives an opportunity to relax by participating in sport throughout the whole day.
External green spaces with a multi-functional playground and fitness features are accessible to both employees and the public.
Multi-storey bike racks, changing rooms and showers encourage people to cycle to work.
Innovation
Visionary’s mobile application comprises of services provided within the property and keeps the tenants informed about what’s going on in the building and its vicinity.
Visionary’s owner CA Immo declared their intention to run continuous educational campaign aimed at tenants, property professionals and general public to explain and promote WELL ideas.
A kindergarten opened in Visionary not only serves the general community in Prague 7 but also provides a few places for the tenants’ pre‑school children.
“As the first WELL Certified™ project in the Czech Republic, Skanska’s Visionary demonstrates to all employees and visitors that they are working in a space that supports their health and well-being," said IWBI Chairman and CEO Rick Fedrizzi. “Congratulations to the entire team for their outstanding leadership to deliver a building that is putting people at the center of design decisions and helping to advance this movement in Europe and globally.”
Visionary, prime office building in Prague 7 - Holešovice owned by CA Immo, offers 22,500 sqm of A-class office space currently 100% let to blue-chip tenants. There are several retail tenants such as specialist physicians, a pharmacy, a health food shop, and a fresh food restaurant Vision Café. All these serve not only tenants, but also citizens living nearby.
WELL is grounded in evidence-based research that explores the connection between buildings where we spend approximately 90 percent of our time, and the health and wellness impacts on us as occupants of these buildings. To be awarded WELL Core & Shell Certification by IWBI, Visionary underwent rigorous testing and a final evaluation carried out by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), which is the third-party certification body for WELL, to ensure it met all WELL Core & Shell Certification performance requirements.
Contact:
Kateřina Eklová, Skanska Property Czech Republic
Tel: +420 605 306 786
e-mail:
Tereza Mitošinková, Skanska a.s.
Tel: +420 737 257 075
e-mail:
Markéta Miková, AMI Communications
Tel: +420 739 057 684
e-mail: