The awareness of the need for pro-ecological changes in the real estate market is growing. More and more office buildings can boast of getting the BREEAM Certificate. Some investors, however, go a step further.
Buildings should create an integral part of urban space. That’s why the best investors try to find city projects that although at first glance may seem unusual, could be easily incorporated into the building.
Developers are increasingly introducing environmentally friendly solutions to their projects. These include ecological finishing materials, energy-saving elevators, water-saving solutions, and room temperature control systems. Such pro-ecological solutions in buildings are assessed by the BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) certification system.
As PLGBC (the Polish Green Building Council) reports:
The BREEAM multi-criteria certification system for buildings was introduced in Great Britain by BRE Global in 1990. It is present in 77 countries. It is the most used system in Poland.
A developer who not only introduces innovative technological solutions to his buildings but also seeks ecological projects in which he can actively participate is MIX GROUP. The company owns eight office buildings with a combined area of over 60,000 m2 in several locations in Krakow.
In 2018 MIX GROUP as the only office developer in Krakow decided to join the Pasieka Krakow project, established cooperation with the Kraków Municipal Greenspace Authority and the Krakow Beekeepers Association. Thanks to this, the first city apiary on the roof of the office building (Bronowice Business Center 9-11— Jasnogórska 9 Street) in Krakow was installed in May 2018. It consists of five hives, in which live about two hundred twenty-five thousand bees. At that time, it was announced that another MIX GROUP buildings would join this project. Installation of the second apiary — this time on the roof of the building at Wielicka 72 Street, will take place in the upcoming days. It is an attempt to have a real positive impact on the environment and promote environmental awareness of employees, tenants, and the local community.
Pasieka Krakow is a project in which the bees are taken care of by The Association of Krakow Beekeepers. The goal is to settle bees in urban areas, spread the idea of bee protection and promote beekeeping as a passion. It is worth emphasizing this is the first such program in Poland!
Few people realize that bees like cities. Especially areas close to parks, meadows, greenery. Away from the fields and pesticides that harm them the most.
As Jadwiga Wiśniowska, president of the MIX GROUP says:
The Bronowice Business Center complex at Jasnogórska 9-11 Street is located in the vicinity of the magnificent green areas of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland. Apiary Krakow is an eco-friendly project that we have been thinking of for a long time. Fortunately, it turned out that the roof of our office building meets all the requirements, and we could invite bees to our building. We are currently preparing another apiary on the roof of our office building at Wielicka 72 Street. In the beekeepers’ opinion, there are also very good conditions for bees here.
It
is worth emphasizing Pasieka
Krakow
is not the only pro-ecological project in which MIX GROUP has been
involved. Every day, through its original project MIX
with carpooling,
it encourages its tenants to actively use a dedicated carpooling
system and propagates the idea: We
ride together. We save together. Together we are Eco. Thanks
to this, tenants can have a real impact on the environment. Reducing
exhaust emissions into the atmosphere, but also reduce traffic jams
or simply save money by splitting fuel costs or less frequent car
repairs.
The use of environmentally friendly solutions may
seem like a temporary fashion, but it is also a real need. Green
gardens on the rooftops, solar panels, ecological materials,
segregation of garbage, carpooling and even city apiaries — all
these pro-ecological activities indicate an increase in awareness of
the need for positive changes in our everyday life that will
contribute to improving the current, not very optimistic state of
affairs. Let’s hope a good example will involve more people and
companies to seek and implement these types of activities and
projects.