With businesses making plans for “the return to work” following the Covid-19 restrictions, the health and well-being of tenants have become an important issue for property managers, asset managers, investors and developers. In response to these challenges, the Olivia Business Centre in Gdansk, Poland has implemented a range of solutions that it claims has made it "the world's healthiest business park."
In response to the hazards posed by the pandemic, the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) has developed a certification system to help guarantee the highest possible levels of comfort and safety for the people inside a building and The Olivia Business Centre , that provides 230,000 square metres of state-of-the-art office space, has become the first building in the world to obtain the highest possible rating after a comprehensive audit and received a maximum score of 25 out of 25 points in each of the 25 categories tested by the IWBI.
The Olivia Business Centre is one of the first office complexes in the world to have implemented ion air purification technology, an air purification process that is capable of destroying viruses, bacteria and other pathogens. In addition, the filtration in the air handling units has been raised to the highest level currently available. Sensors for pollution such as volatile organic compounds and particulate matter have also been installed. The purity of the fresh air drawn in from the outside and pumped into the buildings is monitored to ensure that it does not contain any harmful compounds and the intensity of the air exchange is controlled based on real-time CO2 measurements, significantly contributing to the comfort of occupiers.
The property also features “active titanium” coatings, which have been applied to all common areas, including elevators, lobbies and access paths to parking areas, to ensure that the most commonly touched surfaces are free from pathogenic microorganisms. Bacteria, fungi and viruses that come into contact with these coatings – which were developed by Polish company Lumichem and scientists from Jagiellonian University – are eliminated and their residues are broken down into carbon dioxide and water.
Konrad Danecki from the Olivia Business Centre said: "During the preparations, we set ourselves the goal of meeting all the requirements, down to the smallest of details. Our goal was to obtain the maximum rating in all categories. We are proud that we managed to achieve this and that we are one of the first buildings in the world to join IWBI’s campaign, which aims to restore normality and freedom of movement in public areas and buildings."