Forest campus among the most beautiful gardens in Warsaw

The jury of the “Warsaw in Flowers” competition organized by the Warsaw Greenery Authority awarded our office campus in the “Landscaping” category. Forest is surrounded by lush greenery on two levels – in ground floor’s open courtyard and the rooftop garden. The roof garden is free to enter by everyone and open daily from morning until late in the evening.

Warsaw is one of the greenest capitals of Europe with plants covering approx. 40% of its area. Dedicated to greenery enthusiasts, gardening experts and residents the Warsaw Greenery Authority, in cooperation with the Society of Friends of Warsaw, has been organizing the “Warsaw in Flowers” competition for decades. The results of this year’s jubilee 40^th edition were revealed on August 27. The most beautiful balconies, gardens and landscaping arrangements in Warsaw were selected from as many as 250 entries.

– I am glad that our Forest office campus has won this municipal award for the most beautiful gardens. Members of the jury valued our ornamental compositions, as well as the work put into re-greening the city and supporting biodiversity. This is another proof that we have created a friendly place, which is liked by office workers, but also by local residents and tourists, – says Ewelina Mikołajczewska, Development Manager at HB Reavis Poland.

HB Reavis and landscape architects from Urbandesign.pl planted over 200 trees and as many shrubs around the buildings. Most of the plants are native ornamental species adapted to urban environments and their character corresponds to what happens in a natural mixed forest. The trees are hornbeams, beeches, maples and birches. The undergrowth includes grassy species and perennials that bloom in the shade. Flowers of ornamental shrubs fill the courtyard with a beautiful fragrance, and their variety makes them bloom throughout the season. Popular with Varsovians, the roof garden offers species of light-loving plants, including flowers, vegetables and herbs. It also features fragrant shrubs with edible fruits.

– We dedicated flower pots on the roof to spontaneous use by office employees and visitors. Depending on the season, one can find here raspberries, wild strawberries, strawberries, peppers, chives, arugula, thyme, cloves, mint and lavender. Urban gardening is an opportunity to interact with neighbours and build relationships not only from behind an office desk, – adds Ewelina Mikołajczewska.

To conserve natural resources, the building is equipped with soil moisture sensors, and rainwater is used to water the greenery. Numerous energy-saving solutions used in Forest are confirmed by its high BREEAM rating. The development also includes shelters for birds and insects. Apart from its office function, the project provides a number of public realms. The spacious ground floors include a medical centre, a kindergarten, a bakery-cafe, a furniture store as well as grocery and tourist shops.

This is yet another award for the Forest office campus designed by HRA Architekci, which has so far been honoured with the Mayor’s Architectural Award, the Accessibility Leader title for its inclusivity, the Real Estate Impactor prize and an award from the Polish Green Building Council.

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