Once again, we proved that an office building can be a community-building place where art is promoted and an inclusive green space is created. Our approach has been recognized by the Integration Foundation, which awarded our building with the “Barrier Free Facility” certificate.
The Forest skyscraper is part of our office campus at the. Burakowska 14, the first phase of which was certified in July 2022. Although it is located in the center of Warsaw, opposite the Westfield Arkadia shopping center, its greatest advantage is its green, friendly and quiet spaces. Spaces accessible to all, as noted and awarded by the Integration Foundation.
Available, not customizable
– Our team worked on this building for six years. From the beginning, we did our best to make it accessible to everyone according to the principles of universal design. And so it was from the first line put up by the architect – the Says Zofia Kijak, ESG & Sustainability Coordinator at HB Reavis Poland – Working with the Integration Foundation, which helped our architects design an accessible building, was very helpful. That’s why our office building is accessible to everyone, not tailored – Zofia Kijak emphasizes.
This approach, based on the ideas of universal design, makes Forest responsive to a variety of needs, although there are no ramps for ramps or other solutions that are obvious and visible at first glance. Its accessibility is discreet and blends into the background.
– This makes the space aesthetically pleasing and cohesive, while at the same time a person with a disability will get everywhere without a problem. In the same way, our spaces can easily be used by parents with children, the elderly, but also by couriers or people with a heavy suitcase – Zofia Kijak points out.
Accessibility is not wrapping everything in tape
–Forest is, of course, all that accessibility needs to be: entrances at ground level, automatically opening doors, adapted parking spaces, properly designed elevators and toilets, explains Kamil Kowalski, an accessibility specialist. accessibility, head of Integration LAB – For me, however, Forest is more than that. HB Reavis together with HRA Architects showed that accessibility does not mean wrapping everything possible in yellow tape. The building uses contrasts, but they are created by eye-pleasing color and material combinations -adds Kamil Kowalski.
The expert also praises the large glazing, well-designed greenery outside and inside the building, which makes staying in Forest simply pleasant. After all, architectural accessibility is not just about meeting only certain parameters, but about creating places where we feel good and to which we like to return. HB Reavis began working with Integra almost five years ago, when the award-winning building was at the design stage.
– However, I think the most valuable thing about Forest is the non-material, which is its openness to and approach to guests. The first phase of the campus has already opened a rooftop terrace with a beautiful view of Warsaw and a garden with vegetables and herbs for outsiders. The entrance hall included A place for temporary art exhibitions. Surely Forest will surprise us with more actions yet to come – states Kamil Kowalski.
A space friendly to all
The feature that distinguishes the Forest skyscraper in the first place is the atmosphere of a green, friendly space, where you can escape from the smog and the hustle and bustle of the city.
– Forest’s green patio is our pride. It’s a plant-filled space where everyone can come and enjoy the greenery without going outside the building – praises Anna Kościanek, the building’s manager. The second, equally green and pleasant is located outside the building. A person in a wheelchair can easily get here. There is also a pond in the patio, which is not only a pleasant place to catch one’s breath after busy work, but is also designed with the safety of the visually impaired in mind – Kościanek adds.
Forest is a place that also relies on openness to the community and on cooperation with the environment to build social ties and a cultural atmosphere.
– We have beautiful mezzanines and wide entrances. The building is created using modern and ecological technologies. Tenants like this kind of campus character of the facility. They tell us that they don’t feel like they are in a typical office building here, but when crossing the entrance, they feel like they are entering – true to the name – a green forest. The facility also hosts regular exhibitions of sculpture and painting – Anna Kościanek emphasizes.
The terrace is closed until further notice due to weather conditions.