A rarity in Central and Eastern Europe: a passive office building, corresponding with the energy-efficient construction principles, will be built in Katowice. The office building will be constructed by Katowickie Przedsiębiorstwo Budownictwa Przemysłowego BUDUS S.A. in the Euro-Centrum Science and Technology Park.
On August 8th the company started the realization of this investment, worth over 37 million PLN, and undertook to finalize the project within 18 months. The end of the construction works is planned for the first quarter of 2013.
The construction has already begun but the placement of the cornerstone will be celebrated in April 23 in the Euro-Centrum Science and Technology Park in Katowice. This date was chosen due to the 2nd New Economy Forum, which takes place on April 23 and 24. The Minister of Justice, Jarosław Gowin, has confirmed his presence on the event. The Minister of Regional Development, Elżbieta Bieńkowska, also has been invited.
The passive building in the Euro-Centrum Industrial Park will provide 6 500 sq. m of floor area. What is important, the technologies introduced in this building will enable reducing the energy consumption ten times. The investor decided on solutions like: heat pumps, solar cells, geometrical probes system or solar thermal collectors. Passive windows, cooling and heating ceilings, and a system of heat recovery will maintain an appropriate temperature in the building.
The building is financed from the European funds and is part of the Project “Development of Science and Technology Park - development and application of new technologies in the field of energy conservation and renewables”. The realization of the project has started in October 2010.
The Euro-Centrum Group runs research, consultancy, training and educational activity, collaborating with a number of universities in Silesia, Kraków or Czętochowa. The enterprise specializes in the development of innovative technologies. Modern solutions, implemented by the Euro-Centrum Group, can be found in office buildings rented to commercial companies in the Euro-Centrum Industrial Park.
During the revitalization of the property between 2005 and 2008, 7 modernized buildings and 4 modern facilities of a total floor area of 15 000 sq. m where included in the complex. Thanks to energy-efficient solutions it was possible to reduce the pollution and energy consumption, and modernize the sewage system in the property. In 2009, the 4-hectare park was expanded by the Energy-Efficient Building, in which laboratories improving the energy-efficient technologies are situated. The next stage of the investment includes the construction of the first passive office building in Poland.