CONTENTS
3
FOREWORD
COMPANY PROFILES
A OFFICE STANDARDS
1 Overview
2 Office Standards Classification
3 Class of Accommodation
4 Classification Table
B CRITERIA
I QUALITY CRITERIA
Building Stature
1 Landmark Status
Building Space
2 Internal Layout and Grids
3 Lobby/Reception
4 Common Parts Provision
5 Car Park and Servicing
Building Technical
6 Lift Service
7 Ceilings and Lighting
8 Small Power
9 BMS Systems
10 Cabling
11 Tenants Space Provision
12 Power Supplies
13 Floors
14 Structure
Building Comfort
15 Amenities
16 Daylighting
17 Heating, Cooling and Ventilation
18 Noise
Building Sustainability
19 Environmental Standards
20 Carbon Reduction
II LOCATION CRITERIA
C
1
2
3
KEY STATUTORY ISSUES
Fire Safety
Disabled Access
Sustainability
D AREA MEASUREMENT
E
1
2
3
4
OTHER ISSUES
Facades
Life of Buildings
Structural Options
Services Options
APPENDIX 1
Statutory Requirements References
STANDARDS SCORE CARD
© Rolfe Judd
FOREWORD
4
This Modern Office Standards, Poland
guide, developed in 2008/9, has
been written and produced by Rolfe
Judd Architecture and CB Richard
Ellis. Rolfe Judd Architecture and
CB Richard Ellis are international
businesses with substantial experience
in the procurement, design, letting
and management of office buildings.
Both businesses also have substantial
practices in Poland and are involved in
the development of a number of major
projects with many of Poland’s key
office developers.
During the course of our work we
realised that there is a great deal of
debate amongst developers, tenants,
designers and agents as to what
constitutes Class A office space and
what is best practice in office design.
By best practice we are talking about
which space configurations are most
efficient, what makes offices most
attractive to tenants, what makes
them pleasant places to work in and
therefore productive and attractive for
the occupants?
In the UK for example, there is a guide
for office standards set up by the
British Council for Offices (BCO). The
BCO was set up by and is composed
of a leading group of developers,
agents, architects, engineers and
other industry members who have cooperated over the years to establish
a set of standards. These standards
have been revised and added to over
the years and are now widely used in
the UK office market as the standard
by which offices are measured.
You may ask what is the need for
such a standard in Poland? The need
and purpose of this guide, which is
prepared mainly for new buildings, is
similar to the UK version. Its aim is
to establish a benchmark standard
for office space in the fast developing
Polish office market. We believe that
this guide is the first comprehensive
attempt to capture the best practice in
terms of office design, procurement,
efficiency and occupational standards
for the benefit of the industry.
Update November 2010
Launched in September 2009, this
guide has proved a popular tool with
developers, consultants, occupiers
and investors alike. Since its inception,
the debate surrounding the standard
for office design has developed and
in the area of sustainability, quite
rapidly. When the two environmental
standards 19 & 20 were conceived,
some developers were concerned that
the requirements were too ambitious.
Today, there is concern that the
requirements may not be ambitious
enough. Through debate within the
industry, we hope to agree on the right
level and may need to update this
guide soon to reflect this debate. You
are welcome to contact us if you would
like to discuss any aspect of MOSP
further.
 Architecture
Building:
City:
Architect:
© Rolfe Judd
40 Holborn Viaduct
London
Rolfe Judd
COMPANY PROFILES
5
Rolfe Judd
CB Richard Ellis
Rolfe Judd Ltd is an international
multidisciplinary consultancy providing
planning, architecture and interior
design services. We are a design led
practice with over 40 years experience
in delivering substantial projects for
which we have won a number of
prestigious awards. We have expertise
in commercial office, residential, mixed
use urban regeneration and leisure
sectors. For further details of our
business and projects please visit our
websites www.rolfe-judd.co.uk and
www.rolfe-judd.pl
CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc. (NYSE:
CBG), a Fortune 500 and S&P
500 company headquartered in
Los Angeles, is the world’s largest
commercial real estate services
firm (in terms of 2009 revenue). The
Company has approximately 29,000
employees (excluding affiliates), and
serves real estate owners, investors
and occupiers through more than 300
offices (excluding affiliates) worldwide.
CB Richard Ellis offers strategic advice
and execution for property sales and
leasing; corporate services; property,
facilities and project management;
mortgage banking; appraisal and
valuation; development services;
investment management; and
research and consulting. Please visit
our website at www.cbre.com
CONSULTEES
AIG Lincoln Polska
Bouygues Immobilier Polska
Capital Park
Ghelamco Poland
Grupa Buma
GTC
Heitman
Hines Polska
Hochtief Development Poland
ING RE Development
IVG Development
Reinhold
Skanska Property Poland
TriGranit
UBM Polska
Von Der Heyden Group
Yareal
Building:
City:
Developer:
© Rolfe Judd
Sterling Business Centre
Lodz
Hines Polska
Matthew Williams
Director
mattheww@rolfe-judd.co.uk
ROLFE JUDD
ARCHITECTURE
Daniel Bienias
Director - Office Agency
Tenant Representation
daniel.bienias@cbre.com
CB RICHARD ELLIS
Łukasz Kałędkiewicz
Director - Office Agency
Landlord Representation
lukasz.kaledkiewicz@cbre.com
CB RICHARD ELLIS
6
A.
OFFICE STANDARDS
A1 OVERVIEW
There has been much debate in
Poland over what constitutes true
Class A office space and determining
what its key characteristics should
be. Key to determining a standard
is deciding what is included and
what is excluded. This means clearly
defining the boundaries between one
standard and the next. Questions
such as whether a secondary location
be compensated for with a high
specification or can an old building
be updated to achieve class A if it
lacks modern energy performance
standards currently cause much
discussion. There is no comprehensive
measure as to whether these matters
fall inside or outside the standard as
there is no comprehensive written
definition of Class A or any other office
standard in Poland until now.
There is value attached to having a
Class A status building in terms of
the developer and tenant rent review
negotiations and, often, disagreement
arises about the standard a particular
building achieves. Confusion will
be alleviated if developers, funders,
tenants, agents and designers all
understand what is meant when a
particular office standard is referred to.
There is therefore a need to agree the
specification and class parameters to
ensure common agreement.
Building:
City:
Developer:
Horizon Plaza
Warsaw
IVG Development
© Rolfe Judd
Once a common standard is agreed
within the Polish marketplace then
a standards test can be applied
and disagreement about whether
particular buildings lies in or out of one
standard or another should be easily
resolved. New buildings can also
be designed and understood more
simply in terms of these standards
and the requirements of a particular
standard can be used to determine
a brief and the specification and cost
of a particular building type. Cost
and quality should become easier to
control as the outline specification can
be agreed early in the design process.
Through the research we established
20 key criteria for determining office
quality standards.
In determining how a building should
be rated we realised that some criteria
are more important than others.
For this reason it became obvious
that some of the criteria must be
obligatory, as they comprise nonnegotiable fundamentals in good office
design. Other criteria can be treated
as an option to achieve a particular
classification. The research amongst
Poland’s major 20 or so commercial
developers revealed that whilst there
are 12 criteria commonly agreed as
required as a base level, there are
also 8 additional criteria which will
define the final classification. The
absence of two or three of the
additional criteria may not necessarily
preclude a building from achieving a
Class A rating. On this basis it was
thought useful to differentiate the
market further by introducing lower
class measures B and C.
Despite the attempt to determine
standards that cover the whole market
there are questions which remain
unanswered at this time: whether the
classification should be equal for all
the cities, whether local or secondary
cities need such high specification
to achieve a particular standard or
which measuring system is best for
the Polish market and so on. We
hope that this document will start a
discussion between the office market
players which will help to answer these
questions in the near future and this
will hopefully result in a new revision
to the guide.
7
A.
OFFICE STANDARDS
KEY
OB: Obligatory Criteria
AD: Additional Criteria
A2 OFFICE STANDARDS CLASSIFICATION
I QUALITY CRITERIA
Building Stature
1 Landmark Status (AD)
A landmark building recognised in a
local context by brand name and/or
visibility (section B1)
Building Space
2 Internal Layout and Grids (AD)
A highly flexible internal design,
flexible layout grid and efficient plan
with a good net to gross ratio
(section B2)
3 Lobby/Reception (OB)
Well designed lobby/reception with 24
hour concierge, appropriately sized
and designed for the building size and
use (section B3)
4 Common Parts Provision (OB)
Cores are to be well planned and
appropriately sized to service the
building occupants (section B4)
5 Car Park and Servicing (OB)
Good accessibility and car park
provision for tenants and visitors, good
access for deliveries and building
management services are essential for
modern office buildings (section B5)
Building Technical
6 Lift Service (OB)
Minimum lift service with a maximum
waiting time of 30 seconds
(section B6)
10 Cabling (OB)
Provision of space for cabling and IT
infrastructure (section B10)
11 Tenants’ Plant Space Provision (AD)
Capability to accommodate tenants
additional services such as IT rooms,
satellite dishes, UPS, etc. within the
building (section B11)
12 Power Supplies (OB)
Provision of multiple power sources
to ensure a constant power supply in
the event of a local power grid failure
(section B12)
13 Floors (AD)
Provision of a raised floor with a
minimum clear service zone of 90mm
(section B13)
14 Structure (OB)
Minimum structural loading floor
capacities for each office floor level
with an area allocated for high loading
levels on each floor (section B14)
Building Comfort
15 Amenities (AD)
Good local provision of amenities
either on site or close by
(section B15)
16 Daylighting (AD)
Good levels of natural daylighting,
minimum 70% of net lettable area
within 6m of an external window,
minimum floor to ceiling height of 2.7m
(section B16)
7 Ceilings and Lighting (OB)
Provision of a modern ceiling with
efficient lighting to meet minimum
standards (section B7)
8 Small Power (OB)
Good small power provision meeting
minimum requirements (section B8)
9 BMS Systems (OB)
A modern BMS system to control
access and security, fire, life safety
and other building services
(section B9)
© Rolfe Judd
Building:
City:
Architect:
Heathrow House
London
Rolfe Judd
17 Heating, Cooling & Ventilation (OB)
Provision of a modern system of
heating, cooling, ventilation and
humidity control to achieve good
quality of internal climate
(Section B17)
18 Noise (OB)
A quiet office environment to meet
minimum standards (section B18)
Building Sustainability
19 Environmental Standards (AD)
To achieve one of:
LEED Gold Standard
BREEAM Standard Very Good
(section B19)
20 Carbon Reduction (AD)
Achieve a minimum of 10% carbon
reduction when measured against
current Polish Building Standards
(section B20)
II LOCATION CRITERIA
Location is considered to be perhaps
the most important element in
determining office buildings’ Class
Status. Only primary locations within
the central business districts (CBD) or
a significant business park can really
be considered as Class A locations.
This part of the classification system
is therefore the primary designation in
our classification guide.
8
A.
OFFICE STANDARDS
A3 CLASS OF ACCOMMODATION
Quality Criteria
Class
A
B+
B
C
Building should meet at least 17 out of 20 standard requirements
(12 obligatory + 5 additional)
Building should meet at least 15 out of 20 standard requirements
(12 obligatory + 3 additional)
Building should meet at least 13 out of 20 standard requirements
(12 obligatory + 1 additional)
Building meets 12 and fewer out of 20 standard requirements
(Any points)
Location Criteria
Class
Building:
City:
Developer:
Skylight Zlote Tarasy
Warsaw
ING RE Development
A
Primary locations within the central business districts (CBD) and major
or prestigious business park locations with excellent transport
connections and a good variety of local amenities.
B
Secondary locations on the periphery of CBDs or on industrial or office
estates located outside the CBD. These are good office locations
with good transport connections and services.
C
Any other location not defined as class A or B.
A4 CLASSIFICATION TABLE
The full range of categories is illustrated below.
Class
AB
Quality
of Office
Space
Criteria
Location
Criteria
AA
A Quality and A Location
AB
A Quality and B Location
AC
A Quality and C Location
BA
B Quality (B or B+) and A Location
BB
B Quality (B or B+) and B Location
BC
B Quality (B or B+) and C Location
CA
C Quality and A Location
CB
C Quality and B Location
CC
C Quality and C Location
Example of Class of Accommodation
Class AB Office Building:
Building meeting at least 17 out of 20 standard requirements (therefore achieving
the ‘A’) and located on the fringes of the city centre or in the non central parts of the
city but in a well established business neighbourhood (therefore achieving the ‘B’).
© Rolfe Judd
9
B.
BI QUALITY CRITERIA
Building:
City:
Architect:
Carter Lane
London
Rolfe Judd
© Rolfe Judd
CRITERIA
10
B.
CRITERIA
Building Stature
B1 LANDMARK STATUS (AD)
Stature
A landmark building can be said to be
one that:
• Is or becomes a local feature once
constructed
• Dominates a city square or junction
• Dominates an area due to its
notable design quality and/or
architectural merit
• Dominates an area due to its size
• Dominates an area due to its brand
or the brand of its occupants
Recommendation
Landmark status and/or strong
defining character or quality is
required to achieve this grade.
Building:
City:
Developer:
Sterling Business Centre
Lodz
Hines Polska
Building:
City:
Developer:
Platinium Business Park
Warsaw
GTC
© Rolfe Judd
Building:
City:
Developer:
Grzybowska Park
Warsaw
AIG Lincoln Polska
11
CRITERIA
B.
Building Space
B2 INTERNAL LAYOUT AND
GRIDS (AD)
a) Grids
There are many factors affecting the
choice of a space planning grid for
an office building; component sizes,
structural span restrictions, office sizes
and car park grids. In many countries
a 1500mm grid is considered ideal
as it works for office dimensions,
car parking and common building
material sizes. In Poland however a
grid of 1350mm appears to work most
effectively, giving an 8.1m structural
grid. The facade design should enable
the erection of a partition at every
1.35m. It affords occupiers the ability
to install cellularised offices of 2.7m
wide by 5.4m deep. It works efficiently
with the Polish car park space size
(which must be free of all column
incursions), works with many building
component sizes and is efficient for
both steel and concrete structural
frame span limitations.
It should be noted however that it is
not always possible to design an 8.1m
grid. Sometimes, on difficult inner-city
plots or on plots with extraordinary
conditions other grid layouts might be
more suitable and also achieve the
standard.
Ideal column free floor plate
8100 Typical
8100 Typical
8100 Typical
2700
2700
2700
1350 1350 1350 1350 1350 1350
CELLULAR PLAN
OPEN PLAN
Planning Grid & Column Grid/Office Layout
Typical:
Structural Grid
Partition Grid
Elevation Grid
8.10m
2.70m
1.35m
8100 Typical
8100 Typical
8100 Typical
5000
5000
6200 (minimum 5700)
OUTLINE OF THE BUILDING ABOVE
Planning grid
1200
CORE
PLANT
ROOM
PLANT
ROOM
COLUMNS SET BACK FOR
EASIER MANOEUVRES
Planning Grid & Column Grid/Car Park Layout
© Rolfe Judd
9200
• To suit 1.35m planning grid
– an 8.1m column grid centre
to centre (unless extenuating
circumstances apply).
• Parking bays must be fully clear
of columns.
• Central columns should be offset
to avoid clash with notional
circulation zone.
LIFT
LOBBY
8700
Column grid
2500
• 1.35m related to facade divisions
• Standard office module: 2.7m x
5.4m plus 1.8m corridor
2500
PARKING BAY
2500X5000
(MIN. 2300X5000)
9200
2500
Recommendation
12
B.
CRITERIA
Building Space
B2 INTERNAL LAYOUT AND
GRIDS (AD)
c) Occupancy Levels
b) Office Efficiency
Typical office occupancy levels range
from 8 -10m2 per person. It is
therefore recommended that all office
buildings are designed to allow for 1
person per 10m2 in the design of all
building services. A word of warning
however; if it is intended that the
building should cater for call centre
occupation, trading facilities or other
high density uses then densities of 1
person per 5m2 may be reached and
should be catered for.
Economically planned offices benefit
both the developer and the tenant;
the more efficient the net to gross
ratio the lower the cost per m2 of net
area.
A low rise, efficient office building is
considered to be one with a net to
gross exceeding 85%; anything
over 80% is usually considered
acceptable, anything below is usually
not, unless there are special
circumstances. Tower buildings
frequently achieve lower net to gross
ratios especially on the lower floor
levels where structural components
and lift shaft members become space
hungry. Efficiency in these buildings
usually varies between 70 - 80 %.
There is a debate sometimes about
definition of net or gross areas.
Developers use different measuring
systems, thus it is difficult to compare
buildings developed by different
developers but usualy net area is
everything that can be leased: office
space, corridors, toilets, retail space
etc. Please refer to Section D to
find more discussion about the area
measurement issue (The above
figures are determined on the RICS
measure).
Efficiency is one of the factors creating
flexible office space. Efficiently
designed services easily allow for multi
tenant occupation, and are also very
important.
d) Circulation
Statutory requirements – it is common
practice to provide office circulation
corridors wider than that required for
fire escape provision.
Recommendation
Means of escape:
Building:
City:
Developer:
Quattro Business Park
Krakow
Grupa Buma
Recommendation
• Achieve maximum % net to
gross ratio for particular type of
the building.
• Allow at least 13m3 volume of
free space per person and 2m2
area of free space per person. *5
Office Floor Plate Efficiency
MA
X4
0m
X4
0m
MA
CORE
AREA
CORE
AREA
MA
X4
0m
0m
X4
MA
Maximum Escape Travel Distance 40m
When the internal arrangement is not known 80% of this distance should be used
Net : Gross about 85%
© Rolfe Judd
• 5m2 per person (for calculation
if office internal layout is not
provided)
*2
• Escape route minimum clear
width 1.4m / 0.6m per every 100
people (counted proportionally) *2
• Escape door minimum clear
width 0.9m / 0.6m per every 100
people (counted proportionally) *2
• Stairs flight minimum clear width
1.2m / 0.6 m per every 100
people (counted proportionally) *2
• Means of escape is usually the
limiting factor in optimum size /
layout of floor space
13
B.
CRITERIA
Building Space
B3 LOBBY/RECEPTION (OB)
a) Lobby Design
Lobbies or central reception spaces
are very important in high class
office buildings. They form the first
impression of the building for visitors.
They must be well designed, well
lit, be obvious from the outside and
welcoming. The provision of facilities
within them will greatly depend on the
building’s size. They may be linked to
a building’s other facilities.
There is no simple recipe as to how
a reception area should be designed.
It depends on many factors such
as the size of the building, its class,
number of entrances, etc. Quality of
finish is an important aspect of these
considerations.
The main lobby or reception combined
with the BMS room, common ground
floor WCs, etc should have an
appropriate size according to the
building’s layout but not exceeding
5-6% of the building’s net area. This
space is known as a part of the ‘Addon Factor’.
Building:
City:
Developer:
Eurocentrum
Warsaw
Capital Park
Building:
City:
Developer:
Mokotowska Square
Warsaw
Yareal
b) Concierge Services
It is expected that Class A quality
offices should have the facility to
house 24 hour security. This will
require security staff room facilities to
be provided in addition to the usual
back of house facilities.
Recommendation
• Well designed reception space
and facilities suitable for the
particular building.
• 24 hour concierge.
• Reception space designed to
provide good access control
at the entrance level and to
properly organise people’s flow.
© Rolfe Judd
14
B.
CRITERIA
Building Space
The design of an efficient core is
important for every office building.
Each layout will vary according to the
building plan but the design objectives
remain constant.
• To provide an easy to use lift/WC
and service core layout
• To minimise common parts areas
whilst achieving maximum space
standards and comfort levels
• To provide well designed, attractive
and robust common parts services
that will elegantly and reliably serve
the building for 15-20 years
• Quality finishes
• Easy access to the staircase for
movement between the nearest
levels
MALE
FEMALE
Toilet Recess to
Improve Privacy
Duplication of Tenants Electrical/Data
Riser to Provide for Mulitple Tenancy
Example Core Layout with Tenant Dedicated Toilets
*2
*2
*2
*2
CELLULAR OFFICE LAYOUT
*2
*2
Disabled toilet may be included
in the calculation as part of the
provision for women.
TENANT 1
GOODS
LIFT
SERVICE
COMMON
AREA
LIFT
LOBBY
FEMALE
OPEN SPACE OFFICE LAYOUT
AREA
CIRCULATION AREA
CLEANERS
CPB
• Compact core arrangement
MALE
TENANT 2
Duplication of Tenants Electrical/Data Riser
to Provide for Mulitple Tenancy
Toilet Lobby to Improve Privacy
Example Core Layout with Common Toilets
© Rolfe Judd
GOODS
LIFT
TENANT 2
Mechanical Services Risers To Facilitate
Transition of Ducts into ceiling Void
• WC Provision – minimum
recommended standards
• A minimal additional corridor
access for multi tenanted
arrangements
SERVICE
AREA
FEMALE
COMMON
AREA
LIFT
LOBBY
Recommendation
1 washbasin for every 20
people
1 WC for every 20 women
1 WC plus 1 urinal for every
30 men
1 cubicle for ambulant disabled
If number of people is fewer
than 10, toilet may be unisex
Maximum travel distance 75m
(50m for disabled)
TENANT 1
MALE
OPEN SPACE OFFICE LAYOUT
a) Core Layout
CELLULAR OFFICE LAYOUT
B4 COMMON PARTS PROVISION
(OB)
Mechanical Services Risers To Facilitate
Transition of Ducts into ceiling Void
15
B.
CRITERIA
Building Space
B5 CAR PARKS AND SERVICING
(OB)
Many elements have an influence on
car park provision. The number of car
park spaces might be dependent on
the site’s location or its size. In city
centres less car parking is usually
provided due to lack of space and
good provision of public transport.
Sustainability issues and the resultant
local plan restrictions increasingly
often provide maximum limits on
car park spaces allowed rather than
minimum required.
Sometimes when it is not possible to
provide enough car park spaces on
site, other solutions should be found.
a) Car Parking Standards
Parking Bay minimum size
*2
• 2.3 x 5.0m (min. 0.5m between
wall/column and car side)
• min. 1.2m access along one side of
the car for disabled parking bay.
Internal Car Park Roads width
*2
shall be minimum
• 5.7m when parking spaces are
located perpendicular (head-on)
• 5.0m when parking spaces are
located perpendicular (head-on) but
2.5m wide parking bay is required
• 4.0m when parking spaces are
aligned at an angle less than 60°
• 3.5m when parking spaces are
aligned at an angle less than 45°
• 3.0m when parking spaces are
located parallel
Car Park Clear Height
*2
For tenant’s vehicles shall not be lower
than:
• 2.0m clear
• 2.2m measured to structural
elements (e.g. beams, downstands)
Ventilation
*2
• natural ventilation is most efficient
and therefore if possible should
be used - in open-sided car park
(openings minimum 35% of wall,
maximum distance between opposite
walls with openings of 100m)
• mechanical ventilation controlled by
carbon dioxide and propene butene
detectors (in underground or other
enclosed car parks serving more
than 10 cars)
Fire Safety
*2
Car park fire zone size, means of
escape provision and connection
between car park and building
should be designed to meet Building
Regulations requirements. In car
parks with bigger fire zones sprinkler
systems and/or automatic smoke
vents are necessary.
Car Park Loading
• general 3.0 kN/m2
b) Servicing Provision
Access for commercial vehicles, Public
Service Vehicles, Fire Tender Vehicle,
Taxi drop-off points should be provided
on-site or in car park. When bigger
vehicles enter the car park:
• the height should be no lower than
3.0m clear
• deck above underground levels /
on-site fire route should be design
to carry Fire Tender Vehicle Loading
100kN/axle (3 axles). Fire Tender
Vehicle requires 4.2m of clear height
for passing through the covered
passage / under the building.
For other vehicles (commercial, public
services) shall not be lower than:
• 3.0m clear
Car Ramp
Minimum width:
• 5.5m 2-way traffic
• 2.7m single-way traffic
Adequate ramp gradient should be
provided
© Rolfe Judd
*2
Building:
City:
Developer:
Platinium Business Park
Warsaw
GTC
Recommendation
• 10% of spaces for disabled is
considered to be good practice
• to provide taxi drop-off points
and good access for commercial
and public vehicles on site
• to provide car parking for visitors
• to provide cycle racks and
motorbike spaces
16
B.
CRITERIA
Building Technical
B6 LIFT SERVICE (OB)
Minimum lift service to achieve a
maximum waiting time of 30 seconds.
Recommendation
Lifts should be designed to
achieve:
• 80% loading / 30 sec interval
• Passenger handling capacity:
15% of total building population
in a 5 minute period, number
of occupants calculation: 14m2
(NIA) per person minimum,
subject to client occupancy
requirements
• Goods Lift:
- consider for buildings over
5,000m2
- provide for buildings over
10,000m2
- consider second goods lift for
buildings over 25-30,000m2
• at least one lift suitable for
stretchers (might be the goods lift
if appropriate dimensions) shall
be provided
*2
B7 CEILINGS AND LIGHTING
(OB)
a) Ceilings
There are essentially two ceiling
types for consideration; exposed
and enclosed or suspended ceiling
systems.
Suspended ceilings of some type are
traditional in Class A offices throughout
Europe and North America. They
provide a flat, light and regular ceiling
plane. They usefully hide services and
help control noise and light levels.
Ceilings where the services and
structural grid are exposed are
becoming more common especially
in high mass building types where
the exposure of the structural
floor soffit (often concrete) can be
useful in helping control the internal
environment.
The ceiling finish and whether to install
a suspended ceiling or not is a matter
of design.
b) Lighting
The lighting in the office should
be both comfortable and efficient,
increasing the productivity of the
working environment.
For lighting to provide both safety and
comfort the following criteria described
in Polish Standards must be fulfilled:
•
•
•
•
•
Illumination level
Uniformity
Luminance distribution
Glare reduction
Colour (temperature) and colour
rendering
• Blinking and stroboscope effect
In the light of sustainability goals it is
our contention that the Polish Building
Regulations should be reconsidered
and requirements reduced to allow for
energy savings.
Light sources give a wide range of
colour impressions related to their
colour temperature described in Kelvin
degrees:
• warm impression
3000K
• neutral colour
impression
3300-5300K
• cool colour impression 5300-6500K
The higher the illumination level is,
the higher temperature of light source
shall be used.
Energy Conservation
Energy conservation in lighting could
be provided by introducing:
• dimmable system
• daylight control
• motion detector for presence control
• systems with 26mm dia. three-band
fluorescent lamps (61% savings)
• systems with 16mm dia. three-band
fluorescent lamps (82% savings)
Recommendation
Lighting Systems
It is recommended that office
buildings are equipped with the
most modern energy efficient
lighting system.
Lighting energy consumption is a
vital factor in energy efficiency of
the whole building.
Avoiding high contrasts, light blinking
and glare could reduce fatigue and
discomfort of office staff.
Building:
City:
Architect:
Atlantic House
London
Rolfe Judd
Illumination level depends on type
of tasks. According to building
regulations for general office use the
illumination level shall not be less than
300 Lux, for computer based tasks not *8
less than 500 Lux and in corridors not
less than 100 Lux (200 average).
Building:
City:
Developer:
Royal Wilanow
Warsaw
Capital Park
17
B.
CRITERIA
Building Technical
B8 SMALL POWER (OB)
Minimum recommended small power
requirements are provided below.
Recommendation
Small Power Requirements
(loading diversified)
• Lighting: 20W/m2
• Office equipment and air
conditioning: 60W/m2
Some spare ways at riser
distribution boards shall also be
provided
B9 BMS SYSTEMS (OB)
Class A buildings require a high
degree of control to run efficiently and
with flexibility to suit the requirements
of a wide range of different tenants. A
comprehensive Building Management
System (BMS) is recommended as the
best way to control the operation of the
building functions.
B11 TENANTS’ PLANT SPACE
PROVISION (AD)
of the fit-out package its category
depends on tenants requirements.
Building equipment should allow for
maximum flexibility.
Recommendation
• Intake/frame rooms: some
IT/telecoms providers will require
dedicated rooms at the point
of the services entry into the
building (usually at basement
level)
• Allow for server rooms (to
provide suitable slab loading
capacity bearings for servers, IT
and cooling equipment)
• Allow for telecoms riser which
may be combined with the IT and
electrical risers
• Allow for flexible raised floor
Recommendation
It is recommended to install a BMS
to control the following:
• Internal environment – heating/
cooling/lighting in an easily
zonable fashion
• Central security control
• Fire alarms and access for
firemen at ground level
Building:
City:
Developer:
Cristal Park
Warsaw
Yareal
Building:
City:
Developer:
University Business Park
Lodz
GTC
B10 CABLING (OB)
Cabling systems and requirements
for IT services, power and lights are
changing rapidly. There is a trend
towards wireless IT systems and
there are some experimental local
wireless power systems (though
none we know that are commercially
available at the moment, mostly due to
security reasons). In order to cater for
a variety of systems buildings should
be designed with maximum future
flexibility. Because internal cabling
within the office space is usually part
Space is often required for tenants
services at roof level or in the
basement. This requirement is often
greater in multi tenanted buildings
where, for example, a number of
tenants may require space for back
up power generation, satellite or IT
services.
Recommendation
Allow space for:
• Satellite dishes
• Additional cooling capacity (could
be in central plant)
• IT intake rooms at basement
level
18
B.
CRITERIA
Building Technical
B12 POWER SUPPLIES (OB)
An alternative power supply is required
for Class A office buildings.
Recommendation
• Alternative power can be
provided via the use of a
generator unit or a second
independent power supply from
a different mains circuit from the
primary supply
• Standby generator provided for
life safety systems (if required)
• Provision of space for tenants
generators may vary according
to the number of tenants to be
accommodated and sharing of
facilities
B13 FLOORS (AD)
Provision of a raised floor with
good access for services such as
electrical and IT cabling is an essential
requirement for a Class A office
buildings. Raised floor types and
depths vary greatly but certain styles
of raised floors have gained favour
amongst tenants and developers for
flexibility, economy and robustness.
There are some other cheaper raised
floors solutions, which allow for
cabling provision. They are not as
flexible (e.g. cast-in channels) but
might be sufficient for some buildings.
Sometimes, (e.g in refurbished
buildings) when it is impossible to fit
raised floors, the other solutions might
be implemented.
Recommendation
• 120 - 150mm overall depth min
90mm clear access zone
• 300mm for deeper floors (18m +
core to facade)
• 300mm – 500mm for sub-floor air
conditioning
• 500 or 600mm square metal floor
tiles
• Point loads of 3.0KN (over
25mm2)
Building:
City:
Developer:
Andersia Business Centre
Poznan
Von Der Heyden Group
B14 STRUCTURE (OB)
Minimum recommended structural
standards are provided below.
Recommendation
A Slab Loadings
Live – general (95%): 2.5kN/m2
Live – high (5%): 4-4.5kN/m2
Partitions: 1.0kN/m2
Raised floors: 0.85kN/m2
Frequently a structural loading
standard of 4.0kN/m2 (+1.0 kN/m2)
is imposed to suit market
expectations.
B Deflections and Tolerances
Max. Permissible Deflections &
Tolerances of Concrete Frame
Structure:
• L / 200 when L≤6m for beams
and slabs
• 30mm when 6m<L<7.5m for
beams and slabs
• L / 250 when L≥7,5m for beams
and slabs
*12
• L / 150 for cantilevers
Max. Permissible Deflections &
Tolerances of Steel Structure:
• L / 250 for roof main elements
• L / 300 for slabs
• H / 500 for columns in multi*13
storey buildings
Where:
L – span of element
H – height of element
19
B.
CRITERIA
Building Comfort
B15 AMENITIES (AD)
For an office building of any
substantial size local amenities will
be required either on site or within
easy walking distance. Such facilities
as listed below could be incorporated
in larger buildings but their provision
depends on the building’s location.
Building:
City:
Developer:
Horizon Plaza
Warsaw
IVG Development
Building:
City:
Architect:
Centre Point
London
Rolfe Judd
The selection of amenities within the
building should be carefully considered
as some of them are not welcomed by
tenants.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Café
Bank / ATM
Convenience store
Small supermarket
Restaurant / Canteen
Kiosk
Building:
City:
Developer:
Green Towers
Wroclaw
Skanska Property Poland
Building:
City:
Developer:
Sterling Business Centre
Lodz
Hines Polska
Recommendation
Good access to local amenities
for lunch, convenience shopping/
banking etc: this may include
facilities provided in the locality.
.
20
B.
CRITERIA
Building Comfort
B16 DAYLIGHTING (AD)
a) Floor to Ceiling Height
b) Window Design and Daylighting
The ratio of floor to ceiling height is
important for comfort levels within
offices. The ratio affects lighting levels,
as well as the feeling of space and
airiness. In general the deeper the
office floor plan the greater the floor to
ceiling height required.
Recommendation
Ceiling height
• Open plan minimum height
3.00m required under Polish
law but lower heights can be
achieved with a SANEPID
apostasy.
• Recommended minimum for
Class A offices is 2.7m.
*2
It is considered desirable to have
full height floor to ceiling windows
where possible on office facades to
give a good distribution of light on to
office floors. Smaller windows can
be acceptable provided the minimum
daylight levels are achieved. 40%
glass as a percentage of façade
area is considered a good guide to
achieving minimum daylight levels.
Windows should be designed to afford
good light, and good uninterrupted
views out. Large window frame
sections and transoms at eye
level should be avoided. From the
sustainability point of view, high
perfomance glazed facades should be
provided of at least 1.4W/m2*K.
Solar control must also be considered
in terms of the building’s orientation.
Ceiling Height
Standard:
Recommended minimum:
(with apostasy)
H=3.0m
H=2.7m
Max Plan Depth = 2H - 2.5H
D = 5.4m - 7.5m
Ceiling Height to Plan Depth Relation
© Rolfe Judd
External, internal or interstitial blinds
may be required. As much individual
local control should be provided for
the shading provision for each window.
The greater the degree of control
occupants have over their environment
the happier they tend to be.
From a psychological point of view, it
is good practice to provide at least one
openable window per 2.7m office grid,
but this can conflict with sustainability
aspects of the building. Openable
windows can also cause lower
performance of air conditioning and
thus higher energy consumption.
Recommendation
• 1:8 window area to floor area
ratio
• Minimum 70% of the area within
6m of a window
21
B.
CRITERIA
Building Comfort
B18 NOISE (OB)
B17 HEATING, COOLING AND
VENTILATION (OB)
Efficient, quiet and flexible heating
cooling and ventilation systems are
required for all Class A buildings.
Flexibility in operation must be
matched to any potential tenant
subdivision. A 15-20 year life span
is recommended for all key system
components.
a) Minimum/maximum internal
temperature requirements
To achieve the requirements of
designing a sustainable building
without extensive cost there is a
need to challenge our mentality and
expectations regarding a building’s
internal environment. Research has
revealed there is no need to over
design services to maintain the
standard 22°C during the summer.
It is far too expensive and energy
consuming. Thus some of the
influence of the external temperatures
on internal environment should be
allowed.
A more forgiving and environmentally
sensitive formula allows for a range
of internal temperatures. With 22°C
maintained up to 28°C outside
temperature. Above this level internal
temperature may rise 0.5°C for every
1°C rise outside. This allows the
building to be used more efficiently
throughout the year and reduce
emission of CO2 significantly.
b) Internal Heat Gains – Small Power
• Office equipment (diversified load):
10 W/m2
• Risers / busbars on floor distribution
boards: 1% of installed power
• Heat gains from Low Voltage
Systems (security, fire detection,
etc.) are so small that they are
usually omitted
c) Internal Heat Gains – IT services
• Central server room: 30 kW
• Local distribution points: 10 kW
d) Internal Heat Gains – Lighting
• 20 W/m2
© Rolfe Judd
e) Internal Heat Gains – Occupants
The level of the noise within office
space is very important and has a big
influence on comfort and employees’
efficiency.
• 150W per person, 1 person per
8m2 – 10m2
Recommendation
Max Noise Levels
Heating Cooling & Ventilation
• Office: 40 dB
• Work requiring concentration: 35 dB
The formula to calculate internal
temperature is as follows:
Recommendation
IT = 22 + (OT - 28)/2
• To keep noise levels as low
level as possible to increase the
comfort of the office environment
IT - Internal Temperature
OT - Outside Temperature
Mechanical Ventilation Rates
• Minimum outside air 30 m3
per hour per person. Higher
exchange creates better
internal environment
*11
*14
Humidity Control
• Humidity at the level of 40% and
above
22
B.
CRITERIA
Building Sustainability
B19 ENVIRONMENTAL
STANDARDS (AD)
a) Overview
It is widely accepted that global
warming is happening and that it is
being exacerbated by man’s activities.
The Kyoto Protocol, European and
national laws and regulations are
all being developed to help limit the
production of greenhouse gases
which cause global warming. Limiting
greenhouse gases, principally
carbon dioxide, (the most prevalent
greenhouse gas) is key to helping
prevent climate change. Controlling
these emissions in buildings is
important as they are responsible for
40% of all carbon dioxide emissions.
Whilst legislation in Poland is lagging
behind much of Europe the demand
from occupiers for low energy space
is rapidly increasing. Corporate
responsibility in many Western
European companies is rising up the
ladder of importance.
Buildings of any size take years to
plan and build and yet the window
of opportunity to prevent excessive
climate change diminishes by the year.
The objective of this section is to set
a new sustainability benchmark for
Polish offices with the aim of making
new large office building comparable
with the best in Europe.
During the 20 years of a building’s life
span, the cost of its erection is equal
to around 20% of all expenditures
connected with running the building
during this period. Bearing this in mind
a reduction in carbon emission can
save a lot of money. By investing more
money at the beginning, developers
can use this sustainability approach as
a marketing tool as well as providing
occupiers often with the added benefit
of lower service changes.
b) LEED
The Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) Green
Building Rating System™ is a thirdparty certification program established
by The US Green Buildings Council.
Besides the United States LEED
projects are in progress in 41 different
countries, including Canada, Brazil,
Mexico, India and CEMEA region
(Continental Europe, Middle East
and Africa). This programme is a
benchmark for the design, construction
and operation of high performance
“green” buildings, recognising
performance in five key areas:
sustainable site development, water
savings, energy efficiency, materials
selection and indoor environmental
quality. Buildings are granted scores
and qualify for one of four levels of
certification: Certified, Silver, Gold and
Platinum. LEED system is presented
in detail at www.usgbc.org. The
program is continuously evolving,
taking advantage of new technologies
and advancements in building science
while prioritizing energy efficiency and
CO2 emissions reductions in the latest
3rd version.
An office building which receives a
LEED certificate has lower operating
costs, increased asset value and is
healthier and safer for occupants,
compared with a regular office
building.
Building:
City:
Developer:
© Rolfe Judd
c) BREEAM Standard
Poleczki Business Park
Warsaw
UBM Polska
The British Research Establishment
or BRE has established the BREEAM
Standards originally for the UK but
now used throughout Europe and
the Middle East. The BREEAM
Standards for offices are a simple
means of assessing buildings on a
whole range of environmental issues
to arrive at one of a simple range
of ratings: fair, good, very good and
excellent. BREEAM provide full
details of their standards on their
web site www.breeam.org. They
update the standards regularly and tie
them into EU legislative targets and
developments. With the aim of making
the best Polish offices amongst the
best in Europe, the target is to achieve
BREEAM ‘very good’ standard for all
new offices.
Recommendation
Achieve either:
• LEED Gold standard
• BREEAM Very Good standard
23
B.
CRITERIA
Building Sustainability
B20 CARBON REDUCTION (AD)
a) Overview
The EU timetable for reducing carbon
emissions means that by 2020 Poland
will be required to reduce its carbon
emissions by 20% relative to 1990
levels. The built environment accounts
for around 40% of energy used and
so building design will have to change
rapidly to adapt to these challenges.
Energy conservation measures and
renewable energy technology will both
have to be embraced to achieve these
targets.
b) The Options
On the energy conservation side,
building facade design will have to be
significantly improved. Facades will
need to be designed to work better
passively, making the most of natural
light to minimise the need for artificial
lighting but at the same time limit
summer overheating, thus minimising
the need for artificial cooling. Much
higher levels of insulation to both
the solid and glazed elements of
the facade will also be required to
reduce heat losses. The appearance
of facades will therefore change.
Fully glazed facades could become
a feature of the past and more solid
facades may predominate. Building
services will need to be made much
more efficient; the reliance on air
conditioning will have to be reduced
and natural ventilation maximised.
With natural ventilation will come the
need for building occupants to accept
a wider range of internal building
temperatures as narrow ranges
© Rolfe Judd
of internal temperature cannot be
guaranteed. Building control systems
will also have to be improved to allow
better control of energy consuming
facilities such as lighting, heating and
cooling.
On the renewable technology side,
buildings will increasingly need to
be fitted with renewable technology
features, which will provide an element
of renewable energy on site. Biomass,
geothermal, solar thermal, solar
electric and wind technologies will
all play a part. Biomass, geothermal
and solar thermal are perhaps the
three technologies most appropriate
for buildings in cities. Wind conditions
within cities and towns are often
too unreliable to make wind power
feasible; high set up costs make solar
electric difficult to achieve. Biomass
technology works well in Poland with
its plentiful supply of fuel; the average
cost of 1MWh is around 260PLN.
Geothermal can be installed quite
simply when combined with piled
foundations or in separate boreholes
under large buildings. Average energy
costs for this technology are around
170PLN for heating. Solar thermal
panels are good for residential
buildings though often difficult to use
in large blocks or office buildings due
to a relative lack of sufficiently large
and well orientated areas to locate the
panels. Solar thermal technology is
most efficient when used for hot water
heating.
Developers and tenants will have
to accept that achieving low energy
buildings does not come free and will
cost around 3-8% more than current
building technologies though adoption
of such measures should result in
significant CO2 reductions and lower
building running costs.
CO2 Reduction:
Published Polish National Targets
By 2012:
6% Reduction relative to 1988 level
By 2020:
20% Reduction relative to 1990 level
Renewable Energy Generation:
National Targets
By 2014: 10% Polish energy generation
By 2020: 14% Polish energy generation
Improved internal building design in
terms of refining local environment
• Immediate environment local
control, more natural ventilation less
air-conditioning, etc. (this allows
building occupants to help control
their own environment)
Improved building design in terms
of the building fabric and technical
systems:
• Good passive design, high
insulation, controlled solar gain, etc
• Good building services, efficient,
flexible, local controls, etc
• Efficient use of energy and use of
renewable technologies
24
B.
CRITERIA
Building Sustainability
B20 CARBON REDUCTION (AD)
c) Methods of Measurement
Recommendation
Building:
City:
Developer:
Building:
City:
Developer:
Green Corner
Warsaw
Skanska Property Poland
Mokotowska Square
Warsaw
Yareal
To achieve this standard and to
work towards the national Polish
targets we recommend that office
building designs achieve a 10%
reduction in carbon emissions
when measured against a building
achieving the minimum permitted
standards required by the current
edition of the Polish building
regulations.
*7
d) Precedents
The illustration below shows the
energy savings achieved in a new
build office design incorporating the
following features:
• Passive measures: maximising
natural daylight, utilising natural
ventilation rather than air
conditioning, using high thermal
mass to help deal with high summer
heat loads and good insulation
to minimise the winter heating
requirement, and collecting water
run off via green roofs and storage
for re-use
• Active measures: the provision of
renewable energy produced via
ground source heat pump and
solar thermal hot water panels,
active lighting control and efficient
ventilation controls and central plant
Electricity (except cooling)
Cooling
Space heating and hot water
© Rolfe Judd
25
B.
CRITERIA
Location
B II LOCATION CRITERIA
The location of an office building is
critical to its market appeal. For many
businesses only the most central
location within a central business
district (CBD) will do and this is
considered a Class A location. Class B
and C locations are in turn less prime
real estate locations.
Recommendation
Class A
Primary locations within the
central business district (CBD)
and major or prestigious business
park or office zone locations with
excellent visibility, accessibility for
pedestrians (5-7 minutes walk) and
via the car, with at least two means
of public transport nearby and a
good variety of local amenities.
Class B
Secondary locations on the
periphery of CBD’s or on industrial
or office estates located outside
the CBD. These are good office
locations with good access for
pedestrians, via the car, public
transport connections and services.
Class C
Any other location not defined as
class A or B, in a non-established
business neighbourhood.
Building:
City:
Developer:
Grzybowska Park
Warsaw
AIG Lincoln Polska
© Rolfe Judd
Building:
City:
Developer:
Rondo 1
Warsaw
Hochtief Development Poland
26
C.
KEY STATUTORY ISSUES
C1 FIRE SAFETY
Most of the fire safety regulations are
set up in two main documents:
• Ordinance of the Minister of
Infrastructure regarding technical
requirements for buildings and their
location
• Ordinance of the Minister of Interior
and Administration regarding
provision of water for fire fighting
purposes and fire service vehicle
access routes
a) Fire Resistance of Buildings
Classification:
*2
• Occupancy Risk Category of Office
Buildings:
- ZL I Category - public use buildings
with room serving more than 50
people (not permanent users)
- ZL III Category - public use
buildings not qualified as ZL I
• Building Height Category:
- Low Building (N) - height up to 12m
- Building of Medium height (SW)up to 25m
- High Building (W) - up to 55m
- Skyscraper (WW) - above 55m
b) Fire Zones and Fire Divisions
*2
Fire zones shall not exceed sizes
provided in Building Regulations.
c) Means of Escape
*2
Means of Escape are designed to
serve number of people assessed by
Occupant Capacity Factor - 5 m2 per
person
d) Horizontal escape routes
*2
• Maximum travel distance within the
room: shall not exceed 40m or 32m
(80% of a maximum distance) when
internal arrangement is not specified
• Maximum travel distance outside the
room (via corridor) in ZL III building:
20m or 60m depending on number
of available escape directions
• Maximum travel distance outside the
room (via corridor) in ZL I building:
10m or 40m depending on number
of available escape directions
© Rolfe Judd
• Escape route minimum clear width
1.4m / 0.6m per every 100 people
(counted proportionally)
• Escape door minimum clear width
0.9m / 0.6m per every 100 people
(counted proportionally)
• Office buildings W & WW shall have
escape corridors equipped with
smoke extract devices
e) Vertical escape routes
*2
• Stair flights minimum clear width
1.2m / 0.6 m per every 100 people
(counted proportionally)
• Office buildings SW, W & WW shall
have protected stairways, equipped
with smoke preventing or smoke
extraction devices
• Office buildings W with floor level
area bigger than 750 m2 shall have
at least 2 protected stairways with
protected lobbies
• Office buildings W & WW, with one
floor level located above 25m, shall
have at least one fire fighting lift in
each fire zone
f) External Fire Spread
*2
Minimum distance between the
buildings when external walls are not
Fire Division Walls and which have:
• 65% of façade compliant to
adequate Building Elements’ Fire
Resistance Category – shall be 8m
• 30-65% of façade compliant to
adequate Building Elements’ Fire
Resistance Category – shall be 12m
• Less than 30% of façade compliant
to adequate Building Elements’ Fire
Resistance Category – shall be 16m
Distance to the boundary shall be no
less than half of the distance specified
above.
g) Access and Facilities for the Fire
Service
*4
• Fire access route shall be provided
to all ZL I buildings and ZL III SW, W
& WW
• Fire access route shall be either
- located alongside longer side of
the building or along 2 sides when
building is wider than 60m or, when
justifiable by local conditions, route
could be provided to:
- 30% of building perimeter when
building is no wider than 60m
- 50% of building perimeter when
building is wider than 60m
- 100% of facade length when
building is a continuous part of
urban quarter frontage
• Distance between edge of fire route
and external wall of the building:
5m - 15m
• There shall be no obstacles higher
than 3m or trees between the route
and building wall
• There shall be a turning facility of
minimum size 20 m x 20 m provided
on fire route with a dead-end
• Fire route shall be designed to carry
Fire Tender Vehicle Loading 100kN/
axle (3 axles)
• Fire Tender Vehicle requires 4.2m
of clear height for passing through
a covered passage / under the
building
• Width of the Fire Tender Route min.
4m alongside the building. The rest
of fire route shall be at least 3-3.5m
depending on the location of the
building (urban / non-urban area).
27
C.
C2 DISABLED ACCESS
• Building access
At least one entrance shall be
accessible by disabled and provide
them with access to the whole
building or its parts dedicated to
disabled people
• Disabled parking spaces shall be
provided
• Entrance lobby shall be designed to
suit disabled needs
• Door thresholds shall not be higher
than 20mm
• All levels with lift shall be disabled
accessible
• At least one of the toilets at disabled
accessible level shall be designated
for disabled
• External ramps gradient and
dimensions shall be designed
according to the Building
Regulations
• Disabled accessible lift car shall
have minimum dimensions
1.1mx1.4m
*2
KEY STATUTORY ISSUES
C3 SUSTAINABILITY
Newly designed buildings shall meet
sustainability standard requirements
determined in current Polish and EU
legislation.
*1
Key provisions:
• Minimum requirements for the
energy performance of all new
Domestic and Non-Domestic
buildings:
- Demand for non-renewable primary
energy Ep
- Maximum permissible heat-transfer
rate U-value for building partitions,
windows, etc
*2
• Energy certification of all buildings
(with buildings which have usable
area that is greater than 1000m2 or
frequently visited buildings providing
public services being required to
prominently display the energy
certificate)
*15
Recommendation
• It is considered a good practice
to provide 10% of car park
spaces for disabled drivers
• Disabled toilets may be included
in calculations as additional
provision for women.
Building:
City:
Developer:
Mokotowska Square
Warsaw
Yareal
© Rolfe Judd
Building:
City:
Developer:
Eurocentrum
Warsaw
Capital Park
• Regular mandatory inspection of
boilers and air conditioning systems
in buildings
• Analysis of the technical and
economic feasibility of:
- Alternative energy sources (e.g.
heat pumps, solar panels, ground
heat exchangers)
- Decentralised energy generation
system such as individual or block
heating
- Combined heat and power cogeneration potential usage
*3
28
The measurement of space is a live
discussion topic in Poland. Many
standards have been adopted by
developers and other industry players
but none of them have been agreed as
a market standard. It makes it difficult
to assess what the net to gross ratio of
a particular building is, thus making it
difficult to compare them. This section
aims to start a discussion about the
best standard which should then be
commonly used
In Poland the following standards are
currently in use:
a) The Polish Standard PN-70/B02365
*9
(one of two Polish standards in
measuring areas and volume of the
building. It is used in procedures
defined in Building Law for existing
buildings):
• Specifies how to measure: Total
Area, Structure Area, Net Area,
Circulation Area, Service Area,
Usage Area (Main and Auxiliary)
• Areas to be measured between
unfinished surface of walls /
structure elements (without lining,
plaster, tiles etc.) at 1.0m above
floor level
b) The Polish Standard PN-ISO 9836-
1997 (one of two Polish standards *10
in measuring areas and volume of
the building. It is used in procedures
defined in Building Law for newly
constructed buildings):
• Specifies how to measure: Total
Floor Area, Internal Floor Area,
Net Floor Area, Circulation Area,
Service Area, Usage Area (Main
and Auxiliary), Building Envelope
Area
• Areas to be measured between
plastered surface of walls /
structure elements at floor height
c) GIF Lettable Area of Commercial
Spaces Measuring Directive
Established by Society of Property
Researchers in Germany and specifies
Building Lettable Area (this method is
related to the German Standard DIN
277):
• Measurement to be taken at floor
height
© Rolfe Judd
D.
AREA MEASUREMENT
• Describes which areas shall
be determined as lettable area
exclusively dedicated for tenants
and defined as common lettable
area
• Describes which areas are not to be
taken into account as lettable area:
service use, stair flights, ramps,
landings between floors, lift shafts,
vehicle communication areas,
escape routes and stairs, atria,
structural walls and columns, risers
d) TEGOVA Standard
Specifies how to measure Building
Lettable Area (this method does
not comply with either of the Polish
Standards. It is used to calculate
lettable office area for property
researching purposes only):
• Measurement to be taken at 1.5m
• The area to be measured between
internal surfaces of external building
walls or in case more than 50%
of the external façade is glazed
between the glazed surfaces
• The area between the tenants to be
calculated in the centre line of the
division wall separating the tenants
premises / or to the centre line of
opening in structural wall
• Describes which areas shall
be determined as lettable area
exclusively dedicated for tenant:
hydrants, electrical distribution
boards, kitchenettes and toilets, if
dedicated for tenant
• Describes which areas shall be
determined as lettable common
area: entrance halls, corridors,
toilets, lift lobbies, security rooms etc
• Describes which areas are not to be
taken into account as lettable area:
internal structural walls and shafts,
plant rooms etc.
e) BOMA Standard
Established by the U.S. Building
Owners And Managers Association
(BOMA) (this method is used to
calculate lease area for rental
purposes only):
• The Boma Lease Measurement
Usable Area is the actual occupiable
area of a floor or an office suite
• The Boma Lease Measurement Floor
Rentable Area - the tenant’s pro-rata
portion of the entire office floor,
excluding elements of the building
that penetrate through the floor to
areas below.
• Boma Lease Measurement Building
Common Area - includes those
areas of a building that are used to
provide services to building tenants,
but which are not included in the
office area of any specific tenant.
It also includes any associated
common areas and is applied to the
Floor Rentable Area to calculate the
Rentable Area.
• Boma Lease Measurement Load
Factor - the percentage of space on
a floor that is not usable plus a prorata share of the Building Common
Area, expressed as a percent of
Usable Area (also known as the
Common Area Factor, the Loss
Factor, the Add-on Factor).
www.boma.org
f) RICS Standard
Established by the Royal Institution of
Chartered Surveyors and intended for
use in the UK, however in Poland used
by UK origin developers & consultants.
Provides definitions for accurate
measurement of buildings required
for valuation, management,
conveyancing, planning, taxation, sale,
letting, or acquisition purposes.
• Gross External Area - the area of
a building measured externally at
each floor level, suitable for town
planning, rating and council tax,
building cost estimation purposes.
• Gross Internal Area - the area of a
building measured to the internal
face of the perimeter walls at each
floor level, suitable for estate agency
& valuation, property management
purposes.
• Net Internal Area - the usable area
within a building measured to the
internal face of the perimeter walls
at each floor level, suitable for
rating, estate agency & valuation,
property management purposes.
www.rics.org
29
E.
OTHER ISSUES
E1 FACADES
Facades are key components of all
buildings. They perform the practical
tasks of keeping the rain out and
the heat in and generally providing
a controlled internal environment.
But facades perform other important
functions; they are critical to the way
a building looks and feels internally as
well as externally. The amount of solid
and glazed areas and the proportions
of the glass crucially affect the quality
of the internal environment. The
external appearance of the facade
is also critical to the buildings image
and quality. There are no design
rules that can simply be adopted
to ensure that the design reaches
minimum standards, but it is essential
the design is well considered and
practical for the location and building
use. Facade materials are a matter
of performance and taste so long
as they meet the essential lifespan
requirements. Environmental factors
such as heat loss and gain and the
need to maximise natural daylight are
increasingly affecting the appearance
of facades, with facade design moving
away from all-glass solutions.
Below is a summary of the most
common façade types, each one of
which can be designed suitably for
office use.
a) Façade Types
Curtain Walling
System of cladding components hung
from the structural frame and slabs.
Issues
• Efficient system of enclosing a
building
• Standardised components allow for
rapid cost effective construction.
• Well known technology with a
wide range of manufacturers and
components
• Fire rating issues require addressing
• Difficult to achieve a very high
thermal performance
• Component replacement may be
complicated and expensive
• Often heavily glazed, may cause
difficulty in achieving low energy
solutions
Ventilated Rainscreen Cladding
System of cladding components fixed
to a frame usually spanning floor to
floor. The external cladding material
protects the façade from the rain but
has open joints and a ventilated cavity.
Issues
• Efficient and economic system of
enclosing a building
• Well known technology with a very
wide range of manufacturers and
components
• Can be formed using glass, metal,
timber, stone, ceramic or other
composite façade materials
• Careful design of the system
is required to avoid leaks and
interstitial condensation
• Lifespan can be compromised
unless measures are taken to
protect key components
Masonry on a Backing Wall
Building:
City:
Developer:
Andersia Tower
Poznan
Von Der Heyden Group
© Rolfe Judd
System of either load bearing or non
load bearing facing masonry and a
backing wall. This may be a brick
system or ceramic tiles or stone,
mechanically fixed or bonded and
fixed to a backing wall.
Issues
• Economic system for enclosing a
building
• Very robust system if block or
concrete is used as the backing wall
• Size of components and weight of
components may be an issue for
some structures
• Interfaces and junctions with
windows and doors require careful
design to avoid cold bridging
Recommendation
• The facade design should enable
to erect partition at every 1.35m.
• Facade should have at least an
800mm zone between floors
of non-flammable material with
*2
adequate fire resistance.
E2 LIFE OF BUILDINGS
In Poland there appears to be no
specific legislative requirements for
the life span of buildings. However, 40
years is often required as a minimum
for basis of financial appraisal when
assessing the building from a potential
investor’s perspective.
Typical Requirements for ‘High Spec’
Offices are illustrated below:• Structure: 60 years
• External façade: 60 years
• Windows and curtain walling: 60
years
• Roof: 15-25 years (subject to
available guarantees)
• Miscellaneous components: 5-15
years
• Fixtures; 10 years
• Finishes: 5 years
• Building engineering services: 15-25
years dependent upon component
30
E
OTHER ISSUES
E3 STRUCTURAL OPTIONS
There are essentially two main options
for the structural design for offices;
concrete or steel. In practice there
are many variations including hybrids
of structure and steel and precast
concrete components too. Some of
the advantages and restrictions each
option provides are illustrated below.
It is essential when considering
the structural options to consider
the other factors in the building’s
design which may affect the choice
such as loading requirements, clear
span requirements, building height,
availability of raw materials, lead
times, façade design, etc.
b) Steel Frame
a) Concrete Frame
Pros
• Concrete frame cast in-situ offers
very good flexibility for various plan
layouts
• Typical RC concrete structure
provides flexibility for further
amendments/redevelopments of the
structure in the future
• Better fire rating than steel structure.
• Post tension slabs (more
sophisticated) offer very good span
factor
Pros
• Good span factor
• Suitable for fast building process
• Flexible for plan arrangement (non
typical plans) at design stage
• Composite construction reduces
overall weight (foundation loading
also reduced)
• Steel decking during construction
process needs minimal propping
• Ceilings and services can be easily
suspended and services threaded
through beam openings
Cons
• Construction time is longer than
steel structure
• Needs more workmanship however
precast elements may be used to
reduce onsite works
Cons
• Higher initial cost
• Fire rating solutions require careful
consideration
• Lifespan of structure requires more
attention than concrete structure
150 TYPICAL RAISED FLOOR
150 TYPICAL RAISED FLOOR
130 RC SLAB ON PROFILED
STEEL DECK
RC DOWNSTAND BEAM
ALLOWANCE FOR STRUCTURAL
DEFLECTION
DUCT ZONE WITH ALLOWANCE FOR
INSULATION, FIXINGS, ETC.
110 TYPICAL CEILING / LIGHTING
ZONE
BEAM DEPTH
1200
1050
RC SLAB
Concrete: Downstand Beams
ALLOWANCE FOR STRUCTURAL
DEFLECTION
DUCT ZONE WITH ALLOWANCE FOR
INSULATION, FIXINGS, ETC.
110 TYPICAL CEILING / LIGHTING
ZONE
Steel: Solid Beam
• Shorter spans compared to steel structure
• More economic than concrete slab, but downstand obstructs services passage
• Deeper overall floor zone than concrete flat slab
• Longer spans compared to concrete structure
• More economic than steel cellular beams
• Likely to have deeper overall floor zone than other solutions
150 TYPICAL RAISED FLOOR
130 RC SLAB ON PROFILED
STEEL DECK
150 TYPICAL RAISED FLOOR
ALLOWANCE FOR STRUCTURAL
DEFLECTION
DUCT ZONE WITH ALLOWANCE FOR
INSULATION, FIXINGS, ETC.
BEAM DEPTH
1050
1000
RC FLAT SLAB
DUCT ZONE WITH ALLOWANCE FOR
INSULATION, FIXINGS, ETC.
ALLOWANCE FOR STRUCTURAL
DEFLECTION
110 TYPICAL CEILING / LIGHTING
ZONE
110 TYPICAL CEILING / LIGHTING
ZONE
Concrete: Flat Slab
• Shorter spans compared to steel structure
• Less economic than concrete slab with downstand beam
• Likely to have shallowest overall floor zone of all solutions
© Rolfe Judd
Steel: Cellular Beam
• Longer spans compared to concrete structure
• Less economic than steel solid beams
• Shallower overall floor zone than steel solid beams
31
E.
OTHER ISSUES
E4 SERVICES OPTIONS
Of the main building services
components it is the system of heating,
ventilation and cooling (HVAC) that
usually causes most debate. The
situation is in fact becoming ever
more complicated as the number of
options and energy sources multiplies.
Increasingly, energy efficiency is
becoming the driving factor. However,
building comfort must not be overlooked.
Comfortable buildings are generally
those that provide the greatest level of
individual control for their occupants.
In achieving a low energy design the
suitability of the delivery system of
HVAC must be carefully matched with
the energy supply system. A system
of chilled beams or ceilings is often
considered to be the most energy
efficient.
The main HVAC options are illustrated
below.
Choice of Mechanical System
a) Chilled ceiling / chilled beams
Chilled beams mounted above
perforated metal panels, cooling agent
is chilled water. Cooling effect is
achieved by air convection.
Pros
• Reduced ceiling space – 120mm
• Very low noise levels
• No draught discomfort
• Uniform air temperatures throughout
the room
• Energy efficient
Pros
• Individual control of internal
parameters in particular room/zone
• Responsive system of HVAC
delivery
Process of the natural buoyancy
of warm air is used; heat and
contaminants rise to the ceiling level
where they are exhausted from the
space.
Cons
• Uneven room air distribution
• Higher noise levels
• Service and maintenance costs
– filters
Pros
• Improved indoor air quality
• Reduced cooling power demand
• Low noise levels
c) Variable air volume
This method supplies conditioned air
in variable amounts as required to
meet the rising and falling heat gains
or losses within the thermal zone
served.
Pros
• Possibility of central air flow control
• Flexibility – easily adapted to new
demands
• Energy efficiency
• Individual control of internal
parameters in particular room
Cons
• Expanded automatic control system
• Higher noise levels
• Complicated design
• Need more space above the
suspended ceiling
d) Displacement ventilation/under
floor systems
Cool supply air is introduced to the
space at or near the floor level at a low
velocity through large diffusers.
Cons
• Draught discomfort in area adjacent
to air diffuser
• Large size of diffusers and need for
clear zone in front of them
• increased heating power demand
e) Natural ventilation
Natural ventilation may be used only
in buildings up to 25m high, where
FFL to ceiling height is no less than
3.0m and with openable windows (with
mechanical ventilation to toilets).
Mechanical ventilation and/or air
conditioning required if ceiling height is
lower than 3.0m.
Pros
• Low energy even when
mechanically assisted
• Allows fresh air directly to occupants
Cons
• Can be uncomfortable in the winter
periods
• Does not work in deep plan
occupied floor plates
Cons
• Risk of moisture condensation on
the chilled ceiling panel
• Not easily variable or adaptable
• Very slow adjustment of the
temperature
• More effective in milder climate
b) Fan coils
Fan coils are used for both cooling
and heating. External cooling/heating
source is used – chilled/hot water
circuit. Heat exchanger heats up or
cools flowing air, which is supplied into
the room.
© Rolfe Judd
Building:
City:
Developer:
Liberty Corner
Warsaw
Von Der Heyden Group
APPENDIX 1
32
STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS’ REFERENCE
*1
The Building Law
*2
Ordinance of the Minister of Infrastructure regarding technical requirements for buildings and their location
*3
Ordinance of the Minister of Infrastructure regarding detailed scope and form of building permit design
*4
Ordinance of the Minister of Interior and Administration regarding provision of water for fire fighting purposes and fire
service vehicles access routes
*5
Ordinance of Ministry of Labour and Social Policy regarding general health and safety at work
*6
Ordinance of Ministry of Labour and Social Policy regarding health and safety at work at workstations
equipped with display monitors
*7
Ordinance of the Minister of Infrastructure regarding energy certification of all buildings
*8
Polish Standard PN-EN 12464-1:2004 (Lighting)
*9
Polish Standard PN-70/B-02365 (Areas)
*10 Polish Standard PN-ISO 9836-1997 (Areas)
*11 Polish Standard PN-N-01307:1994 & PN-97/B-02151/02 (Noise)
*12 Polish Standard PN-B-03264:2002 (Concrete structure)
*13 Polish Standard PN-B-03200:1990 (Steel structure)
*14 Polish Standard PN-83/B-03430 (Ventilation)
*15 European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive 2002/91/EC
Copyright
All rights reserved by Rolfe Judd. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form without the prior
written permission of Rolfe Judd.
Disclaimer
The Modern Office Standards: Poland guide has been developed with reasonable skill and care, however neither Rolfe Judd nor
CBRE or their respective subsidiaries shall be liable for any costs, losses, expenses or damages whatsoever arising out of the use of
or reliance on this guide. Rolfe Judd and CBRE makes no warranty, either express or implied, as to the accuracy of any data used in
preparing this guide. The guide has no legal status in Poland and does not therefore in any way supersede or replace any statutory or
regulatory requirements. The guide does not constitute design or construction advice and is for general information purposes only.
Professional advice should be sought in relation to any particular project.
CONTACTS
Rolfe Judd
Old Church Court
Claylands Road
London SW8 1NZ
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7556 1500
Website: www.rolfe-judd.co.uk
© Rolfe Judd
Rolfe Judd Polska
40-043 Katowice
Ul. Podchorążych 1
Telephone: +48 32 251 03 74
Website: www.rolfe-judd.pl
CB Richard Ellis Polska
00-124 Warsaw
Rondo ONZ 1
Rondo 1, 12th floor
Telephone: +48 22 544 80 00
Website: www.cbre.pl
33
STANDARDS SCORE CARD
QUALITY CRITERIA
Score (1 or 0)
Building Stature
1.
AD
A landmark building recognised in a local context by brand name and/or visibility. (Section B1)
Building Space
2.
A highly flexible internal design, flexible layout grid and efficient plan with good net to gross ratio. (Section B2)
AD
3.
Well designed lobby/reception with 24 hour concierge, appropriately sized and designed for the building size and use. (Section
B3)
OB
4.
Cores are to be well planned and appropriately sized to service the building occupants. (Section B4)
OB
Good accessibility and car park provision for tenants and visitors, good access for deliveries and building management
OB
5.
services. (Section B5)
Building Technical
6.
Minimum lift service with a maximum waiting time of 30 seconds. (Section B6)
OB
7.
Provision of a modern ceiling with efficient lighting to meet minimum standards. (Section B7)
OB
8.
Good small power provision meeting minimum requirements. (Section B8)
OB
9.
A modern BMS system to control access and security, fire, life safety and other building services. (Section B9)
OB
10. Provision of space for cabling and IT infrastructure (Section B10)
OB
11. Capability to accommodate tenants additional services such as IT rooms, satellite dishes, UPS, etc. within the building
(section B11)
AD
12. Provision of multiple power sources to ensure a constant power supply in the event of a local power grid failure. (Section B12)
OB
13. Provision of a raised floor with a minimum clear service zone of 90mm . (Section B13)
AD
14. Minimum structural loading floor capacities for each office floor level with an area allocated for high loading on each floor
(Section B14)
OB
Building Comfort
AD
15. Good local provision of amenities either on site or close by. (Section B15)
16. Good levels of natural daylighting, minimum 70% of net lettable area within 6m of an external window, minimum floor to ceiling
AD
height of 2.7m . (Section B16)
17. Provision of a modern system of heating, cooling, ventilation and humidity control to achieve good quality of internal climate
(Section B17)
OB
18. A quiet office environment to meet minimum standards (section B18)
OB
Building Sustainability
19. Achieve one of:
AD
LEED Gold Standard
BREEAM Standard Very Good (Section B19)
AD
20. Achieve a minimum of 10% carbon reduction when measured against current Polish Building Standards. (Section B20)
Total
LOCATION CRITERIA
Tick one
A
Primary locations within the central business districts (CBD) and major or prestigious business park locations with excellent transport
connections and a good variety of local amenities.
B
Secondary locations on the periphery of CBD’s or on industrial or office estates located outside the CBD. These are good office
locations with good transport connection and services.
C
Any other location not defined as class A or B.
CLASSIFICATION SUMMARY
A
QUALITY CRITERIA
Building should meet at least 17 out of 20 standard requirements
(12 obligatory + 5 additional)
B+ Building should meet at least 15 out of 20 standard requirements
(12 obligatory + 3 additional)
B
Building should meet at least 13 out of 20 standard requirements
(12 obligatory + 1 additional)
C
Building meets 12 and fewer out of 20 standard requirements
(Any points)
© Rolfe Judd
LOCATION CRITERIA