Sustainability as cross-cutting principle at Teknos Poland’s new premises

Coating manufacturer Teknos is moving to new premises in Warsaw, Poland on December 1, 2021. The premises will consist of a new office space and a warehouse. Moving to new premises became topical when the lease of the current premises was coming close to expiration. Employee health and well-being and environmental considerations have been the guiding principles in designing the new premises.  

The new Warsaw office will support hybrid work. The office is divided into parts based on work activity. Movable walls and furniture make the spaces easily convertible and color choices support activity-based working. The building is located in green area with flowery meadows and a lake providing possibilities for breaks, recreation, and even meetings. 

“During the pandemic our employees have adjusted remarkably well to hybrid work. Now it is time for our office to support the new ways of working. The new building is located only 850 meters from our current premises – the smallest possible change in the location of the premises has been an important factor from the employee perspective. Our employees have participated in the design process and once we have fully moved to the new premises, we will request feedback from our employees to develop the premises further”, says Justyna Przyborowska, HR Manager at Teknos Poland. 

Circularity and factors contributing to health, such as indoor air quality and access to daylight, have been important criteria for the office design and interior materials.  

“As a coating company, we understand how good indoor air quality can contribute to employee health and well-being as well as productivity. Low indoor emissions, proven by the M1 label or equivalent, was a key criterion when choosing interior materials. In addition, we chose to use carpets with AirMaster technology, proven to reduce the concentration of fine dust in the air. In the interior, we have favored recycled, recyclable, and natural materials; for example, wood wool and mineral wool ceilings, linoleum flooring, and cork wall finishes. Door handles are coated with Teknos’ own anti-microbial coatings,” explains Tomasz Cicherski, Operations Director at Teknos Poland. 

The premises utilize intelligent solutions and technology to improve energy and water efficiency and optimize processes. The building will also be certified with BREEAM New Construction, Shell and Core – GOOD level.  

“With energy efficiency and process optimization solutions and big windows for daylight access, we expect to reduce energy consumption at least by 20 percent compared to the current consumption levels,” Cicherski says. 

Implementing sustainable and forward-looking solutions in Teknos Group’s own operations and premises is important to the company’s sustainability endeavors.  

“We are on a path of building a sustainable company. This means making concrete sustainable actions in everything we do. In the design process of the Warsaw premises, it was eye-opening to find out that there were a variety of sustainable options available, and that choosing more sustainable options did not even bring additional costs. Through this project, we have gained experience and learnings that we can apply to other Teknos premises,” Teknos Group’s Sustainability Specialist Tram Nguyen concludes.