The winning complex at ul. Wspólna in Marki includes a primary school, an auditorium, a sports hall, a sports and recreation pool with a SPA section, a full-size sports field with a race track and an athletics stadium, a multi-functional field with an artificial surface, a playground for children, a street work-out ground, a traffic garden and a parking site for vehicles and bikes. The Marki Education and Recreation Centre has been designed in keeping with the best practice of sustainable construction.
‘Our town has been developing intensely for a number of years - the number of residents is growing. In relation to this, the local government faces challenges related to satisfying all needs, including educational, cultural and sports,’ comments Piotr Grubek, President of Mareckie Inwestycje Miejskie. ‘We needed a place that would attract all age groups and that would be multi-functional, safe and environmentally-friendly.’
This is the first public school to be built in the ‘zero-energy’ technology: instead of consuming - it produces its own energy, treats rainwater for further use and optimises consumption of energy in individual points of the Centre on an ongoing basis. It has successfully completed the Green Building Standard GBS certification process and received the prestigious BREEAM ecological certificate as the first Polish public building.
Rooftops Living Their Own Life
The innovative roofs, comprising the wetland and extensive roofs, fitted with photovoltaic panels, were recognized in the 3W Competition. Piotr Grubek stresses that a wetland roof has air-cleaning properties; it muffles noise, accumulates rainwater and reduces burden on the sewage system. It is also an excellent habitat for numerous species of fauna and flora - thanks to foot-bridges, the animals and plants can be admired by visitors, including children and youth during biology classes.
The primary function of the wetland roof is water retention. Thanks to the presence of plants with high transpiration properties, they give back more water to the atmosphere than they receive in the course of the year. The system allows for regulation of the level of water - in case of excess, it is transported to special containers; if the needs are even greater, to the near ponds.
The roofs also reduce the negative phenomenon of urban heat island - they simultaneously regulate the temperature inside the building: in the summer, they reduce heating and assist passive cooling, while in the winter, they reduce the loss of heat.
Energy Exchange
The Marki Education and Recreation Centre is also distinguished by its low-emission character.
‘A signature system of ventilation, heat pumps, co-generation and photovoltaic panels for the production of green energy was applied in the facility. The energy is consumed by the building on an ongoing basis. All these solutions are controlled by an advanced BMS system that also manages the building in order to save energy to the maximum,’ says the president of the Marki Education and Recreation Centre.
The excess energy procured thanks to the photovoltaic panels is submitted to the power grid and used in case of necessity. This lowers the bills for electricity and heat.
‘The complex is the flagship project and the largest construction investment in the city. Given the innovative solutions, it received support from the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management already at the stage of implementation. Now the wetland roof is the research site for the Warsaw University of Life Sciences. The students are conducting a project titled ‘The Role of Green Roofs in Adapting Cities to Climate Changes: MCER Case Study,’ says Piotr Grubek.
3W Competition: Mareckie Inwestycje Miejskie with the Winning Project
The 3W idea brings a number of milieus together: science, business and public administration. In the 3W Competition, we have shown appreciation for all of them and that is why the prizes were given in three categories. Mareckie Inwestycje Miejskie won in the public administration category. This is an exceptional example of how a local government that uses the 3W technology can take care of the natural environment and teach the youngest how to do it.
‘The prestigious first prize in the 3W Competition confirms that the MCER investment is innovative and - first and foremost - environmentally-friendly and influences the condition of our environment in the sustainable development spirit. It also shows that Marki is the pioneer in implementing the green transformation strategy,’ said president of Mareckie Inwestycje Miejskie, who collected the prize together with the Mayor of Marki, Jacek Orych.
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