Category: I’m a resident

Who wants visually friendly cities, how to control the chaos and whether the landscape act will actually become a remedy for poles covered with advertisements, unaesthetic billboards and skyscrapers with large-format advertisements – explains Monika Domańska from the Traffic Design Association, a participant of the debate “We want beautiful cities, or urban design in practice”, which took place in Olivia Business Centre. The meeting was organized by the Jagiellonian Club in Gdańsk.

Dagmara Rybicka: Isn’t the Tri-City aesthetically pleasing?

Monika Domańska: That’s a difficult question. Each agglomeration has its own individual character, while the aesthetics associated with the advertising industry applies to virtually the entire Polish. In the context of the landscape resolution, I have the impression that we are better off than other cities, which are still not in a hurry to adopt this document.

Shouldn’t we complain?

I don’t travel much in Poland, if so, it’s mainly between Warsaw and the Tri-City, so I don’t have a clear view of what’s going on in the country. Based on the opinions presented, I believe that there are many cities with aesthetics worse than the Tri-City.

Is there an alternative to large-format advertising?

Large-format advertising is usually a big cost for brands. It seems to me that these funds can be used in a more socially responsible way.

How?

By doing things that serve directly the residents, where branding is still present but less intrusive. It doesn’t matter if they are permanent or temporary installations in the form of benches, furniture and any kind of art. It’s important for brands to give something back to people in this space, not just solicit attention in a flashy way. In my opinion, ambient marketing is an excellent alternative.

What made you decide to change the Tri-City?

London inspirations (laughs). Living in the Shoreditch district, I had the opportunity to observe its transformation, the way in which space affects the vitality of the street. I’ve found that places are becoming popular because of the art. After returning from the master’s degree, together with Jacek, who already had experience in such projects, we set up the first version of Traffic Design in railway areas – stations and bridgeheads.

How did the idea catch on?

It seems to me that time is on our side. With some achievements under your belt, it is much easier to convince people of the purposefulness of such proposals. We have specific projects behind us, so we are not perceived as a group of haunted people. We present examples of signboards and it turns out that they can be implemented much easier than it seems. Brands around the world see the potential in cooperation with art and design, and this shows that the direction we have chosen is the right one. This is confirmed by social research conducted in Gdynia.

Were the conclusions surprising?

They confirmed the rightness of the actions. Society pays attention to the appearance of buildings. He looks at the exterior facades and shops covered with foil. He can give an example of what he doesn’t like. From the perspective of the street user, we get the most information about what needs to be changed.

Is your participation in the debate the voice of the Tri-City society?

I’m a sociologist by education and I want to be as close as possible to what a person who is not an architect or designer thinks about the city. That is why I am all the more eager to carry out projects within the Association. A big part of our activities is education, listening to expectations and creating projects tailored to the needs.

Can a city be nice after all?

I would like the debate to have firepower. However, I am aware that there are people in the process who are well-established. That is why I strongly focus on education and the media, thanks to which messages go beyond the closed environment. The power is when the owner of a smaller business, seeing such projects, decides to change the signboard, or when thinking about opening a store, asks a professional graphic designer for visual identification. This translates into many people and thanks to them we are approached by large agencies with a request to prepare a campaign, which includes, for example, signboards. Then the project goes to another level, the machine starts spinning.

A flagship example of change already exists in the Tri-City?

In Gdansk, it is certainly Stągiewna Street. Not in terms of aesthetics alone, but in terms of changing the development. The street has become a pedestrian zone and now looks completely different. Let’s remember that one thing is changes related to aesthetics, and the other is what we like to mention, which is a very friendly city. Stągiewna has been transformed for the benefit of residents and tourists. It was given to the people, and that’s what it’s all about.

Interviewed by: Dagmara Rybicka, Olivia Business Centre

You can see the full photo report here.

The most important thing is to understand that the world is ready and can accommodate everyone. By learning to accept, we will be able to overcome the completely natural fear of otherness. After all, people with intellectual disabilities love, feel, and experience emotions just as much as we do. It’s time to help them reach higher for new opportunities by saying out loud “I am”. Just like you and me,” explains Małgorzata Bulczak, President of the Ja Samo Foundation, which on a daily basis is looking for solutions that allow for the dignified inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in adult life.

By saying “I Am Too” we open up to the world faster?

The idea for an open approach to intellectual disability was born during my stay in Switzerland. I saw the great maturity of that society and the active involvement of the business community in activities supporting the work of people with disabilities.

As part of donations?

Giving work. Companies outsource simple works to people with disabilities, which can be done on the premises of the commissioning company or in a foundation that supports the work of the people in their care. Stamps are a good example. After all, they can be easily printed on envelopes, but Swiss entrepreneurs are convinced that measurable help is more important than automation. Companies find and offer easy jobs that they outsource to people with disabilities through foundations. They are paid for their work, because the society wants people with disabilities not to end up on the streets, but to feel part of a given community, being sure that their work is needed and that they are socially useful.

Did a spark of inspiration help to instill the idea in the Polish reality?

I thought that the most important thing was to change my thinking. The old state of affairs makes us beggars when we try to help people with disabilities, and this is how we are often perceived by business.

Why?

We go around and ask, and it is customary for everyone to avoid us as much as they can, assuming that it is the duty of the state to take care of foundations and people with disabilities. Companies prefer to make an in-kind donation rather than money. However, in order to build jobs, we don’t need chocolates, books or puzzles, we need money and orders from business. For me, this is a clear signal that it is high time for a change.

How did you start?

When we started the Foundation, we focused on supporting parents, providing the best therapy and education. We focused on these activities with the conviction that there is no need to boast about them. It turned out that as long as we are not visible, we cannot count on the 1% and the active approach of business. So I decided it was time to make ourselves visible. The groundbreaking first step is the ball, which will kick off the #jestem campaign.

What does it mean?

I’m here and I’m alive. Each of us can say that we are here and now. This is a sense of the uniqueness of the moment. We want to speak out about our children, showing that the otherness of a person with Down syndrome does not interfere with anything. They love as we do, they rejoice, they grieve, they experience events. They are social people, cordially disposed towards others, focused on contact with other people. Fear of the other, the unknown, causes society to push them to the margins. Through our activities, we want to emphasize their capabilities, supported independence, and at the same time what they can give to the society both through work and personal contact.

Will it be possible to change the thinking of entrepreneurs?

That’s what I’m hoping for, but I see the goal much more broadly. At the same time, the consciousness of their peers must be changed. They are the ones who will create the future world of work and approaches to engaging people with Down syndrome. The action itself will #Jestem take place on the international day of Down syndrome. Twenty-one lectures on the first day of spring, showing that people with Down syndrome love their lives as much as we do. This year, we decided that we did not want to take part in an action that could be described as a kind of manifesto. We want to start talking and showing school students who people with Down syndrome are

Where will the lectures take place?

The heart of the event will be the Centre for Rare Diseases. The remaining twenty meetings will be held in schools and universities. By definition, their content will be the same and the execution will be similar. We are thinking about workshops so that each of us can feel in the skin of such a person.

What will happen at the ball?

At the ball, we are raising funds to equip our new therapeutic and educational center, where we plan to set up a kindergarten, expand therapy and education, as well as start broader activities of supported work, which is why an important element of the ball is a charity auction, the funds from which are allocated entirely for this purpose. On 2 February, at the Shakespeare Theatre, invited guests will have the opportunity to bid on unique items.

Why theatre?

Because our pupils work in the service of the spectators. They have been given a great professional opportunity and we are happy to see that they are fulfilling their duties fantastically. Initially, it astonished the viewers, but now our “I am” turns out to be completely natural.

What will you be able to bid on, among other things?

All-day rental of the prestigious Sky Club in Olivia Business Centre with the care of the supervising team. This is a treat, because the luxurious space at the top of the Olivia Tower building is a place greatly appreciated by entrepreneurs. It allows you to organize meetings and conferences for 120 people. Another interesting proposition is participation in the Business Sailing League regatta in 2019 as a crew member on the Olivia Business Centre yacht, whose navigator will be Mateusz Kusznierewicz. The winner will be able to choose any round of the competition and participate in the regatta throughout the day, as one of four crew members. The sea adventure will begin with theoretical training, then preparation for the regatta, then a series of 6 races, and finally a summary, award ceremony and a joint dinner.

 

_{The mission of the Foundation for Development Support “Me Too” is all activities for the development, education and social integration of children, adolescents and adults with developmental and functioning disorders, in particular people with Down syndrome. More about the foundation}

Gdańsk is the only Polish city to be ranked in the top 100 of the ranking of the quality of life in cities in the world. He overtook m.in. Madrid, Prague, Montreal and the American “dream cities”: Miami and Los Angeles. It was closely followed by Stockholm, Oslo, Washington and Berlin. The list was prepared by the foreign website Numbeo, which is the world’s largest database of countries and cities where Internet users live. The ranking took into account factors such as purchasing power, cost of living, housing prices, access to medical care, safety, traffic jams, air pollution and climate conditions.

According to Numbeo Gdańsk was ranked 88th. (164.78 points). It is the thirtieth in Europe and the first in Poland! The ranking was won by the capital of Australia, Canberra. The second place was taken by the Dutch city of Eindhoven. The last position on the podium was taken by the American Raleigh in North Carolina.

Read more on WP Tourism

It was full of magic, smiles, emotions, a unique meeting of children with Santa Claus and Elves in Olivia:)

There was no shortage of joyful Christmas music, delicacies and snacks. We invited kids to art, science, technical and culinary workshops, to sing carols together and dance animations for children led by… Elves. The program also included a relaxation zone for parents.

Therefore… Before the first star shone, children and parents alike were waiting for a lot of Christmas emotions in our O4 coworking . Santa Claus, Snowflake and Elves invited you to the morning full of positive impressions. We would like to thank our Partners – Energa (energa.pl), Amazon Development Center Poland, Lobster Restaurant, PwC, Talkersi – for supporting the event!

See how amazing it was:) Watch our video!

And the picture show:

 

 

WELCOME!

A meeting with Seniors in Olivia , full of impressions and many positive emotions and emotions, is behind us. We organized it on the occasion of Grandmother’s and Grandfather’s Day. In our o4 coworking space, you could listen to amazing stories about Gdańsk and Oliwa. A treasure trove of knowledge on this subject was Łukasz Darski, a guide to Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot… As he says about himself “I’m an out-of-the-box guide. For many reasons, I encourage the recipient to dialogue. I try to get the listener interested in my story. I show you around spaces with such a complicated history that an attempt to present it in the form of a monologue would end tragically – the group falling asleep or the guide being lynched!” So you can be sure that there was no boredom!

The highlight of the program was a visit to the top floor of Oliwia Star, over 150 meters above the ground! It was necessary to see everything that was so beautifully talked about from a bird’s eye view.

Of course, there was good music performed by Marcin Koziol, a classical guitar virtuoso valued in Poland and around the world, as well as sweet treats.

Thank you for coming, a lot of questions and memories and for the fact that we could be together and get to know each other better. We have certainly not said our last word here. See you!

 

We invite you to see an extensive photo gallery from the event
on our Facebook profile:)

CLICK HERE

Join the Olivia Business Centre internship programme

The first job is usually a breakthrough. A lot is changing and the most important thing is that your professional decisions allow you to take the right direction. At Olivia Business Centre, we know how important it is to help and the proverbial wind in our sails, which is why, focusing on development and meeting the expectations of young people, an internship program was created, the participants of which are students of Tri-City universities.

Our interns talk about what working in the largest business center in Pomerania looks like in practice, what makes it the best place to start an internship and what prospects it brings to its completion.

We’ve got it!

We are talking about an experience that is confirmed by all participants of the program. The opportunity to work under the guidance of specialists makes the knowledge gained during the studies very smoothly turn into the expected practice. In addition, the necessary soft skills are developed, thanks to which working time management and building relationships with team members, as well as with clients and co-workers of companies located in the Olivia complex, enable job satisfaction.

– The internship turned out to be a great opportunity to overcome my fears before the recruitment process. It was my first conversation and I found out the hard way how it goes and what I can feel surprised about in the future. A lot of experience, because now I know that I have to be prepared for recruitment – recalls Agata – one of the interns at Olivia Business Centre.

100 percent practice

Academic knowledge is the best base on which we flexibly build our experience in a given specialization. Practice makes perfect, which is why young people are given responsible tasks during the internship, thanks to which their professional competences grow.

We focus on self-reliance – says Anna Bykowska HRBP at Olivia Business Centre. Each intern is given tasks to carry out on their own in the first days. These are concrete and practical tasks within the framework of projects carried out by experienced teammates. During the internship, students can, for example, find out how important it is to work with a schedule, what to pay attention to when building relationships with contractors, organize an event, or check the operation of modern building management systems. We provide students with a nice opportunity to implement something that we will implement in practice at Olivia Business Centre, regardless of whether it is a designed architectural detail, a good data analysis or an organized event.

Something to be proud of

The time of the internship allowed me not only to find out what is going on in the professional grass, but above all to meet my bold expectations. The project that was particularly memorable for the interns this year was Summer on the Patio.

–
A nice event showing the Residents, giving the opportunity to interact with interesting people – Natalia summed up the end of the summer holidays, another of the participants of the internship.

The interns from the Arrangement Department had a little more trouble – they all said that with so many interesting and developing projects, it is impossible to choose the most important one.

– In the beginning, I had more design tasks, for example, to propose some interior elements or information plates in the form of graphics. Very pleasant projects, because in a short time I was able to see the effects of my actions – adds Ania, another young designer.

Time for an internship

The working environment, atmosphere and opportunities made the interns decide to join the Olivia Business Centre team permanently after three months. What it’s like to work in the largest business center in Pomerania and what makes the place a forge of talents is best checked in person. Start an internship and join the professional family of Olivia Business Centre.

We invite you to participate in the internship!

The internship program lasts with us throughout the holiday season. We start recruitment at the turn of April and May. The exception is our interior design studio, where the internship lasts for a whole year, and all students who are familiar with the REVIT program can apply for an internship at any time.

If you are interested in an internship, we invite you to follow our social media and website and to send your application to: kariera@oliviacentre.com or via the APPLICATION FORM.

We present to you our selected proposals for February:) Reach out to our website, Facebook profiles and follow current events in OBC. I’m sure you’ll find something for yourself:)

We recommend:

• Calendar of events in Olivia
• Olivia’s FB profile
• Calendar of events at O4 Coworking
• O4 Coworking profile on FB

DOWNLOAD THE TIMELINE IN PDF

We cordially invite Seniors from Oliwa to a meeting,
which will take place in Olivia Business Centre at 472 Grunwaldzka Street

The organizer has prepared many attractions for you. The main point of the program will be admiring the panorama of Oliwa and the Tri-City from the top floor of the tallest building in Pomerania, Olivia Star. There will be a nice atmosphere, good music and sweet treats.

The event will take place on Friday,
January 25
. It will start at 11:00 a.m. in the Olivia Four building

, on the ground floor, in the Jupiter room.

SIGN UP FOR THE EVENT

 

 

The Italian atmosphere was broken by Bond and his special agents. The walls are decorated with hand-made graphics, inspiring memories from distant corners of the world, as well as trinkets that make us feel closer to home. Matylda Grabska from Olivia’s HR department talks about the project known within the company as “We design our office”, which has become the best way to integrate the teams of Olivia Business Centre.

What was the assumption?

Matylda Grabska: There were several. First of all, we wanted the team to create a place in each room that would best show their character and interests. In addition, we wanted to give our co-workers the opportunity to design and then arrange the room so that they feel as comfortable as possible and feel at home. It was also supposed to bring out their creativity and commitment in creating a common space. The last assumption was broadly understood integration, not only in our own teams, but also with other employees of the company. It also made it possible to get to know each other better, because everyone wanted to see what the others were doing, ask for ideas on how to make certain elements, and it also showed features that are sometimes difficult to see at work on a daily basis.

Do we design differently than usual?

At Olivia Business Centre, the arrangement team designs and supervises the implementation of hundreds of square meters of office space on a daily basis. We have experts in this area who create projects for many well-known brands and companies, so it is part of the business profile. At the same time, there are our great interior architects who know ergonomics and style. We, as a team, decided to arrange the rooms ourselves, and invited interior specialists only for minor consultations, room tours and evaluation of the effects.

What happened behind the doors of the third-floor offices?

Each department received its own budget, calculated along the outline of the walls of the room so that the chances were as even as possible, and two weeks to think about how to use this amount as part of the dream interior design. These were not large sums of money – from 160 to 360 zlotys for individual rooms, so creativity, invention and heart put into ideas were what counted. After that, the HR department had three weeks to purchase all the necessary items and tools, which were only distributed on the day of the event.

A race with prizes?

Especially with the time that everyone had at their disposal. We decided that it would be optimal to take two hours to prepare the office according to the concept, without disturbing the normal rhythm of work. Our colleagues were informed that there would be a prize for the winning room, but they did not know what exactly it would be. We wanted it to be secondary, so that they would focus primarily on the project itself.

Didn’t anyone break the rules?

Most of the participants treated the initiative more as a game, but there were also cases when some considered it a very serious matter. There was even an anonymous report that one of the rooms was decorated before the day of the Housewarming Party, and that the person should therefore be disqualified.

Was there going to be a revolution?

There are concrete pillars in the office rooms and these are the ones that the employees most often wanted to decorate, because to be honest, they are not particularly phenomenal. Unfortunately, this element was the only one that was supposed to remain unchanged, so painting or forging was out of the question. So whoever still wanted to do something with this element had to come up with a completely different way of arranging it and it turned out to be really interesting.

Where did the idea come from?

First of all, we wanted everyone to feel involved in creating the space that surrounds us, to kind of really like the place where we spend so much of our day. I also think that the work environment itself should be conducive, and this is often forgotten. We engage in duties in a completely different way if we feel at home. And this is where the idea came to individualize and adjust the surface, equip it with elements close to us so that we feel as good as possible in it.

Are we designing with a housewarming party?

Yes, after two hours of hard work on the arrangements, the time has come to feast together. Everyone was asked to bring a small snack, but the commitment exceeded our wildest expectations. At the same time, the committee was tasked with selecting the winner. The composition of the evaluators was not accidental – from each independent department, people were selected who were completely unrelated to individual rooms. We wanted it to include people holding very different positions – from our President to colleagues from the construction department. It was really interesting to watch.

Was it easy to pick the best?

This proved to be an extremely difficult task. The winner was the IT department, which created a classic men’s room with a James Bond theme. On one wall, shadows from the intro of the 007 movie were created. On the other, the boys painted the women of Her Majesty’s favourite with their own hands. Everything is complemented by helmets and vinyl records. The second place was won by finances, creating the atmosphere of Don Corleone’s mafia family. A white hat hanging over the director’s head and a group photo of the department in disguise reminds us that there are clear rules here (laughs). But I really want to emphasize at this point that in each of the rooms you can see the great contribution and work done by our co-workers.

What was at stake?

Until the very end, we kept it a secret what the prize was. Above all, we cared about internal integration, winning was in the background. The winners from IT went to Kolibki Adventure Park. There were quads, jeeps, shooting with air rifles and, as they reported, great fun.

 

Interviewed by: Dagmara Rybicka, Olivia Business Centre