On 30 November, the VI Development Initiation Forum will be held at the Olivia Sky Club in Olivia Business Centre. The theme of the Forum will be “Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) – 7 areas forcooperation!”
“This year we are going to talk about commitment and responsibility. We will be invited to reflect outstanding personalities from the world of science and business, prof. esp. Ph.D. Cezary Obracht Prondzyński from the University of Gdańsk and Ewa Sowińska from the National Council of Statutory Auditors. We will also be inspired by special guests: practitioners of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Our guests will refer to seven areas of this issue, showing practical tools for its implementation, i.e. Strategy, employee volunteering, internship programs, social economy, crowdsourcing. They will emphasise the particular importance of cross-sectoral dialogue and cooperation to achieve business and social goals. – says Monika Hinc, leader of the Forum.
– The Development Initiation Forum is a space that we build together for effective dialogue. We emphasize the importance of cooperation between representatives of three sectors for the sustainable development of our Region. For the past six years, we have been able to integrate various communities around the idea of social involvement. This is a very important topic for us as a Forum Partner – adds Magdalena Rzeszotalska, Magdalena Rzeszotalska, Chief Accounting Officer Corporate Communications and CSR of Polpharma S.A. – The Forum is a great opportunity to establish contacts and exchange good practices. It is an opportunity to be inspired by examples of unique initiatives and enrich your workshop with new tools – adds Monika Hinc.
COOPERATION WORKSHOPS – AS PART OF THE 6TH DEVELOPMENT INITIATION FORUM
This year, as part of the Development Initiation Forum, three parallel Cooperation Workshops will also be held, which will start after the official end of the Development Initiation Forum. The workshops will take place at O4 (Olivia Business Centre) and the headquarters of the Pomerania Development Agency S.A. (Olivia Six, 12th floor, room on the 12th floor, room 12.13) at 5.30 p.m. The workshops refer to the subject of Corporate Social Responsibility and will be conducted by practitioners. Participants will be able to work on the topic of effective communication with stakeholders, raise the issue of authenticity in the work of a leader and learn how to plan a CSR strategy – step by step.
Separate registration is required for the workshops, which lasts until tickets are sold out, at the following link http://forumrozwoju.org.pl/
DEVELOPMENT INITIATION FORUM
Over the last 6 years of the Development Initiation Forum’s activities, the cooperation of many people and organizations has allowed to achieve measurable results. We have built awareness of the role of dialogue between the business, local government and NGO sectors in the Pomeranian Voivodeship. People discuss, carry out joint activities. The topic has become important. We have created the largest Pomeranian event disseminating the idea and good practices of socially responsible business, including 5 editions and 1200 participants. We have built the only partner fund supporting sustainable development. We managed to donate a total amount of PLN 335,000 to the best cross-sectoral initiatives. We are building the first provincial Cross-Sectoral Network of Local Cooperation through m.in. 8 meetings, business consulting. We initiated the Socially Engaged Company competition promoting the CSR achievements of small businesses (2 completed editions).
The Thinking Zone middle school operating in Olivia Business Centre has an unconventional crowdfunding action. A campaign promoting the “Game of…” (A game of…) project has just started. Everybody who wants to help fund superb courses for the winners… of a city game can do it by donating any amount on behalf of the project.
Have a look here: https://polakpotrafi.pl/projekt/gra-o. You will find the entire information about the idea our middle school students had. A short summary below…
The Thinking Zone crowdfunding action has three basic goals:
to show that education can look differently, can be practical and interesting,
to offer an access to alternative forms of education (workshops, courses and trainings) for young people who cannot afford it for various reasons,
to show that nothing is impossible and a group of middle school students is able to create a well-conceived, complete and interesting project.
Students want to collect 18.000 PLN in a month and exchange it for 30 (or more!) complete training courses in the fields of Self-Presentation, Psychology of the Internet, the Japanese language, Drawing Workshop, Effective Communication and a few others. To whom will the training be offered? To those who get the best score in the Thinking Zone city game shortly after the end of the crowdfunding campaign. Students created a map with 6 districts of Gdańsk, including 72 questions and tasks for which participants will gain points. At the end, they will create a list of people with the greatest number of points. The participants will be able to exchange these points for courses, trainings and workshops in the Center of Thinking.
A few hours of fun on the second Sunday of January 2018 = a 3-month course on a chosen, interesting subject! All those interested are invited to the game: children, young people and entire families!
As the students say: “Oh yes… what game is it? Answer questions relating to business, science or art in our city game. Play for the development, the future or great fun! Win attractive courses such as Psychology of the Internet, the Japanese language or Self-Presentation and the Art of Public Speaking. We would like to show that everyone can help develop new talents. Your contribution will be an inspiration to show people that the young generation can create large, innovative projects. We will be very active for the next month! Become a part of our educational project and help others discover their passions!
Olivia 7 (temporary name for the seventh building, which is under construction in the largest business centre in the Tricity) is based on biophilic design. The office building is supposed to promote balance between periods of intensive work during the day and the necessary moments of leisure and relax.
Our intention is to provide the employees of “Seven” with functional, modern and bright spaces. The offices will guarantee optimum working conditions, hence high pressure was placed on solutions dedicated to the comfort of work. Biophilic design is based on the assumption that we all need physical contact with nature to do well, so the design of “Seven” includes spatial, opened windows and tilt façade elements, which ensure constant access of fresh air and natural light. The building is also featured with non-standard elements for this kind of facility: loggias, terraces and external galleries full of plants on each storey of the building. On the roof of “Seven” there are two extra terraces.
We ensured that the design of the building focuses on natural materials and omnipresent greenery, with the latter one also appearing on the façade elements. The building will be featured with an extra patio, green yard with landscape architecture, cafes and restaurants.
Thermal comfort of the users was also taken into consideration. It will be ensured by a modern triple glass façade of the building whose use will greatly reduce the impact of outdoor conditions on the temperature in the offices, minimising the need to cool the rooms in summer and heat them in winter. It translates onto the comfort of use and energy demand, and consequently reduced maintenance costs.
Environmentally friendly character and technologies employed in the building will be evaluated according to BREEAM certification programme with an intention to get the best possible score – Outstanding.
We talk about happiness at work with Natalia Bogdan, President of Jobhouse, a nationwide temporary employment and personnel consulting agency, which carried out an unusual study. Its aim was to analyse whether Poles are happy at work, what this level of satisfaction depends on and to identify what should change to make Poles more willing to recommend their jobs. The report was presented on 21 November at Olivia Business Centre.
Work is an important part of our lives, we spend an average of 40 hours a week working at work, improving our skills, gaining knowledge to advance and climb the career ladder, and the financial benefits we get from it determine our level of well-being. However, the question arises, does the work we do make us happy?
According to the above-mentioned study entitled “Happiness at work of Poles”, 88% of Poles believe that a good salary helps to be happy, 47% say that the place of work is as important as the work done there. As many as 63% declare their willingness to change their place of residence for the sake of a better job, and 29% of respondents would definitely recommend their job to friends.
A good salary, co-workers you can count on, development opportunities, work-life balance, and commute time are the most important factors that make people feel happy at work. And although the survey shows that Poles are moderately happy in their workplaces (6.3 on a scale from 1 to 10), those who do not plan to change their jobs at the moment are definitely more satisfied.
The study was carried out on a sample of N=901 people with secondary and higher education who are currently working, mostly in large cities. The survey was carried out between 12.06.2017 and 31.08.2017 using an online survey commissioned by Jobhouse by the Great Digital agency.
–/ —
Monika Bogdanowicz (Olivia Business Centre): Why is it worth analysing the topic of happiness at work, who needs this knowledge most of all today?
Natalia Bogdan: I think everyone. I believe that happiness or lack thereof at work translates into other areas of life. I don’t think that someone who is not happy with how their professional career is developing or has a boss who clips their wings, can be kind to their loved ones and full of energy to act.
MB: Are we currently at a stage in the development of the labour market in which our emotions and feelings related to the organisational culture of companies are starting to play an increasingly important role?
NB: Yes, definitely. More and more people pay attention not only to the material aspects of work. In the past, the main, and often the only, motivator at work was money. Of course, they are also important now – after all, we live on salaries, but more and more people also pay attention to the fact that work gives us opportunities to develop, meet interesting people and pursue our passions. As our study “Happiness at work of Poles” has shown, we care more and more about maintaining a balance between work and private life.
MB: What can we learn from the report prepared by your company?
NB: That Poles on a scale of 0 to 10 are happy working at 6.3. This is a satisfactory result, but we still have room for improvement. This result differs significantly between people who work and do not plan to change jobs (they rated their level of happiness at 7.8) and those who do work but are thinking about changing (they are satisfied at 5.1). This is an important signal to employers that nowadays we don’t have to be extremely unhappy at work to start looking for a new job.
We also identified factors that determine the level of happiness at work. For 88% of respondents, salary was a good factor in happiness at work. Factors such as co-workers you can count on (84%) and development opportunities at work (81%) also ranked very highly. Other factors were related to work-life-balance – 80% of respondents indicated the possibility of reconciling work and private life, and 76% indicated a rather surprising factor, namely the time of commuting to work.
Fig. Karol Makurat/REPORTER
MB: What are the main conclusions and recommendations both for people who are looking for attractive companies and for companies that want to convince about the high quality of job offers?
NB: First of all, employees should think about what determines their job satisfaction and think about what tasks and companies can provide them with. Only on this basis should we look for a job. Employers, on the other hand, should analyze what employees indicate as important in the workplace and adapt their offer to the needs of the market, as well as present it appropriately in their communication with candidates.
MB: How can we distinguish in your report the semantic use of the terms: satisfaction, level of satisfaction and happiness, which are usually used when analysing a topic in the HR industry?
NB: We titled our report “Happiness at work of Poles”. Of course, there are many definitions of happiness, and the feeling of happiness itself is very subjective, which is why we did not create a clear definition of this concept in our study. We wanted the respondents to assess for themselves how happy they are and what it means for them.
MB: Is it important for employees to know the workplace itself, where it is located, what is its aesthetics and interior design, and the quality of the space outside the office, e.g. is there a place to rest?
NB: 48% of respondents answered that comfortable working conditions in the office help to be happy at work. 25% of respondents said that the conditions in their office would have to change to make them willing to recommend it. However, we did not define what the respondents understood as comfortable working conditions.
MB: In your opinion, what is the main reason why a given company is/can be perceived as an example of good practices in shaping the work environment, which can contribute to the happiness of its employees?
NB: In my opinion, the most important thing is for the company to take care of both the material and non-material needs of its employees. In addition to a salary that makes it possible to live with dignity, it is important to take care of employee development opportunities, a team atmosphere, and a work-life balance.
Fig. Karol Makurat/REPORTER
MB: How could each of us answer the question of whether we can measure our level of happiness, which determines our decisions and conscious choices made in the situation of choosing or wanting to change jobs?
NB: By creating a study entitled “Happiness at work of Poles”, we wanted to encourage Polish employees to reflect on their own sense of happiness at work. In my opinion, each of us should consider whether what we do gives us satisfaction and the opportunity to meet our needs, not only material. If there are areas in which we are not entirely satisfied, it is worth considering what we ourselves can influence and what is worth suggesting to the boss.
MB: What was the most surprising aspect of this study and do you plan to explore the topic of happiness at work further?
NB: What surprised me the most was that Poles are not willing to recommend their jobs. To investigate this parameter, we used the Net Promoter Score (NPS), which shows the ratio of critics to promoters. The Poles’ score on a scale from -100 to 100 was only -14. For comparison, the NPS used in consumer tests of brands such as Harley-Davidson or Apple is over 70.
MB: Are you planning further editions of the survey?
NB: Yes, we have received a lot of positive feedback on the survey from both employees and employers. We plan to repeat it every year to observe how the level of happiness of Poles changes and whether the factors on which it depends change. During meetings with employers, employees and the media, during which we discussed the results of the study, we received many valuable tips on the other directions in which we could develop our study.
Natalia Bogdan is the founder of the Jobhouse recruitment agency, a headhunter, career advisor and labour market expert. She graduated in Human Resources Management and Labour Law from the University of Gdańsk and Human Resources Management from the Instituto Politecnico do Porto and the Strategic Leadership Academy from the Ican Institute. Currently, she is a lecturer at Kozminski University in the field of Recruitment and Selection. She has been involved in the HR industry for over 12 years. She gained her experience in the United Kingdom, the United States, the Netherlands and Portugal. In 2017, she was awarded the title of Businesswoman of the Year in a competition organized by Olga Kozierowska and Success Written in Lipstick. Privately, she is passionate about a healthy lifestyle – she has completed several marathons, half-marathons and triathlons, and is currently preparing for an expedition to Kilimanjaro. She loves sports, traveling and healthy eating.
The special time is getting closer – Christmas. We would like this time to be unique and filled with unforgettable experiences also at Olivia. We are preparing for you many Christmas attractions and we hope that they will be excellent opportunities for joyful and joint meetings🙂
All centre’s buildings will be, as every year, brightened by Christmas illuminations. In front of the centre, from the side of Tricity’s main artery – Al. Grunwaldzka in Gdańsk – there will be placed giant, 3-metre high Christmas baubles. Moreover, some beautiful Christmas trees will stand on Olivia’s premises and in reception areas you will feel Christmas atmosphere thanks to climatic music.
, during which we will have a chance to listen to the most beautiful classic chamber music, for example by Mozart, Beethoven, Bizet, Moniuszko or Strauss. We have prepared an exquisite Christmas Music Menu. Apart from masterpieces, you will have a chance to listen to Christmas songs and, of course, beloved carols, which are particularly close to our hearts. Maybe we will sing them together? 🙂
Wednesday, December 6
On the occasion of St. Nicholas Day, there will be surprises waiting in all Olivia Business Centre’s buildings and they will for sure make your day more enjoyable. 🙂 Look for them in Christmas socks!
Thursday, December 7 from 11:30 am to 3:30 pm
Christmas Charity Fair . Christmas is getting closer every day. You still haven’t got any ideas for gifts? Are you looking for something unique? Do you want to give your closest ones an exceptional gift? If the answers are yes, this event is for you. We would like to invite you to participate in the 3rdedition of Christmas charity fair in Olivia Business Centre. We have invited local representatives of foundations and non-governmental organisations to present their goods. It will be a great opportunity to buy handcrafts: Christmas decorations and cards, calendars and mascots made by the charges of non-governmental organisations. The whole profit will go to a noble cause!
Among the attractions there will be ceramics and Lego workshops, making pierogi (Polish dumplings) together, sewing Christmas decorations, adventure at the Pole and the visit of Santa Claus!
Together, we will be making music, playing concerts, singing Christmas carols and tasting delicious food.
Competitions
We have also planned some Christmas competitions for you 🙂 A unique Christmas atmosphere is enhanced by decorations and self-made baked goods.
December 1 – December 12
Competition for a self-made Christmas tree decoration . Self-made Christmas decorations make us even more happy! Last year, we prepared together a lot of beautiful decorations. Also this Christmas, we will have an opportunity to admire all decorations on Christmas trees placed in Olivia’s reception areas. Let’s put our hearts and souls into preparing decorations also this year and let’s infuse the décor of Olivia Business Centre’s reception area with individual character during this special, family time.
December 11 – December 20
Competition for the funniest Christmas jumper. We would like to invite you to participate in our jumper competition! Pull your favourite Christmas jumper out of the bottom of your wardrobe, put in on, come to work dressed like that :), take a photo, send it to us or publish on Facebook and win a surprise gift! The person, who will have the biggest number of votes under their photo, will be a winner. Let’s go :)!
December 12
Culinary charity competition: become the master of Christmas treats.We encourage all cooking enthusiasts to bring their authorial, Christmas dishes and become the master of Christmas treats. If you can’t cook, you can become a culinary judge! It will be possible to cast votes with the use of small stickers. We encourage you to evaluate goodies. Thanks to that, we will be able to pick out Top Chef and in this way help Saint Pancracy Foundation.
We are talking about happiness at work with Natalia Bogdan, who is CEO in Jobhouse, a nationwide temporary work and personal consulting agency, and who conducted an unusual study. Its purpose was to analyse, whether Poles are happy at work, what the level of satisfaction depends on and to identify what should be changed to make Poles more willing to recommend their workplaces. The report was presented on November 21 in Olivia Business Centre.
The study was conducted on the sample of N=901 people with secondary and higher education, who are currently working, mostly in big cities. The study was conducted from 12.06.2017 to 31.08.2017 through an online survey on behalf of Jobhouse by Great Digital agency.
–/ —
Monika Bogdanowicz (Olivia Business Centre): Why is it worth analysing the subject of happiness at work, who needs this knowledge, especially nowadays?
Natalia Bogdan: I think that everyone needs it. I believe that happiness or its absence at work translate into other areas of life. I don’t think that someone who is not satisfied with the direction his/her career is taking or has a boss, who clips his wings, can be kind to his/her close ones and full of energy to act.
MB: Are we currently on such a level of labour market development that our emotions and feelings connected with company’s organisational culture are starting to play bigger and bigger role?
NB: Yes, definitely. More and more people pay attention not only to material aspects of their work. In the past, the main, and very often the only driver at work, was money. Of course, nowadays it is also important – salary makes it possible for us to live, but more and more people also want their work to give them opportunities for development, meeting interesting people and pursuing their passions. As shown in our study called “The happiness of Poles at work”, we care more and more about keeping balance between work and private life.
MB: What can we find out from the report prepared by your company?
NB: That Poles, on a scale from 0 to 10, are happy at work on the level of 6.3. This is a satisfying result, but we still have some scope for improvement. This result varies significantly between people who work and aren’t planning to change their jobs (they ranked their level of happiness at 7.8) and the ones who work, but are thinking of changing their jobs (they ranked their level of happiness at 5.1). This is an important signal for employers that nowadays we don’t have to be extremely unhappy at work to start looking for a new job.
We also identified the factors, on which the level of happiness at work depends. For 88% of employees, a factor which determines happiness at work is a good salary. Such factors as co-workers, who we can count on – 84% and development opportunities at work – 81% also ranked very high. Other factors were connected with work-life-balance – 80% of respondents indicated the possibility to balance work and private life, while 76% of respondents mentioned quite a surprising factor, namely commuting time.
MB: What are the main conclusions and recommendations both for people who are looking for attractive companies and for companies which want to convince them that their job offers are of high quality?
NB: Employees should, most importantly, think about what determines their job satisfaction and think which tasks and companies can give it to them. Only on this basis we should start looking for a job. On the other hand, employers should analyse what employees indicate as important factors at workplace and adapt their offer to market’s needs, as well as present it in a proper way in their communication with candidates.
MB: How can we distinguish in your report semantic usage of such terms as: satisfaction, level of satisfaction and happiness, which are customarily used during the analysis of the subject in HR environment.
NB: We entitled our report “The happiness of Poles at work”. Of course, there are many definitions of happiness and the feeling of happiness is very subjective. That is why, we didn’t create an unequivocal definition of this term in our study. We wanted respondents to assess on their own their level of happiness and what it means to them.
MB: Is a workplace itself important for employees, where it is placed, what its aesthetics and interior design are, as well as the quality of space outside the office, for example whether there is some place to have a rest?
NB: 48% of respondents answered that comfortable working conditions at the office help people be happy at work. 25% of respondents answered that conditions in their office would have to change to make them willing to recommend their workplace. However, we didn’t define what respondents understand as comfortable working conditions.
MB: What, in your opinion, primarily influences the fact that a given company is/may be perceived as an example of good practices in the scope of shaping work environment, which may contribute to the happiness of its employees?
NB: I think that the most important for a company is to take care of both tangible and intangible needs of its employees. Apart from salary, which makes it possible to live a decent life, companies should take care of employees’ development opportunities, atmosphere in a team and balance between work and private life.
MB: How each of us could answer the question whether we can measure the level of happiness, which, after all, predestines our decisions and conscious choices made in the situation of choice or the will to change our job?
NB: While creating the study entitled “The happiness of Poles at work” we wanted to encourage Polish employees to think of their own happiness at work. I think that each of us should think whether our job gives us satisfaction and opportunities to fulfil our needs, not only tangible ones. If there are areas, in which we don’t feel a true satisfaction, it is worth wondering, what we can influence ourselves and what can we suggest to our boss.
MB: Which issue surprised you in this study and are you planning to further explore the subject of happiness at work?
NB: What surprised me the most was the fact that Poles are not willing to recommend their workplaces. To study this parameter, we used Net Promoter Score (NPS) indicator, which shows the ratio of critics to promotors. The result of Poles on a scale from -100 to 100 was only -14. For comparison, NPS used in consumer tests of such brands as Harley-Davidson or Apple is more than 70.
MB: Are you planning the next editions of the study?
NB: Yes, we have received a lot of positive feedback on the study both from employees and employers. We are planning to repeat it every year to observe how Poles’ level of happiness changes and whether factors, on which it depends, change. During meetings with employers, employees and media, during which we discussed the results of the study, we got a lot of valuable tips concerning additional directions, in which we could develop our study.
Natalia Bogdan is a founder of Jobhouse recruitment agency, headhunter, career advisor and a labour market expert. She completed Human Resource Management and Labour Law degree courses at the University of Gdańsk, as well as Human Resources Management degree course at Instituto Politecnico do Porto and Strategic Leadership Academy degree course at Ican Institute. Currently, she is a lecturer at Kozminski University in the field of Recruitment and Selection. She has been working in HR sector for more than 12 years. She gained her experience in Great Britain, in the USA, the Netherlands and Portugal. In 2017, she was honoured with title of the Businesswoman of the Year in a competition organised by Olga Kozierowska and Sukces Pisany Szminką. Apart from work, she is interested in healthy lifestyle – she has finished over a dozen marathons, half marathons and triathlons and currently she is preparing for Kilimanjaro expedition. She loves sport, travelling and healthy eating.
The aim of the project is to improve the situation on the labour market of 776 inhabitants of the Pomeranian Voivodeship, employees of SMEs, people of working age, through the implementation of postgraduate studies and training. Project participants, depending on their needs and level of education, will be able to choose one of the following forms of support: postgraduate studies in company law, intellectual property law, financial and tax issues or related to IT project management, ICT training (ECDL, Cisco) or language courses.
Project participants, depending on their needs and level of education, will be able to choose one of the following forms of support: postgraduate studies in company law, intellectual property law, financial and tax issues or related to IT project management, ICT training (ECDL, Cisco) or language courses.
Project implementation period: June 2017 – February 2020
On 26 January 2018, at the Evening Gala of Pomeranian Employers, of which Olivia Business Centre is a partner, statuettes and certificates will be awarded for the first time to companies from the metropolitan area awarded in the Responsible and Socially Sensitive Entrepreneur 2017 competition.The aim of the competition is to popularize the idea of socially solidary business, to build one’s own image based on trust and honesty, and to honour and promote those entrepreneurs who adhere to such principles in their daily work. Among the awarded entrepreneurs there will be a social economy entity conducting business activity and employing employees.
The winners of the title of “Responsible and Socially Sensitive Entrepreneur 2017” receive:
certificate “Responsible and Socially Sensitive Entrepreneur 2017”
Statuette
a prize of PLN 10,000 for the preparation of a CSR strategy,
a short advertising film promoting CSR activities undertaken by the winners of the competition worth PLN 5000
the possibility of using the slogan “Responsible and Socially Sensitive Entrepreneur 2017” in correspondence and promotion,
promotion of a socially responsible company at the Final Gala
Applications are accepted until 4 December, 12.00 noon.
Olivia Business Centre is a place of important meetings, also with eminent figures of Polish culture, who share their experience and passion with the Olivia community. These can be an inspiration for anyone who wants to broaden their knowledge about the phenomena taking place in Poland and in the world. Meetings organized regularly in Olivia Sky Club bring together a community of lovers of interesting, intellectual debate.
On November 21, another meeting with the author of the “Olivia Cooltura” series was held, organized by Olivia in partnership with the Provincial and Municipal Public Library in Gdańsk. Our guest was Filip Springer, an outstanding reporter, photographer of the Polish landscape, translator of architecture and “collector of visual absurdities”.
The participants of the meeting had the opportunity to learn about the creation of the author’s latest books and multimedia projects (e.g. “The City of the Archipelago”, “The Book of Delights” or “The Bathtub with a Colonnade”), listen to their key themes, and explore the visions of the development of cities of the future. During a conversation with Monika Bogdanowicz from Olivia Business Centre, Filip Springer analysed the challenges faced by the inhabitants of Polish (smaller and larger) cities regarding the creation of public space in the area of architecture and infrastructure.
The large audience reacted vigorously to Springer’s reflections on the importance of projects that can improve the quality of life of residents. m.in were discussed. legitimacy and the need to build in each of the localities the so-called architectural icons and the role of these objects for the recognition and creation of the identity of cities. The author of “13 floors” was critical of the possibility of a positive impact of the above-mentioned . He also spoke of the chaos in the surroundings of such buildings. He postulated the need for greater focus of city managers on the “background” of architectural symbols, i.e. on the need to create a comprehensive, friendly space.
They discussed the implementation of the vision of a happy life in a city such as Gdańsk or another understood as an agglomeration or metropolis. Olivia’s guest recommended the participants of the meeting to read Charles Montgomery’s book “Happy City. How to Change Our Lives by Changing Our Cities”, which indicates a number of factors that can affect the lives of residents.
According to Filip Springer, who draws on the works of other authors dealing with this subject, a happy city is: a green city, a city balanced in terms of transport and optimal ways of moving around it, and, above all, a city whose inhabitants have a real sense that their “place” is developing.
The main theme of the event was a discussion about Filip Spinger’s latest multimedia project, “City Archipelago” and a presentation of the author’s works. For several months, Springer travelled around 31 former provincial capitals, describing their current fate. The project was supported by local correspondents who wrote a blog and created a magazine with articles from and about the cities of the archipelago. The culmination of the journey is the book “City Archipelago. Poland of Smaller Towns”, which was published by the Krakow-based publishing house Karakter.
It contains dozens of stories about what life is like in contemporary Poland. Filip Springer travelled all over the country, from Słupsk to Krosno and from Suwałki to Wałbrzych, to see how the cities that lost their provincial status in 1999 function today. He got to know their history and talked to the locals. He met entrepreneurs, artists, activists and teachers. He visited local workshops and cafés, visited bankrupt factories and thriving businesses, train stations and McDonalds. He asked people what they were proud of in their city, what made them happy and what they would like to change. The book paints an ambiguous, flickering picture of Polish – where anything can happen and nothing is as simple as it might seem. Among the pains, worries and hopes of the protagonists of the reportage, one can also find those that are shared by the inhabitants of the whole Polish – both small-town and metropolitan.
We would like to thank all participants of the meeting for their enthusiastic reactions, interesting questions and time together dedicated to development! We would like to thank our project partners: the Provincial and Municipal Public Library in Gdansk, the Lobster Restaurant (for delicious cookies and warming drinks), StaraOliwa.pl, the Gdansk Community, Radio Gdansk.
See you at the next meetings in Olivia Sky Club, next year, 2018!
Filip Springer (b. 1982)
– photographer and reporter, finalist of many prestigious Polish awardsd literary works. He graduated from ArchaeologyAt the University of Adam Mickiewicz in Poznań. He has presented his photographs at individual exhibitions in many Polish cities. He introduced a new topic to Polish reportage: architecture
.
Already in his first book, his famous debut “Miedzianka. The Story of Disappearance”, described the history of a small town in Lower Silesia, whichdisappeared from the face of the earth. In the author’s subsequent books (“Ill-born. Reportages on the architecture of the People’s Republic of Poland”, “Zaczyn. About Zofia and Oskar Hansen” or “Bathtub with a Colonnade. Reportathat it’s about the Polish space” – she becomes the main character. Springer writes about architecture from the point of view of its user – an average citizen or an ordinary passer-by – and thus somehow pulls it out of the embrace of specialists.architectsand urban plannersin. Starting from simple questions, e.g. why does the architecture of communist modernism age so badly and why does it arouse such controversy?
An important element ofSpringer’s books arephotographs, which he weaves into the text, often by wayof differenta story that has been developed at the same time (“Ill-Born” and “Bathtub with a Colonnade”). His photoCiasThey are recognizable at first glance: cool colour tones, melancholic distance, effortless painterliness, a bit of irony here and there. As he himself admits, he tries to compose his texts on the same principles as those that govern photographic reportage; in the same wayóB uses closer and more distant planes, rhythm and detail. Although his books are devoted to specific phenomena or figures, architectsóin, they always have a deeper, existential dimension, thanks to which they go beyond an ad hoc description. Springer’s writing has already been appreciated bothCriticsand readers alikeconsider him one of the most talented authors ofhis generation.
Edit. Red. based on a biography from the “Book Institute”
Olivia 7 (the temporary name of the seventh building currently being erected in the largest business center of the Tri-City, in Olivia), was designed in the spirit of biophilic design. The office building is to provide residents with a balance between moments of intensive work during the day and the necessary moments of rest and relaxation.
Our goal is to provide the employees of the “seven” with functional, modern and bright spaces. Therefore, the offices are to guarantee them optimal working conditions, which is why we put a lot of emphasis on solutions dedicated to the comfort of work. Biophilic design is based on the assumption that everyone needs physical contact with nature to function properly, so in the “seven” we have designed openable, spacious windows and tilt façade elements – which allows for constant access to fresh air and natural light – and unusual for this type of buildings, Located on each floor of the office building, loggias, terraces and outdoor galleries filled with vegetation. We have also provided for the Two additional terraces on the roof of the “seven”.
We focused on natural materials and ubiquitous greenery – this is also planned for the façade elements. An additional patio, a green square with small architecture, cafes and restaurants will be built next to the building.
We have also taken care of the thermal comfort of users. It will be provided by m.in. A modern triple-glazed façade of the building, the use of which will significantly reduce the impact of external conditions on the temperature in offices, minimizing the need to cool rooms in summer and heat them in winter. This translates not only into convenience of use, but also into lower energy demand, and thus reduced operating costs.
Environmental friendliness and technologies used in the building are to be assessed in the BREEAM ecological certification system; with the intention of obtaining the highest possible rating, Outstanding.
Saturday, December 2 at 6:00 pm
Saturday, December 9 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm
Competition for the funniest Christmas jumper. We would like to invite you to participate in our jumper competition! Pull your favourite Christmas jumper out of the bottom of your wardrobe, put in on, come to work dressed like that :), take a photo, send it to us or publish on Facebook and win a surprise gift! The person, who will have the biggest number of votes under their photo, will be a winner. Let’s go :)!
Christmas offers
