An outdoor meeting zone for residents, renewable energy sources to power common areas, segregation of 90% of waste at the construction stage – these are just some of the criteria of the Eko Echo sustainable residential building standard that are met by Apartamenty Rytm na Kabaty. Echo Investment has analyzed the project under construction in terms of its impact on the environment, health and well-being of future users, as well as safety at the construction site and offered amenities. Rytm Apartments in Kabaty is currently the highest-rated project of Echo Investment and scored 70 out of 100 possible points.
In the area of the supermarket and parking lot at ul. Wąwozowa in Warsaw’s Kabaty district, Echo Investment is building an apartment building that will offer a total of 288 apartments of various sizes, a linear garden, neighborhood zones such as common roof terrace and numerous innovative amenities in the premises, the building and its surroundings. Already at the design stage, the developer put emphasis on pro-ecological solutions and supporting sustainable development. Now, thanks to the transparent criteria of the proprietary Eko Echo standard, the building has been subjected to a meticulous and objective assessment in terms of ecology, responsible construction, amenities and impact on health. The Rytm apartments in Kabaty received 70 points out of 100 possible in the Eko Echo standard, which gives a grade of 4+ in the six-point rating scale, which corresponds to the system used in Polish schools. This has been the best rating among Echo Investment’s projects so far.
“As a developer and creator of entire city quarters, we are aware of the impact we have on the environment and the local community. We try to plan our work and design our buildings in a way that not so much reduces the harmful aspects of our business, but even excludes them whenever possible. In Kabaty, we will turn a concrete square into a friendly and open space. The area of the estate will remain open to the public – thanks to the elevation of the building on pillars, local residents will still be able to use the shortcut to the subway, school or Kabacki Forest. In addition, in the common space, we will take care of many amenities, such as: Paczkomat InPost or comfortable street furniture that will make spending time outdoors more pleasant. In order to complete all the most burdensome works as soon as possible, we will complete the construction of the entire apartment building in one stage. The planned completion date is the end of 2023,” comments Dawid Wrona, sales director of Echo Investment.
The construction of a sustainable housing estate called Rytm in Kabaty started in March this year. Currently, we have completed the demolition of the supermarket hall, during which steel, concrete debris and concrete chips were recovered. In order to reduce the negative impact of its operations on the environment, Echo Investment makes every effort to ensure that the post-demolition material is properly segregated and, as a result, reused. Last year, thanks to this approach, as much as 96.4% of the developer’s construction waste was segregated and did not end up in a landfill.
The Rytm apartments in Kabaty have been designed with the comfort of future users in mind. Residents of each apartment will have their own terrace or balcony at their disposal. Some of the apartments have two balconies or terraces facing different parts of the world. Adequate lighting is provided by panoramic windows, and the Echo Smart intelligent apartment system will ensure safety, comfort and energy savings. It includes, among others: a control panel that wirelessly connects all devices into one system and an intelligent loudspeaker. Thanks to them, the premises can be controlled by voice or from the level of the application on the phone.
As part of the Echo Life Services amenities package, solutions for active people, including suspended benches and exercise ladders, will be installed in the generally accessible parts of the investment. For spending time in the evenings and the weekend outdoors, there is a place to organize an open-air cinema. The developer will plant greenery inspired by the undergrowth of the Kabacki Forest, and plant growth will be regulated with UV lamps and irrigated with an ecological system using rainwater. The premises of Rytm Apartments in Kabaty will also include a bicycle room, a charger for electric vehicles and a shared roof terrace. Places that have been opened so far with an intercom (e.g. wickets, doors or gates) will be equipped with an automatic lock release system. In order to unlock them or call the elevator, all you have to do is approach the sensor with your smartphone with the application loaded.
How exactly does the Eko Echo standard work?
The Eko Echo sustainable construction standard is a housing investment evaluation system developed by Echo Investment’s internal assessors: architects, health and safety specialists and construction engineers. Each building can score 100 points in four categories: ECOLOGY (20 points), HEALTH (20 points), CONSTRUCTION (20 points) and AMENITIES (40 points). The ECOLOGY category checks green solutions used in the building and its immediate vicinity, including the long-term impact of the investment on biodiversity, the percentage of biologically active area and the type of technology used to heat the building. Points in the HEALTH section are awarded for investment elements that have a positive impact on the safety and physical and mental health of residents, including spaces for integration or relaxation, solutions guaranteeing optimal sunlight or monitoring air quality. The evaluation criteria in the CONSTRUCTION category concern both the quality of the materials used, the safety of employees at this stage of work, and the impact of the works on the immediate vicinity. The assessment here covers, inter alia, the level of waste segregation, the origin of the wood, or a sustainable procurement plan reducing the carbon footprint. The last and most comprehensive category – FACILITIES – was created on the basis of conversations with customers and their needs. As many as 10 points are assessed for the location of the building – distance from means of transport, educational and cultural institutions, green areas or bicycle paths. Further points are awarded for above-standard solutions that improve the comfort of using the apartment, including Smart technologies, flexrooms with the possibility of being used as a space for social meetings or work, or an open-access parcel locker in the estate. A point can be obtained for meeting a specific condition or level in such a way that the assessment is as objective as possible and leaves no doubt. The six-point grading scale, which corresponds to the system used in Polish schools, allows you to compare how pro-ecologically advanced a given building is.
