A wooden one-story pavilion with an area of 1170 square meters is to be built by 2024 near the Młociński Forest in Warsaw. It will be the headquarters of the Center for Environmental Education, whose design, commissioned by the City of Warsaw and the Warsaw City Forests, was developed by the Kwadratura studio. This is another place in the capital that aims to educate about the environment. The architects responsible for the project argue that pro-environmental ideas can be found not only in the center's mission, but also in the concept of the block, which will be built using CLT technology.
The Center for Ecological Education will be another place in the capital with a mission to impart ecological knowledge. According to announcements by investors and architects, it will be able to be used by about 25,000 people. The CEE will be built at 1/3 Papirus Street in Młociny, near Młociński Forest. The initiative to create the center came from the City Forests of Warsaw and the City of Warsaw, and the design was made by the Kwadratura studio. It is interesting in that it not only ideologically refers to ecology. The solid concept was developed based on one of the ecological solutions, namely the wooden CLT structure.
Interestingly, this is not the first CEE concept to come out of the hands of this studio. The first design for the center was created in 2019 - at that time also on the initiative of the Warsaw Urban Forestry. However, it differed from the current one, if only in the surface area of the block. The original building was to be 2520 square meters and consist of two superimposed blocks. However, the project did not come to fruition due to the investors' limited budget. So the building had to be scaled down - that's how the concept of a one-story wood pavilion came about.
not only pro-ecological mission
The headquarters of the Center for Environmental Education will be located in two buildings: partly in a historic wooden forester's lodge and in a modern wooden pavilion, which will be added to the forester's lodge. The one-story, 1170-square-meter building is intended to refer to the place where it is located, that is, the space near the forest, hence, among other things, the choice of wood as the main building material. The building has the character of a compact form. In the visualizations, we see it as if it is emerging from the ground - which is the effect of the elevated terrain.
Center for Ecological Education from a bird's eye view
vision: Quadratura
The pavilion will be built using CLT(cross-laminated timber) construction, i.e.cross-laminated timber. Currently, this solution is considered one of the most modern and environmentally friendly. Wooden motifs will also appear on the exterior walls of the building.
Wood will appear not only in the structure, but also on the exterior walls of the building
vision: Kwadratura
Quadratura architects assure that the building will be environmentally friendly in many respects. It is also to be energy efficient thanks to heat pumps or photovoltaic panels - they will be the main source of heating for the block. An important role in the project is played by vegetation, which, among other things, will appear on the roof! It will be divided into two parts: vegetation and the one for photovoltaic panels.
The project also includes the creation of rain gardens for water retention. This is one of the eagerly used solutions today, especially in pro-environmental projects.
A place conducive to meetings and education
Inside the building, spaces conducive to meetings and education are to be arranged. There will be, among other things, a conference and workshop room for 85 people and four educational rooms - two for younger children and two for older students. In addition, there will be offices for the center's staff, locker rooms, storage space, as well as a place to prepare and eat meals. The environment, as well as the building, will be fully adapted to the needs of people with disabilities.
The main tasks of the Environmental Education Center will include raising the level of environmental awareness of the public, promoting the principles of sustainable development, spreading knowledge of environmental protection, the forest ecosystem, sustainable forest management, raising awareness of the role and importance of urban forests for sustainable development of the city, raising public awareness of responsible use of all functions of the forest, etc. The Warsaw City Hall estimates that 25,000 people - elementary and secondary school students - would participate in the activities organized at CEE annually.
This is an extremely important investment for the whole of Warsaw and beyond. At a time when climate change is so dynamic, raising the level of society's environmental awareness is of great importance for our daily functioning ," Justyna Glusman, director of the Coordinator for Sustainable Development and Greenery, said during the presentation of the Center for Environmental Education project.
Construction of the CEE will cost more than PLN 14 million, of which nearly PLN 10 million is to come from the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management. According to the announcement, the Center for Environmental Education is expected to be built by 2024.
More and more spaces aimed at environmental education are being created in Poland. One of them is, among others, the Stone Education Pavilion, the design and implementation of which has been recognized at many national and international competitions. Brataniec Architecture Studio eM4 is responsible for the concept.
