Atrium Oliva estate in Gdansk
A conversation with architect Jakub Bladowski president of the ROARK Studio studio, author of the Atrium Oliva residential development project .
The project was selected in a nationwide architectural competition. The project is being developed in one of the most attractive parts of the Tri-City - at the intersection of Grottgera and Bażyńskiego streets in Gdansk-Oliwa. A place famous for its intimate buildings and secluded streets, not far from the picturesque Oliwa Forest, Oliwa Park and Abbotsford Palace, as well as a district of office buildings - Olivia Business Center, the largest business center in Pomerania, Alchemia or the campus of the University of Gdansk.
Atrium Oliva is distinguished by bold solutions conducive to establishing social ties, including: a brine graduation tower, a fitness center, a club room with billiards, an atmospheric green patio and a unique playground for children. The project also takes into account many ecological solutions, including: chargers for electric cars, photovoltaic panels and rain gardens. That's why Allcon has started applying for a BREEAM certificate for Atrium Oliva, which confirms the high quality of the building and proves that energy-efficient and ecological standards have been maintained.
Atrium Oliva Gdańsk estate
© ALLCON
What was the biggest design challenge for you at Atrium?
Arch. Jakub Bladowski: The Atrium is a unique project for our studio because it is the first to be executed holistically by two of our teams - those responsible for the volume and the interiors. Thanks to this,the premise has a coherent vision and we feel control, but also responsibility for its entirety.
The challenge is certainly the location, which required combining the villa character of old Oliva with a modern approach to shaping urban space and relating it to the neighborhood of large office centers.
From this apparent contradiction was born a design idea based on the principle of the atrial house, which has a different character on the outside than on the inside. The layout of the Atrium Oliva buildings was shaped in a similar way - on the outside we tried to create an urban character while on the urban interior a soft, multifunctional development that would promote the well-being of the residents.
How do you look for inspiration? What does your design process look like?
Arch. Jakub Bladowski: Roark Studio is not an author's studio, so it would be necessary to talk about the way the whole team works. My task is mainly to take care of the atmosphere of creativity and cooperation so that the skills of individual architects complement and multiply. I am convinced that the results of a group of people will always be better than a single designer.
Our way of looking for new solutions and inspiration is to "wind each other up" and share a passion for design. Concepts are created through discussions, joint work and sometimes even arguments - about design solutions, of course.
Atrium Oliva Estate Gdansk
© ALLCON
What was innovative in the process of creating Atrium?
Arch. Jakub Bladowski: Roark Studio collaborates with the architecture and technology company Designbotic on simulations, scientific research related to sustainability and the creation of tools that help architects make smart design decisions. All the simulations needed for BREEAM certification were developed at the aforementioned level of cooperation.
The design team, moreover, proposed a number of solutions previously unheard of in residential developments - such as a brine graduation tower in the recreational common areas of the property.
Atrium Oliva Gdansk - fitness room
© ALLCON
Architecture is one of the oldest fields of art. Are you an artist who creates works in which people will live? It's a big challenge and responsibility, how did you approach them?
Arch. Jakub Bladowski: It is important to remember that architecture is an applied art. This means that it is extremely important to properly identify future users and their needs. We went through this process together with the investor - the idea of potential residents is, of course, the subject of extensive discussion at the architect-investor interface.
In the design process itself, we try to take care of the social, mental and health needs of the residents. This translates into the way we design land use, buildings and common areas. In the Atrium Oliva project, we wanted the space between the buildings to be a meeting place and a place for diverse interactions of residents. That's why zones were provided for different groups of residents. Another important feature of this development is that it will be open. That's why we have included among the future users anyone who might find themselves in this space - just as one thinks when designing a city.
Atrium Oliva Gdansk - club room
© ALLCON
The Atrium is one of the few developments being created to meet BREEAM requirements. What is this certification and how does it affect your work?
Arch. Jakub Bladowski:BREEAMis one of the multi-criteria environmental certifications. Until now, mainly commercial buildings have been certified. More recently, the trend of using ecological solutions and promoting the well-being of residents in the broadest sense has been gaining ground. Atrium Oliva will be one of the first residential buildings in Poland with a BREEAM certificate at the very good level awarded at the design stage.
Although, regardless of the certification, we always try to recognize the needs of the residents and respond to them as much as possible, certification based on a number of parameters is a kind of list of things to think about, and this certainly facilitates the design and improves the process of communication between the investor and the studio.
Atrium Oliva Gdansk - relaxation zone
© ALLCON
What is the cooperation with the developer ALLCON like? What do you value most in it?
Arch. Jakub Bladowski: Allcon is a company with a versatile team of professionals - engineers, architects or marketers. The most important feature of this developer from the perspective of our studio is its openness to new solutions. This desire for continuous development also motivates architects to constantly seek and improve.
For more information, visit the company 'sALLCON page on theAiB portal.
