Czech developer Contera has opened Organica office building in Ostrava. The grand opening was attended by representatives of the main client, the Scandinavian company Tietoevry, as well as the Mayor of Ostrava and the Governor of the Moravian-Silesian Region.
Contera opened the Organica office building on Bishop Bruno Square in Ostrava. The Nordic company Tietoevry is a major client and occupies approximately two-thirds of the building. "The move to Organica represents an important step in the development of our company. In 2004 we started with 50 employees in Ostrava and since then we have grown into the largest Tietoevry centre in Europe. The Organica building reflects current trends for hybrid working and provides the necessary comfort for our employees. The building's environmental features, which are compatible with our company's long-term values, also played a significant role in our decision. That is why we decided to move to state-of-the-art premises in the centre of Ostrava," says country lead for Tietoevry Czechia Petr Lukasík.
The start of the Organica project falls in the third quarter of 2020. Construction began in July 2021 and the Organica building was completed and handed over to Tietoevry key tenant in August this year. "Overall, the project has been a challenging one, especially considering the time period in which it was built. In 2022, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we were faced with an unprecedented and leapfrogging increase in the price of building materials, as well as an acute shortage. The situation with human resources was similar. However, our team showed extraordinary efforts and exactly 24 months after the start of construction we are standing in an approved building," emphasises Martin Budina, the project director of the developer, adding that the entire project cost approximately CZK 1.5 billion (€60.8 million).
Organica was not built on a "green field", but together with the surrounding buildings it filled the site of the former Karolina coke plant. "This is therefore the final stage of the revitalisation of a huge brownfield site in the very centre of a city of three hundred thousand. Once a heavy industry, now a commercial and administrative centre supplemented by a residential function. The transformation of the whole area compared to the past is quite fundamental," adds Martin Budina, Contera's project director. At the same time, the building is equipped with modern technologies and environmental friendliness. "The building has its own smartphone app that connects the building's users and makes it easier for them to function in Organica. On the roof, you will find a photovoltaic power plant providing partial energy self-sufficiency. The greenery is irrigated using rainwater and the building has an air conditioning system with intelligent fresh air distribution, which, thanks to sensors, sends air primarily to where people are and where it is needed. Last but not least, the building is BREAAM certified at the Excellent level, which underlines its environmental friendliness," summarises Martin Budina.
Contera has been cooperating with the city of Ostrava for a long time on several projects, such as the construction of the developing Hrušov industrial zone. This was originally a so-called social brownfield site that was devastated during the 1997 floods.
