First LEED Gold Green Building in the Czech Republic
What once served as a dumping ground for hazardous waste is now the site of one of the greenest buildings in the Czech Republic. CSOB, a commercial bank, member of KBC Group, decided to consolidate its headquarters offices in southwest Prague, an area of the city that had not been redeveloped since it was destroyed during World War II. The former brownfield site is now home to the first LEED Gold certified building in the country. Prior to moving into the new headquarters building, the CSOB Group occupied several buildings in Prague’s old town. Many of these buildings were inefficient, out-dated and operationally expensive. Pavel Kavanek, chairman and chief executive of CSOB, explained one of main reasons for moving the bank’s offices, “So far, we have been scattered in various buildings in the center of Prague, so a lot of colleagues knew each other more from telephone calls than personally. At last, we will be closer to each other in the new headquarters. It is an important incentive for corporate culture of the entire CSOB Group.” Now more than 2,500 bank employees are located in one of the largest office buildings in the country. In addition to offices and workspaces, the five-story 900,000-square-foot building contains a public bank branch, a cafe for employees, a medical center, post office, hairdresser, dry cleaning and flower shop. Public, shared and non-work areas and amenities make up 35 percent of the net built area. The new building, located in Radlice, part of Prague, has also spurred urban redevelopment and stimulated local economic development in the area.
Download the CSOB Headquarters, Prague, Czech Republic Case Study
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