Unihouse modular housing: topping-out ceremony for a multi-family building in Gdańsk
On 17 December 2024, a topping-out ceremony was held at 18 Kolorowa Street in Gdańsk for a multi-family building being developed by Unihouse as part of the Gdańsk Social Housing Programme. This unique moment, deeply rooted in the Polish building tradition, is a symbolic celebration of the completion of a key stage of construction.
The beautiful Polish tradition of topping out
‘We meet today on the occasion of the beautiful tradition of topping out. We symbolically acknowledge the efforts of the people who work on this investment, planned it and want to act for others in this building - - This is an energy-efficient, low-emission building and it is being built at a very fast pace, and the flats here will be warm and cheap. As a contractor, I am proud of this investment, but it was also possible thanks to the good preparation of the investor, namely Gdansk Social Infrastructure.’ - emphasised Marcin Gołębiewski, president of Unihouse SA, the contractor for the investment.
A unique housing programme on a national scale
The building at 18 Kolorowa Street is being constructed as part of the Gdańsk Social Housing Programme. This is a unique programme nationwide, launched in 2016, which has been providing modern assisted housing for Gdansk residents ever since.
‘The building at 18 Kolorowa Street is being constructed as part of the Gdańsk Social Housing Programme. This is a unique programme nationwide. It was launched in 2016 and since then we have been successively providing more flats for Gdańsk residents,’ says Emilia Lodzińska, deputy mayor for spatial development and housing of the city of Gdańsk. ’A four-storey building will be constructed at this location. The contract was signed in September this year, and the execution time will be only 8 months. This is possible because the building will be constructed using wooden, modular technology. Fifteen flats will be built here, and in addition, the entire 5,000sqm site will be developed. Rain gardens, a playground, an outdoor gym, parking and bicycle racks will be created. The flats themselves would not be such a success if it were not for the social aspect. This combination of the two components of the scheme is a guarantee of success.’
Modern technology and fast implementation
Thanks to the use of prefabricated timber module technology, the building was assembled in just a few days. The topping-out ceremony symbolically highlights the progress of the construction and the effort put into the project.
‘As the implementer of the Gdańsk Social Housing Programme, Gdańska Infrastruktura Społeczna is fulfilling the city's obligation to provide housing for people who need it. In accordance with current legislation, we are building low-emission buildings, ones that meet the requirements of the European Union directive. The topping out, as a construction symbol, signifies the completion of a certain stage of construction and at the same time is supposed to bring success to its completion.’ - Aleksandra Krzywosz, president of Gdansk Social Infrastructure, said.
The cost of the entire investment is PLN 13 million and is financed from several sources:
Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego's Surcharge Fund - PLN 9.2 million (71%),
National Reconstruction Plan - PLN 1.6 million (12%),
Gdańsk Social Infrastructure's own funds - PLN 0.5 million (5%),
Recapitalisation by the Municipality of Gdańsk - PLN 1.6 million (12%).
The investment is an example of an effective combination of modern technology, ecology and attention to social needs, carried out thanks to the cooperation between Unihouse and Gdańska Infrastruktura Społeczna.
The project at 18 Kolorowa Street is proof that modular construction can significantly speed up the development process while ensuring high quality. As early as the middle of next year, the new flats will be handed over to residents, enriching Gdansk's housing offer and responding to the needs of the local community.
We would like to thank everyone involved in the project - the investor, the local authorities and our partners. Together we are making investments that change the urban space for the better and improve the living comfort of the residents.
Unihouse - we are building the future module by module.
Source of quotes: Gdansk Social Housing Programme. Topping out at 18 Kolorowa Street suspended
Author of part of the photos Dominik Paszliński / www.gdansk.pl
