Gangdong-gu - Green renovation got everything
Name of Organization / Company: Gangdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Category: Award for Innovative Management in Government - More than 100 Employees
Entry Title: Green renovation got everything
Essay:
In May 2018, Gangdong- gu spent 9.2 billion won to replace the old building, which was built in 1979, and turned it into an ecofriendly energy- saving building. Through the renovation, the municipality management improved in many ways. The municipality is now more energy saving, accessible to the physically disabled, open to local residents, supportive of working parents, and closer to an inclusive city.
The remodeled building has a solar- power- generating facility installed in the front, and the panels produce an average of 80.89 kilowatts of electricity a day. The energy efficiency grade of the building has increased five steps from the previous grade 4 to grade 1++. The insulation in the building’s exterior walls was reinforced and energy use decreased by 65%.
In addition, Gangdong- gu converted its public parking lot into an open grass garden, which added an environment friendly design to the building. The space can be used free of charge, and various municipality events such as job fairs, movie festivals, a youth night market, and a youth democracy festival are held in the grass garden. More than 500 residents visit the garden every month. It is used as a space for gathering of local residents and encourages innovative practices across the municipality in the field of civic participation. The accessibility of the office building was also greatly enhanced by rebuilding the ramps in every entrance and elevators for the disabled. Furthermore, Gangdong- gu purchased an adjoining building as part of the renovation to accommodate its increased number of employees. The building was formerly a police station, and the renovation was done in a way that emphasized the original building’s characteristics. The detention cell of the police station has a panopticon design, which is a unique and unusual structure among the office buildings. The area of the detention cell is now transformed into a café, a gallery, and a history museum, providing a space for culture and providing convenience for the residents and employees of Gangdong- gu. The panopticon café is the first branch of the coffeehouse chain “I got everything” in Seoul. The “I got everything” coffeehouse chain is promoted by the Korea Disabled People's Development Institute (KODDI) to create jobs and opportunities for social participation for the severely disabled. In connection with the café’s opening, Gangdong- gu provided a café space and residents participatory budget, and KODDI sponsored the café’s interior and equipment expenses. There are 16 “I got everything” branches nationwide, and 52 severely handicapped people are working as baristas. As of July 2017, the employee retention rate of the coffeehouse chain reached 87.5%. These are outstanding results considering the fact that disabled people are twice as likely to be unemployed in Korea. The employees of the Gangdong- gu branch include four severely handicapped baristas who graduated from Gangdong- gu’s Career Education School. There’s also a place next to the café to exhibit and sell products made by the severely handicapped workers in 12 vocational rehabilitation facilities run by Gangdong- gu. The café and the exhibition area provide a relaxing space for everyone in the city and contribute to improving disability awareness at the same time.
As for employee development, the municipality transferred the daycare center for the employees’ children to the first floor of the office building to improve the daycare environment and alleviate the burden of childcare for working parents. It enabled employees to focus solely on their work, thus, resulting in better performance.
The overall renovation of the office building contributed to strengthening the brand value and brand leadership of Gangdong- gu by being green and innovative.
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