“If Bill Gates can live in a smart home, why shouldn’t my son?” said Jacek Zalewski, President of the Dobra Wola Association and father of intellectually disabled Kuba, shedding some light on the idea behind the establishment of a state-of-the-art center for people with special needs. Today, both Jacek Zalewski and all of the beneficiaries and friends of the association can celebrate yet another important step on the path towards this unique accomplishment.

The WUT has been involved in the Good Will Farm project since 2018. It was then that a memorandum of understanding was signed to enable our students to formally engage in the work of the project team to create smart, environmentally-friendly all-purpose buildings for dependent persons. It will be a home for people with disabilities, as well as a place where they will find professional care and support. The Farm will be equipped with state-of-the-art smart room management systems, ongoing monitoring of indoor and outdoor conditions, as well as with a unique continuous health monitoring system.

At the event, the Warsaw University of Technology was represented by Professor Janusz Walo, Dean of the Faculty of Geodesy and Cartography and signatory of the Dobra Wola Association MoU, as well as by Professor Robert Zalewski, Vice-Rector for Student Affairs. They were accompanied by our students: Krystian Cyganek, Head Coordinator of the Farm Project and Jakub Kaczorowski, project co-organizer.  

In his brief speech, Professor Robert Zalewski, WUT Vice-Rector for Student Affairs, emphasized that the Good Will Farm fully deserves to be called an innovative project, not only in terms of the technologies employed, but also in terms of its community impact. The students noted that projects such as the one initiated by Jacek Zalewski offer more than just the ability to develop their engineering skills. What counts more is the opportunity to help others and use the knowledge acquired in class to make a meaningful change in people’s lives.

Good Will Farm groundbreaking ceremony – event gallery

It is worth mentioning that there are several subjects involved in the Good Will Farm initiative. The architectural design was prepared by KIK Architekci studio, and substantive support is provided by the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, the University of Warsaw, the Vistula Academy of Finance and Business and the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. More information can be found on the Dobra Wola Association's website.