Only 350 BREEAM-in-use certificates have been issued in Dutch real estate, and that is too few, according to Hans Copier, CEO of Dutch real estate bad bank Propertize.
Obtaining certification is a must for new prime projects but the current stock is a major issue. 'There are 100,000 properties in the Netherlands so the real challenge is fostering sustainability in these existing buildings'. Copier is also a member of the board of the BREEAM-in-use advisory group and was commenting during the Provada real estate fair in Amsterdam.
Copier said that the threshold to acquire certification is high at the moment, but tools and systems are being developed to lower the complexity. 'But we are not going to compromise on quality,' he said.
At the same time Dutch real estate is relatively green savvy, the Provada heard, and in some cases is a green leader internationally. Some Dutch office properties that have obtained certification have won international awards, according to case studies presented by the Dutch Green Building Council (DGBC) during Provada. Prime examples include the headquarters of Dutch bank ABN Amro and The Edge, two major office complexes developed in the Zuidas business and living district in south Amsterdam in recent years.
Last March BREEAM crowned ABN's 126,000 m2 headquarters with the international prize for most sustainable in-use office building during an award ceremony in London because of 'sustainable measures that have been taken over the past years and the results realised'.
The Edge, located on the edge of the Zuidas, also won a prize in the category ‘new office buildings’. The 40,000 m2 building was developed by Rotterdam-based green office specialist OVG and delivered to tenants Deloitte and law firm AKD in November 2014. Seven months later German investor Deka Immobilien acquired The Edge for €200 mln.
The building was designed by Ron Bakker and Lee Polisano of PLP Architecture in London. It was awarded a BREEAM-NL ‘Outstanding’ certificate and on completion was seen as one of the most sustainable buildings in continental Europe.
Jan Hein Tiedema, commercial director of OVG Netherlands, said in 2014: 'At the start of this project it was our goal to reach the highest level of sustainability and comfort. During the crisis we decided to make an extra investment in energy efficiency and innovative LED systems. We have always trusted in our proposition, which combines transparent architecture, extreme sustainability and optimal user comfort. We are extremely proud to hand the property over to one of the biggest international investors in the world.'
