Update on our signature projects

Retail transformation project in Hamburg, Germany

A building in the heart of the shopping district of Hamburg will be demolished and rebuilt as an operationally NZC mixed-use landmark. A design has been created that adheres to the high standards set for our portfolio. To manage the multitude of possible approaches, three key strategies played a vital role in the ongoing planning process to arrive at the most sustainable design.

• Cradle to CradleTM (C2C): Firstly, we favoured an approach based on C2C principles. This involves implementing simple and demountable constructions and element build-ups above composite elements to maximise the recyclability, adaptability and recoverability of materials. Selecting durable, healthy and sustainable components is of utmost importance in this.
• CO2 reduction is leading in the construction and operation of the building. The structure of the building will be optimised in terms of span, dimension and materiality to achieve the lowest possible overall carbon footprint while remaining constructionally and economically feasible. To reduce the operational ecological footprint, the building is designed to adhere to the BEG 40 standard in terms of thermal insulation, energy consumption, management and production. This means applying external sun blinds and ensuring high insulation values and carefully designed building services. The main source of energy is supplied through ecologically sourced district heating combined with high-efficiency technology for cooling, ventilation and photovoltaic systems. Mission 2040 commits us to supplying the building with green energy only and in line with this, the building will be equipped for adaption to hydrogen usage in the future. All aspects of building services will be optimised to support comfortable operation while maintaining a low energy profile.
• Certification: The project is using several certification methods as guidelines and goals to unify, constantly check and verify the design approaches within the chosen strategies and to verify the concepts implemented. The current design aims to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating as well as to comply with the local BEG 40 standards. C2C specialists provide general planning oversight and consultancy, ensuring continuous attention to all ecological, economic and social sustainability aspects.

On-site renewable energy generation project

An important contribution to our emissions reduction roadmap in the context of Mission 2040 is the provision of as much on-site renewable energy as possible for our tenants. Increasing the share of our tenants’ use of renewable electricity (their Scope 2 emissions) will benefit us by directly reducing our Scope 3 emissions and will also contribute to the clean energy transition Europe needs. While 2020 saw the launch of the project and a fair amount of preparation, during 2021 we managed to install 23 PV installations on the roofs of various retail park assets in Belgium. The total installed capacity at the end of February 2022 was 4.2 MWp, with the largest single installation on the roof of the C&A Distribution Centre in Boom, near Antwerp in Belgium, with a capacity of 1.1 MWp. Energy security and energy price volatility are becoming an ever-increasing risk that our occupiers want to manage and mitigate. We are confident that by continuing to roll out Project Solar on suitable roofs of our assets, we are offering a beneficial service to our tenants and making our assets more future-proof and resilient.

Downtown shopping centre project in Bordeaux, France

The respective investor clients for this particular asset, specifically requested this multi-tenanted, city centre, open air shopping destination – now into its sixth year of operation – to operate at Net Zero Carbon level by 2030. The specialist consultancy we selected undertook a full site survey to establish key requirements and write an action plan outlining key deliverables to achieve that goal. After the successful installation of smart metering, we are now in the phase of looking at making both physical and operational improvements to the asset. The first annual smart metering review has taken place and has brought to light some simple ways of improving energy consumption. We will share this information with our tenants and regularly update them on progress and possible improvements.

In the first half of 2022, we will also start implementing the Smartvatten water efficiency solution. A test pilot has been set up and we will check the functionality of the system before a full launch with the tenants. Finally, the solar panel project is well underway. Kick-off should take place just before summer 2022, when the equipment has been installed and the three-month administrative process with the energy provider completed.

This residential complex consists of two towers on a shared parking garage. It contains 172 rental homes, parking spaces and a commercial space, and one tower contains 131 homes that will be sold by the developer. The final design will be ready in the summer of 2022 and construction is planned in the period 2022 – 2025. The property will be equipped with a thermal energy storage system, solar panels and a mobility hub (car and bicycle sharing provider). It will be WELL certified and added in the database of the Madaster materials and products registry.