Atterbury Europe and Iulius Group is immensely proud of its development at Timişoara, where the office development received a highly sought-after sustainability certification. Iulius Group Sustainability Officer Dan Chelaru explains the impact.
Tell us more about the award?
Our UBC 0 (United Business Centre 0) office building in Iulius Town Timişoara was awarded the LEED Platinum certification, in line with the US Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED 2009 Core and Shell Development rating system, which is the highest honour in green building today. The building scored 86 points (see the box below for context), ranking in the very top percentile of sustainable buildings.
There is a growing demand for green buildings globally, because they work better and focus on people and nature. The US Green Building Council has a catchphrase that really resonates with us too: “doing well by doing good”, and it is all about designing and constructing buildings with sustainability principles at the forefront. LEED is the most widely used green building rating system, and it considers those principles in building design, construction and operations.
What was it about the design of the UBC 0 that earned it those extra points to achieve platinum status? Could you highlight some of the green elements that contribute to its showpiece status?
Energy performance, low carbon emissions, water savings, recycled materials and connectivity are the parameters that earned us the maximum ratings.
UBC 0 met the preliminary requirements for durable and sustainable buildings mandated by the USGBC and checked by the Green Business Certification Inc. The office building has a 40% reduction in water consumption, the façade is made of continuous and thermally insulated glass, maximising the use of natural light. It is also fitted with a technical management system and control via a building-management system, which improves real-time resource management and helps reduce operating costs, while rainwater is reused to irrigate the green spaces in the urban garden set up near the building. It also includes showers and changing rooms for those who cycle to work, as well as dedicated parking spaces and charging facilities for employees driving electric vehicles.
What does it mean for UBC 0 and Iulius Town to have been awarded this certification?
UBC 0 as a whole was designed with sustainability measures in mind and right from the start we wanted it to be an example of sustainable development, creating a positive impact on both the environment and the community. We are glad that yet another building in the Iulius Town mixed-use complex was awarded the highest sustainability certification (after UBC 3) – this motivates us to continue to create modern, energy-efficient projects with minimal negative environmental impacts. We are delighted that UBC 0 and UBC 3 are the only LEED Platinum certified buildings outside of Bucharest.
Does building with green principles make the construction process more expensive for the developer?
Knowing that 40% of global CO² emissions are generated by buildings and the construction industry, the transition to green buildings to reduce climate change is an inevitable trend.
Investments in such buildings are more expensive as they require special materials, equipment and systems, but they have considerable subsequent benefits, particularly in terms of lower utility consumption and implicitly lower operating costs. Green buildings have a better return for developers, because they generate better rents and are estimated to have a 7-10% higher real-estate value than traditional buildings.
Sustainability is also integral to our “core business”. All our projects, whether in operation or under development, are either certified or pending certification as green buildings. We own the only nationwide network of shopping centers in Romania that is fully green certified, which is indicative of our performances in terms of responsible operation and economy of resources.
The UBC 3 office building in Iulius Town Timișoara stands out in our portfolio. This building even has natural trees in the lobby and it is LEED Platinum certified – the first office building outside of Bucharest to achieve this standard of excellence.
Recently, we also signed a partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, for the purpose of developing a strategy to decarbonise the entire portfolio of the company and achieve net-zero emissions. IFC will use the Green Pathways for Real Estate Institutional Portfolios platform to provide solutions for defining, implementing and financing our plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to reach CO² neutrality as soon as possible. This would be the first such engagement in Romania.
Also, in this period we are implementing a complex project designed to enhance the energy autonomy across all our properties, including Iulius Town Timişoara, by installing photovoltaic panels. This project helps us achieve multiple objectives: environmental protection and better control of energy costs, which is very important in the current context.
Can you share feedback from tenants in the building who are reaping the benefits of the green design?
The people working in our buildings certainly appreciate the measures we have implemented in order to measure up to sustainability standards, which is also a concern in their everyday life. We have also come to this conclusion based on our discussions with tenant companies, who are very keen on these aspects and want to have them implemented in the office buildings. For example, our decision to equip our buildings with secure bicycle parking spaces, changing rooms and showers, and charging stations for electric vehicles or electric scooters was in direct response to wishes expressed by the employees in the UBC community.
