Certifications

Certification forms an essential element of Citycon's efforts toward sustainable development. All of Citycon's (re)development projects are carried out in accordance with international environmental certification systems. The most widely recognised environmental certification systems are the LEED® and the BREEAM.

Citycon's LEED projects

Citycon has three renovation and extension projects for which the company has seeked and received LEED certification. In the design and construction phases of the projects, special attention has been paid to environmentally friendly solutions, in terms of factors such as energy-efficiency, selection of materials, and recycling. Durable and reusable alternatives were favoured in the choice of building materials.

In the certification process, the construction project is rated according to six criteria: sustainability of land use, efficiency of water consumption, energy use, selection and recycling of materials, the standard of the indoor environment, and application of innovations in the design process.

Citycon's LEED pilot projects

• Trio, in Lahti, Finland
  The first ever LEED-certification in Finland and in the Nordic region was awarded to Trio renovation project in June, 2009. 
• Rocca al Mare, in Tallinn, Estonia
  The silver level LEED-certificate was awarded to Rocca al Mare's extension and renovation project in January, 2010. The certificate was first in the Baltic countries.
• Liljeholmstorget, in Stockholm, Sweden
  Liljeholmstorget is the first shopping centre in Europe to achieve the highest LEED classification, and one of the world's few platinum-rated buildings of any kind.
• Martinlaakson Ostari, in Vantaa, Finland
  Martinlaakson Ostari shopping centre was awarded the second highest, gold level LEED certificate in April 2012. In the LEED certificate criterion Martinlaakson Ostari received thanks especially from sustainable land use: its location at the reach of excellent transportation services and in the middle of existing city infrastructure. In addition the centre has a better than average efficiency in water use and energy consumption. Martinlaakson Ostari was opened at the beginning of December 2011. 

 

LEED

The LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) system is an environmental rating system applied in the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of buildings. The LEED Green Building Rating SystemTM approach is an internationally recognised environmental certification system addressing the environmental efficiency of buildings, which is widely used especially in the United States.

LEED certification is aimed at reducing the environmental impact of construction and operation of buildings. In LEED certification, the rating of buildings is based on six criteria:
1. Sustainable Sites
2. Water Efficiency
3. Energy and Atmosphere
4. Materials and Resources
5. Indoor Environmental Quality
6. Innovation in Design

Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels of LEED green building certification are awarded based on the total number of points earned within each LEED category. LEED certificates are granted, and their use is monitored, by a third-party organisation, the Green Building Certificate Institute, operating under the nonprofit organisation the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The USGBC is committed to promoting environmentally responsible construction and enhancing the ‘green-awareness' of actors in the sector. See http://www.usgbc.org/

BREEAM

The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method BREEAM is a system used for evaluating the environmental impact of buildings; BREEAM facilitates decreased use costs and improvements in working and living conditions. It is also a recognition of the low environmental load of a building. BREEAM classification can be used to demonstrate how committed a company or an organisation is to its environmental goals. With BREEAM, stricter benchmarks than those set out by regulations can be achieved.

Different versions of BREEAM are available, corresponding to the life-span of the building. For example, separate processes can be applied to new construction, major renovation, or the assessment of current practices.

BREEAM classification is based on a points system. For example, when assessing how facilities are used, points are awarded for taking environmental matters into consideration as well as for practices that promote health and well-being, energy-efficiency, environmentally sound traffic arrangements and use of water, material efficiency and the prevention of pollution.

The BREEAM classification system is widely used, especially in Great Britain and other European countries.
(Source: Building Research Establishment, www.breeam.org)