LCBI awards first European labels to low-carbon projects
The European Low Carbon Building Initiative (LCBI) awarded its first international labels to two real estate developments for their low-carbon performance: CityWave in Milan, developed by Generali Real Estate, and Roots in Luxembourg, developed by BPI Real Estate and Unibra Real Estate.
LCBI, launched in 2022 by the major players in European real estate and the BBCA, the Association for the development of low carbon buildings, has created the first low-carbon label that is the measure of a building’s carbon footprint over the whole of its life cycle. The awards process has been validated by Bureau Veritas.
“We are delighted to award our first certifications outside France to two truly remarkable projects with extremely high-levels of low-carbon performance”, said Cécile Dap, CEO, LCBI. “Our role is to hasten the decarbonisation of real estate and increase the value of low-carbon assets in Europe. Our label has been perfected by means of a robust methodology that is the result of collaboration with numerous institutions and companies. We are proud that major players such as Generali Real Estate, BPI Real Estate and Unibra Real Estate have taken the issue of decarbonisation on board by showing their confidence in our technology.”
CityWave, designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) architecture studio, is a unique, 63,000 sq m project in Milan that features two office blocks linked by a futuristic portico and creates a new green and protected public space. The curved arch that links the two buildings is topped by over 10,000 solar panels, making it the largest solar farm in Milan. This system, with a 1.3 MW capacity, will provide 65% of the project’s heating and cooling needs. As well as providing solar power, the structure will enable rainwater collection.
In order to reduce the total amount of carbon in the development, the design team has been attentive in choosing sustainable building materials, prioritising those with the lowest carbon footprint and which use the highest amount of recycled material. The building will be powered exclusively by renewable sources but because of triple glazing and the materials used it is expected to have half the energy requirements of a standard office block.
“In joining the LCBI we are being faithful to one of our ESG priorities in terms of decarbonisation”, said Gloria Brocchi, Head of ESG, Generali Real Estate. “As a member of the Net Zero Asset Owner Alliance, we are committed to reducing the carbon footprint of our assets between now and 2050 by means of an improvement programme that combines the reduction of carbon emissions, energy-saving, and tenant comfort”.
The other winner is Roots in Belval, an exemplary construction built on converted wasteland in southern Luxembourg, on the outskirts of the country’s second largest city. Belval, a business centre and residential area with an ever-increasing number of inhabitants, is located on the site of a former steelworks that has been in the process of conversion since the early years of the century, covering almost 300 acres.
Designed by ArtBuild Architects, an architecture studio in Luxembourg, Roots is a mixed-use ensemble of three buildings constructed on a common platform, around a green terrace. It covers over 20,000 square metres and comprises a hundred or so apartments, as well as office space and retail outlets.
The design team has paid the greatest attention to the choice of materials, prioritising options with the lowest carbon content at all levels of the development, particularly wood from sustainably managed forests, which means that the embodied carbon level is 25 % below the target threshold. As regards operational carbon levels, solar panels help reduce energy consumption during office hours.