Skanska proudly announces that the new office project City Green Court in Prague has received LEED Platinum Pre-certification, the highest level of the latest version of LEED.
City Green Court is the first office project in the Czech Republic and the first Skanska office project in Europe to achieve this. The redesign of an existing project aims to be the greenest office building in Prague.
Highest level of LEED certification
Since the acquisition in spring 2010, the original design of City Green Court made by New York architect studio Richard Meier & Partners was modified according to Skanska requirements in order to achieve the highest level of LEED certification.
The project gained maximum number of points in sustainable sites, water efficiency, and indoor environmental quality categories of LEED rating.
"Skanska is strongly committed to promote green construction to new levels and to increase the number of green and LEED-certified projects in the Czech Republic," says Britta Cesar, Managing Director of Skanska Property Czech Republic, and continues:
"We are proud to achieve the LEED platinum Pre-certification and to contribute to growing interest in green, modern and flexible office space that offers a stimulation work environment. This adds value for both investors and tenants."
City Green Court
City Green Court is currently being built in the well-established business district of Prague 4 ? Pankrác with an excellent accessibility and a wide range of services and amenities in the area. The eight-storey building will offer approximately 16,400 sq m of total gross leasable office space around an impressive atrium. City Green Court will be completed in the first quarter of 2012.
"City Green Court´s LEED Platinum pre-certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership, says Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council.
"The urgency of USGBC´s mission has challenged the industry to move faster and reach further than ever before, and the City Green Court project serves as a prime example with just how much we can accomplish."
Green design and construction
The LEED Platinum Pre-certification of City Green Court has been based on a number of green design and construction features and innovations that positively impact the project itself and the broader community.
These features include for example: sophisticated lighting system employing occupancy and daylight sensors, high-efficiency fixtures, green roof, high efficient irrigation system, and impressive closed atrium utilizing natural ventilation.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a voluntary system for measuring sustainability. It offers independent verification in major environmental aspects by the U.S. Green Building Council.
The main criteria of the system are resource management, water savings, energy efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction and selection of sustainable and non-hazardous materials, waste management, superior indoor environment; innovative technology solutions and project location.
Green Building Council
The U.S. Green Building Council is a nonprofit membership organization whose vision is a sustainably built environment within a generation. Its membership includes corporations, builders, universities, government agencies and other nonprofit organizations.
Since USGBC´s founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 17,000 member companies and organizations, a comprehensive family of LEED´s green building rating systems, an expansive educational offering, the industry?s popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo (www.greenbuildexpo.org), and a network of 78 local chapters, affiliates, and organizing groups.
Skanska Commercial Development Europe is one out of 14 business units within Skanska. The mission is to initiate and develop real estate projects such as office buildings and logistic facilities. The main focus of operations is the large metropolitan areas in Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. Skanska Commercial Development Europe is divided into three local companies:
Skanska Property Czech Republic, Skanska Property Hungary and Skanska Property Poland. More information about Skanska Commercial Development Europe can be found at www.skanska.com/property.
Skanska Property
Skanska Property Czech Republic, s.r.o, has been operating on the Czech market since 1997 and has developed a number of office buildings and retail warehouses in the Prague area. Skanska´s office building Nordica Ostrava was the first building in Czech Republic to be awarded the GreenBuilding certificate for energy efficiency.