City Green Court, the first LEED Platinum-certified office building in the Czech Republic, was presented with the Leadership in Building Design and Performance Award by the World Green Building Council (World GBC) on 16 September. The honour was part of World GBC's inaugural Europe Region Leadership Awards, which showcases projects that use sustainable building practices to reduce their environmental footprints and bring economic benefits to their tenants.
"The award confirms that Skanska belongs among world leaders in the area of sustainability development, whether it builds in New York, London or Prague. In each of these places, it contributes to the success of the entire market," says Ing. Petr Vogel, director of the Czech Green Building Council. "City Green Court saves not only the environment, but it is also a very successful commercial project, which ensures its true sustainability."
Europe Region Leadership Awards were established by the World GBC’s Europe Region Network to promote leadership and inspire best practices in green building policy, construction projects and corporate initiatives. Judges were very impressed with the quality of nominations which highlighted sustainability in action across Europe.
"We are honoured to receive this prestigious award, which only confirms our commitment to be a leader in sustainable commercial development," says Marie Passburg, President of Skanska Property Czech Republic, which developed City Green Court in Prague's Pankrác district.
City Green Court applied a number of innovative and sustainable solutions that were firsts in the Czech Republic. An example is its advanced lighting system, which utilizes occupancy sensors and natural daylight, as well as its green roof, high-efficiency irrigation system and impressive, naturally ventilated atrium. City Green Court was designed to consume 56 percent less energy than a similar office project constructed under the Czech building code. City Green Court saves around 5,000 cubic litres of water through efficiency measures and rainwater harvesting, meaning it uses 25 percent less water than a typical Czech office building.
The attractiveness of the building is supported by the fact that 95 percent of the total 16,300 sq m were leased before the project was completed. Tenants include PwC, GlaxoSmithKline, Mainstream Technologies, Skanska Property and Skanska Real Estate. Skanska sold City Green Court to Deka Immobilien Investment GmbH in May 2012.
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Skanska Commercial Development Europe initiates and develops property projects in office, logistics and commercial buildings. The company’s operations are concentrated in metropolitan areas in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Poland and are conducted in four local units: Skanska Property Czech Republic, Skanska Property Hungary, Skanska Romania and Skanska Property Poland. The company is part of Skanska, one of the world’s leading project development and construction groups with more than 125 years of experience.
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 developed City Green Court in Prague 4-Pankrác, which is the first LEED Platinum-certified office building in the Czech Republic. It is the only building on the Czech market to earn both the LEED Platinum Core & Shell and LEED Platinum Commercial Interiors certifications. Skanska’s office building Nordica Ostrava was the first building in the Czech Republic to receive GreenBuilding certification for energy efficiency. Skanska is currently developing the sustainable office project Riverview in Prague 5-Smíchov. www.skanska.pl/properties
For further information please contact:
Lenka Kůsová, Communication & Marketing Specialist
Skanska Property Czech Republic, s.r.o.
Hvězdova 1734/2c, 140 00 Prague 4
Tel.: +420 296 301 011; +420 739 220 993
Email:
Jaroslav Pašmik, Director of communication and projects development
Czech Green Building Council
Drtinova 10, 150 00 Prague 5
Tel.: +420 774 457 909
Email: