Panattoni built the world's most environmentally friendly industrial building in Cheb, according to the latest BREEAM standards

The demolition of a neglected site of Cheb Machinery, 90% recycling of construction and demolition waste, the sustainable construction management of a unique modern hall (which uses rainwater for flushing toilets and is shaded by window blinds) and whose surroundings includes both a beetle logger and an outdoor gym for employees. Thus was born the main distribution center of the German online retailer Real Digital, which has recently been certified as the most environmentally friendly industrial building in the world, according to the latest BREEAM 2016 New Construction Standards. The project, conceived by industrial developer Panattoni, was the first in the Czech Republic to receive the Outstanding mark and a record score of 90.68%.

You will literally find the principles of sustainable development within the building on each of its 27,000 square meters. However, the most impressive parameters apply to its water management system, which is a response to the increasingly current impacts of climate change. Thanks to a unique system of flushing toilets using rainwater, it was possible to reduce the consumption of drinking water by an incredible 84%, compared to the industrial building standard.

In addition, the hall is also equipped with smart LED lighting, measuring and optimization systems for energy consumption and exterior blinds optimization, significantly saving the energy needed to air-condition the premises. All these upgrades contribute to a 56% reduction in energy consumption, as well as a 58% reduction in the carbon footprint. Selected building materials were thoroughly tendered with regard to ecology and sustainable construction. Moreover, more than 12% of the materials hold one of the ISO 14001, BES or FSC certificates or the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). The so-called quality of the indoor environment, which takes into account working conditions for employees, also contributed to the high ranking of the BREEAM 2016 New Construction Certification.

“The fact that the Panattoni Park Cheb South project has achieved an Outstanding BREEAM rating is testament to the leadership and vision of the client and the hard work and dedication from the assessor and wider project team. It takes the delivery of a truly sustainable vision to achieve an Outstanding rating not just by focussing on a specific set of sustainability issues but by looking at everything in parallel. The whole team can be rightly proud of this achievement that will not only serve as a beacon of the possible for other projects in the Czech Republic but for others around the world,” said Shamir Ghumra, Director of BREEAM, which conducts sustainable development certification worldwide.

“I am pleased that our company built, within the Czech Republic, the most environmentally friendly buildings in the world. Amazon in Dobrovíz (which at the time of its completion held the world’s highest score in terms of BREEAM certification) has now been outranked by the building that we have constructed. In terms of sustainable construction, the distribution centre building in Panattoni Park Cheb South has set the bar extremely high by hitting a record score of over 90%. Nevertheless, I believe that among more than 2,000,000 m2 of buildings surface that is currently under Panattoni’s construction phase in Europe, soon there will be another building able to set the bar even higher. Coincidentally, it is an identical area of 2,000,000 m2 that we have already been able to certify and deliver on the market. This only confirms our position as a European leader in sustainable development,” says Pavel Sovička, Panattoni’s Managing Director for the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

“Even though it was a challenge to target the Outstanding level, this project was unique from the very beginning. There are sustainability solutions incorporated in the project, such as rainwater flushing system, safe access for pedestrians and cyclists, outdoor resting space, biodiverse greenery of local species, reuse of materials from demolition and many others. These features coupled with the great cooperation of all parties involved together with our team have led to the highest score of the BREEAM certification for the new constructed building in the Czech Republic,“ says Malgorzata Sochacka from Arcadis, who has led the BREEAM certification process.