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DGNB Platinum awarded to HOWOGE tower
Sustainable through and through – and that at the highest level. We are delighted that the municipal HOWOGE Wohnungsbaugesellschaft mbh has been awarded DGNB Platinum certification.
The 64-metre office tower sets new standards in technology, environment, economics and functionality. DGNB – the German Sustainable Building Council – has certified this for HOWOGE and awarded the company the highest award for sustainable building: the DGNB Platinum certificate. Only buildings that are particularly resource-efficient and environmentally friendly with a high socio-cultural standard receive this certification. This makes the tower one of only twelve office and administration buildings in Berlin to receive the seal so far.
Customer demand for “Sustainability Plus User Comfort” recognised and fulfilled
The 18-storey tower, which houses the HOWOGE headquarters, is part of the car-free “Quartier am Rathauspark” on the corner of Frankfurter Allee and Möllendorffstraße. In addition to office and commercial space, the quarter includes a daycare centre and 387 apartments. “The DGNB Platinum certificate is the best proof that HOWOGE has taken the highest sustainability requirements into account across the board in its new building”, says member of the DGNB Board of Directors Alexander Rudolphi. “It stands as a good example of successful re-densification in urban areas”.
In order to make sustainable building applicable in practice, measurable and thereby comparable, DGNB has developed a certification system based on the key sustainability areas of environment, society and economy. “The DGNB Platinum certificate reflects our client’s objective: to design the Berlin of the future sustainably”, says René Krüger, Senior Construction Manager PORR GmbH & Co. KGaA. “This certification is proof that, when it comes to buildings, the requirements for sustainability are not only planned, but also actually realised and delivered”.
Sustainable across the entire life cycle
The sustainability experts at pde Integrale Planung were entrusted with securing certification for the building. At the “Quartier am Rathauspark”, the office tower at Stefan-Heym-Platz 1 including the base buildings along Möllendorffstraße and Frankfurter Allee all received their certification. These buildings are high quality in environmental terms because of their footprint over the entire life cycle: the life cycle assessment takes into account aspects including the production, operation, disposal and recycling of the entire building, as well as the energy concept. At the same time, emphasis was placed on using the highest quality building materials, i.e. each product used was tested in terms of its composition. Regional products and responsibly sourced materials such as wood and natural stone were used.
In terms of social aspects, the barrier-free access throughout allowing social diversity in the way the premises are used was a particularly decisive factor. In addition, the building is very flexible in its floor plan design and is thereby able to meet conversion requirements.
The economic efficiency of the building also conforms to the highest standards with regard to the entire economic life cycle; the design and build processes were implemented efficiently and very comprehensively in accordance with the sustainability requirements.