BuildGreen: 2017 was the best year for green buildings in Romania

2017 was the best year for green buildings in Romania, with over 40 real estate projects, both new and existing, receiving green certificates, according to BuildGreen, the leader of the local consultancy market in the field of design, development and certification of sustainable buildings in Romania. “The local real estate market has grown significantly in recent years in terms of sustainability and we are, from this point of view, at the same level with other countries in the region, such as the Czech Republic, Slovakia or Poland and Hungary. We are already witnessing a shift towards a higher level of sustainability that emphasizes not only high levels of energy performance, but also the implementation of new technologies and the creation of a work environment that focuses on employee welfare,” said Razvan Nica, managing director of BuildGreen. According to BuildGreen, obtaining LEED or BREEAM certification has become a practice in the segment of office buildings and large shopping centers. Next, the company expects the first residential projects with green certification to appear on the market. Last year, BuildGreen advised and obtained over 25 sustainable certifications for a series of projects in Romania, but also in Central and Eastern Europe and Lebanon, which represented an increase of 25% in the number of projects counseled. Among the most important such projects, there is NEPI Rockcastle’s entire portfolio in the region, The Bridge and Globalworth Tower - both with the highest LEED Platinum certification, Oregon Park, The Mark, and Unirii View. The company has so far been involved in the sustainable certification of more than 130 real estate projects with a cumulative investment value of over EUR 1 billion. Almost half of the office space in Romania has green certification Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com