Building in this way means that it is verified in an independent way – assessed and compared to an international standard. Several sustainability certificates are already known in the Netherlands. Now an internationally renowned player with an international market share of 14% enters the Dutch market: DGNB. DGNB stands for ‘Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen’ (or the German Sustainable Building Council). Adamasgroup is a forerunner in the Netherlands with this relatively new way of certification and one of the first.
Area development
Of the international standards, BREEAM and GPR are the most well-known certification systems. Closely followed by the WELL which – as the name suggests – focuses mainly on health and welfare. What is striking is that in all systems it is mainly about the building itself. The development area is therefore apparently not included. If you consider that worldwide around € 50, – per m² is invested in sustainable development, it would be logical that the area in which these sustainable developments are located are assessed in the same way? Yet this is still too often missing from questions from the market. Unknown makes unloved and therefore there is still a world to win. A sustainable development of buildings and areas may well make a very important contribution to the future of our cities and children, but also to the living environment and biodiversity of today.
Besides BREEAM, LEED and GPR, the DGNB now also has a module for area development. The DGNB certification system contains all the important components of sustainable development including the environmental, economic, socio-cultural and technological aspects as well as construction-specific management processes.
DGNB certification system
DGNB is a sustainability certificate for sustainable buildings and areas. The certificate offers a high degree of flexibility and thus the DGNB certification system can be precisely tailored to the different uses of the buildings present and even to country-specific requirements.
DGNB is therefore a widely used and international system with as much as 14% market share in all international projects. DGNB International is therefore in the run as a global player in the assessment of an area development. The sustainability certificate is used in Europe, besides Germany, in Austria, Switzerland, Poland, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Spain and 30 other European countries. It is also used in Asia and America. Unfortunately, it is not yet used in the Netherlands, even though DGNB could offer many advantages. Especially through its pragmatic approach and the inclusion of the taxonomy in its assessment and in line with the European Regulation EU taxonomy for sustainable activities. This regulation includes a classification system for environmentally sustainable investments under the European Green Deal.
Silver, gold and platinum
All criteria in the DGNB certification scheme follow a fixed point score – as with comparable sustainability certifications. This makes it possible to calculate how different decisions material choices before and during the construction process affect the final level of certification. The assessments are always based on the entire life cycle of a building. Based on the amount of performance requirements met, the DGNB awards the DGNB certificate in silver, gold or platinum.
Adamasgroup as DGNB Consultant International
Adamasgroup has recently joined the DGNB Consultancy group. We can independently assess – both on building and area level – with this recognized system. We also advise you on the added value for your development and how this can best be carried out. At the moment there is also an application pending to include DGNB in the MIA. Want to know more? Then get in touch with us.
