Finland’s first BREEAM Outstanding – Sustera guided the sustainability of the construction project
Real estate company Tuusulan Sulankaari, completed in summer 2024, is the first in Finland to receive the BREEAM Outstanding certification. Sustera guided the certification process for the new construction project as well as its compliance with the EU taxonomy.
Contents
Seamless collaboration made it possible to achieve the highest BREEAM certification
Sustainability is reflected in many ways in the property corporation Tuusulan Sulankaari and its surroundings which were completed in the summer 2024.
The building, constructed with sustainable materials, features its own 120 kWp solar power system. The approximately 6000-square-meter energy-efficient building boasts excellent airtightness and an efficient ventilation system, ensuring optimal indoor air quality and temperature for users without wasting energy.
The outdoor area features plantings that promote biodiversity, along with birdhouses and insect hotels.
To ensure the achievement of sustainability goals, Sustera’s sustainability and BREEAM consultants were involved in the project at an early stage. They guided the project’s client, the real estate investment and asset management company Mrec Investments Management Oy, design team and the contractor Tekova to achieve the goals.
The company renting the space, Axla Logistics, was also involved in the process.
The project parties praise the seamless collaboration that enabled the goals to be exceeded – and the achievement of the BREEAM Outstanding certification in Finland for the first time in December 2024.
“We are proud of our new construction project, which received Finland’s first BREEAM Outstanding certification. Achieving the highest level required not only seamless collaboration but also strong commitment from us, Tekova, Axla Logistics and all other parties involved”, says Partner Elsi Luhtanen from Mrec Investment Management.
Expert consulting added significant value to the project
According to Luhtanen, the collaboration with Sustera in the new construction project has been excellent throughout the entire project.
A shared goal of promoting sustainability has guided our work, and Sustera’s expert consulting has added significant value to the project. We especially appreciate their ability to identify opportunities and provide solutions that have allowed us to exceed the set sustainability goals”, she says and continues:
“In our future projects, our goal is to continue this ambitious sustainability work, and we are eager to do so together with Sustera who shares our commitment to building a better world.”
An exceptionally sustainably executed contruction project
The construction of the modern logistics center, completed in a developing area Tuusulan Sula, was based on compliance with the EU Taxonomy, a high BREEAM rating, and an A energy efficiency class.
The property generates renewable energy through a solar power system, and 80% of the heating for the premises is provided by an air-source heat pump system, with the remainder covered by local district heating.
Originally, the goal of the construction project was to achieve the second-highest BREEAM certification rating, Excellent, which requires a minimum of 70% of the total score in the certification process.
The highest level achieved by Tuusulan Sulankaari requires a minimum of 85% of the total score. The evaluation considers factors such as energy efficiency, water usage, indoor air quality, waste management, and site safety.
Sustera’s team leader Laura Bahana Kennilä explains that only exceptionally sustainably executed construction projects can achieve the BREEAM Outstanding certification.
“I attended the topping-out ceremony and gave a speech in which I highlighted the results of seamless collaboration: the developer, owner, main contractor, subcontractors, design team, as well as the municipality of Tuusula and other parties have worked together like a well-oiled machine when building the Outstanding. Thanks to that, the result is Finland’s best logistics center, internationally recognized, benefiting both the people working there and the buzzing bees in the yard”, Bahana Kennilä expresses gratitude.
The goal is to promote carbon neutrality
Sustera managed the project in addition to the BREEAM certification, ensuring compliance with the EU taxonomy. The property is owned by a Nordic real estate investment company Slättö, which aims to promote carbon neutrality and reduce the climate impact of real estate construction.