Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield obtained BREEAM In-Use v. 6 certificates for Westfield Arkadia, Galeria Mokotów and Galeria Wileńska – all with an Excellent result in the field of “Asset Performance”. The certificate confirms that the centers managed by URW operate at a high level and, more importantly, are managed in a pro-ecological manner and in accordance with the principles of sustainable development.
“Centers managed by Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield regularly pass BREEAM In-Use certification every 3 years. The more we are extremely proud of the result obtained, which proves that despite the passage of years of our facilities, thanks to the active management by Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield teams, our shopping centers constantly meet the increasingly demanding European standards (Bream In-Use v. 6). From year to year, we try to introduce new solutions and improvements in their operation to our facilities. We use 100% renewable energy in both Westfield Arkadia, Galeria Mokotów and Galeria Wileńska. We are committed to increasing biodiversity in our local communities. For example, near Galeria Wileńska, we sowed a 2-hectare flower meadow, we also organized the planting of ivy on the building of the local primary school and the installation of nesting boxes for birds. In Westfield Arkadia, we have completely renovated the green roof (one of the largest green roofs in Poland), thanks to which we have minimized the amount of water needed to water plants,” says Grzegorz Grajkowski, Director of Operations Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield in Poland.
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield confirms with its actions that care for the environment is important to the Group. In each of the aforementioned centers, energy consumption has been reduced thanks to the use of LED lighting and water consumption thanks to the use of modern sanitary systems, the so-called aerators. URW promotes the use of public transport – in front of Westfield Arkadia and Galeria Wileńska there are Veturilo stations, and in front of the buildings and in the parking lots of shopping centers, special places for bicycles are allocated. Each of the 3 centers also has electric car charging stations.
Galeria Mokotów obtained its first BREEAM In-Use certificate in 2012, and Galeria Wileńska two years later. From then until 2019 – the last full year in which shopping centers operated without restrictions – the shopping center in Mokotów reduced energy consumption by approximately 21%. In Galeria Wileńska and in Westfield Arkadia in 2018-2021, all lamps in the common areas were replaced with LED lamps – with low electricity consumption. In the following years, it is planned to replace HVAC devices with modern ones with minimal negative impact on the environment. In Westfield Arkadia, despite the extension and enlargement of the building, by 2019, energy consumption was reduced by 23% and heat consumption by 12% (compared to 2014).
Another example of sustainable activities are apiaries located on the roofs of Warsaw shopping centers – each of them has 5 hives with as many as 250,000. bees produce honey. Since 2015, more than 2,300 kg of honey have been collected in Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield apiaries. Galeria Wileńska is also a place of residence for kestrels, which are under strict protection. In June last year, 5 chicks of small falcons were ringed. Westfield Arkadia last year completed a complete renovation of its green roof, which has a drainage mat under the substrate. This retains a water surface of a few centimeters, which ensures that the substrate remains moist. Thanks to this, in periods without rain, you do not need to water the plants, which has a positive effect on the amount of water used. Shrubs, trees and stem plants are regularly planted on the roofs of all three centers to increase local oxygen production and contribute to natural air purification.
BREEAM In-Use is a multi-criteria certification system designed for existing buildings used for a minimum period of 2 years. As part of the certificate, both the pro-ecological solutions used in the building and the efficiency of the facility management are assessed. The certification of the centers was carried out in the areas of “Asset Performance” and “Management Performance”. Galeria Mokotów and Galeria Wileńska received an Excellent score in both scopes, while Westfield Arkadia received an Excellent score for “Asset Performance”. The certification process takes into account the quality of the internal environment, energy efficiency, accessibility of urban transport, materials used, building operation management, water and waste management.
