The Westfield Chodov shopping center in Prague has received the prestigious BREEAM In-Use international certification for sustainable buildings for the fourth time. Even from this year’s certification with stricter rules and new areas of evaluation, Westfield achieves an excellent result, which confirms very careful operation, responsible management of the building, the use of innovative technologies and the overall positive impact of the center on its surroundings.
The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method, abbreviated BREEAM, is one of the world’s most widely used methods for assessing the quality of buildings in terms of their energy performance and environmental impact. It is used for a comprehensive evaluation of mostly office buildings, shopping centers or logistics parks. Westfield Chodov managed to obtain the certification, which is the result of a demanding evaluation process, for the fourth time in a row.
BREEAM In-Use 2022
This year, Westfield Chodov managed to defend the BREEAM In-Use certification intended for long-standing buildings again. This includes two main areas – the characteristics of the building as such and its management. At the same time, the requirements for obtaining certification are increasing every year and some new areas are increasing, such as Resistance to external influences (building preparedness for natural disasters or climate change).
“We are really pleased that we were able to obtain the label ‘Excellent’ in both categories, even in a stricter evaluation system, in 2022, both for the ecological operation of the building as such and for its management. This result proves that our long-term effort to manage the Westfield Chodov building with respect to the environment really makes sense. The parameters for documenting records of sustainable and ecological operation, including its planning and management, are very strict and the whole process was accompanied by several rounds of additional questions and documents in the form of photographs, technical reports or professional studies,” adds Petr Vecko, Westfield Chodov Technical Director.
The Westfield jury’s main strengths were in the areas of resource management and waste management. This year, the jury also focused more on the standards of the indoor environment, such as air quality and the satisfaction of people working in the building. Even in this category, the Westfield Chodov center received an above-average rating with an overall score of 80% points.
Examples of sustainable technologies Westfield Chodov
– Renewable resources. 100% of the energy consumed in Westfield Chodov comes from renewable sources. The center uses solar energy to a large extent, for example to heat water. There are small wind turbines on its roof, which produce their own energy in the center. Westfield lighting is also solved in a more sustainable variant and 97% of it consists of energy-saving LED fluorescent lamps.
– Water management. Groundwater is largely used for flushing toilets. Thanks to its collection and purification system, the annual consumption of drinking water in Westfield Chodov is approximately 13,200 m3 lower. For comparison, this corresponds to the annual water consumption of about 101 four-member Czech households.
– Waste management. In total, Westfield Chodov sorts 18 types of waste. In 2020, 1,180 tonnes of waste were sorted at Westfield Chodov, of which 348 tonnes were fully recycled and the rest was used for heat and electricity production. Smart solar bins also help with waste processing, which can compress up to 6 times more waste compared to standard bins of this type. Both bins for common recycled waste and a container for used textiles are available to customers.
– Modern technologies. The building has 13,000 sensors for monitoring and controlling the energy performance of the building. The system controls air circulation (air conditioning, ventilation) and lighting in the most efficient way, always depending on the current weather or the occupancy of the center. An autonomous UV robot also takes care of cleaning the air and contact areas inside the center.
The currently obtained BREEAM In-Use certification is valid until 2025, when Westfield Chodov will go through the evaluation process again.
