Tishman International’s A2 office building, an 18,000-square-meter (194,000-square-foot), Class A office component of Tishman International’s Sofia Airport Center (SAC) development in Sofia Bulgaria, has achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) “Gold” Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) internationally recognized green building rating system. The recently completed building is a key part of Tishman International’s 210,000-square-meter (2.1-million-square-foot) commercial, mixed-use development project. The A2 office building is the only LEED Gold certified commercial project in Bulgaria, and one of only three office buildings in the Southeastern European region to achieve this level of USGBC certification.
“This high level of certification is very rarely achieved in Europe,” noted Alan D. Levy, Chairman of Tishman International, emphasizing that this is the only LEED Gold commercial building in Bulgaria that has performed well enough to achieve this distinction. “Our office building was planned and constructed to meet the requirements of the LEED certification system from the very beginning. Now that it has performed even better and qualified for a higher level of certification than was expected, we are extremely pleased,” Levy said.
The LEED Gold certification has been based on the detailed evaluation of the building’s overall performance and sustainability, including strategies and policies used in planning, construction, operations, and maintenance. Among the many factors considered were energy and water efficiency, interior microclimate, materials and products used in construction, the construction process and waste removal as well as how this information is communicated to building users, and how well the project fits within the local environment.
Among SAC’s sustainable features are:
- A high-performance, multi-zone VAV heating and cooling system that, combined with a high-performance façade, reduces energy consumption;
- Use of regional and environmentally friendly materials and construction products;
- Use of state-of-the-art energy tracking and analysis technologies that conserve natural resources, provide a healthy, comfortable interior environment, and reduce operating costs;
- Abundant natural daylighting in all tenant areas through open atriums and double-gazed windows;
- A system of green roofs that reduces rain water runoff during intense storms, while creating landscape features and habitat for local wildlife;
- A commitment by the building owner that the open park space and lake areas around the building will be preserved to offer SAC users a quiet place to relax and enjoy nature; and
- Innovative communication with tenants, including the provision of a comprehensive and regularly updated tenant handbook and a social platform for tenants available on the project’s website.
Tishman International, a global real estate investment firm headquartered in Los Angeles with operations throughout Europe, is pioneering green building development in Eastern Europe. The company’s commitment to a concept of building green is further recognized by its partnership with CleanTech, a Bulgarian organization dedicated to promoting sustainable corporate development through communication and networking with business executives, and by the creation of a business environment favorable to attracting desirable companies to Bulgaria.
Tishman International was also a force in the establishment of the CleanTech Bulgaria Green Business Network, a forum that brings together leading companies, key politicians, diplomats and other dignitaries, and non-governmental organization representatives who share a vision of positioning Bulgaria as a leader in Eastern Europe’s environmentally sustainable business practices.
Additionally, Tishman International was presented with B2B Media’s 2012 “Greenest Company in Bulgaria Award” in the “Construction and Real Estate” category, the International Real Estate Federation’s prestigious “Prix d’Excellence Award – Bulgaria 2013,” and the 2012 Building of the Year Award for Green Buildings, an annual national competition. SAC designer Cigler Marani also received the 2012 International Design Award for the A2 Office Building.
About Tishman International – Tishman International Companies is currently active in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Central & Eastern Europe including Bulgaria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Romania. The firm specializes, in the acquisition, development, management, and financing of commercial real estate. Tishman has been a consultant and joint venture partner to some of the world’s leading institutions and private investors and has recently been appointed by a UK Fund to provide asset and development management services for a portfolio of 12 properties located in Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia.
About Tishman International in Europe – In 1986, Tishman International established its European headquarters in London, England. Since then, the company has developed and managed in excess of six million square feet of premier office and commercial space in the United Kingdom. Additionally, Tishman has provided acquisition and management expertise for millions of square feet of prime real estate assets in Europe, including several Supermarket Centers in the Czech Republic for an International Supermarket Company. Its prestigious roster of clients and partners has included Metropolitan Life, New York Life, Teachers Insurance, Bank of America, Grosvenor International, Citibank, American Express, Fidelity Investments, Lend Lease, HVB Real Estate, and many others.
