Sustainability certifications

ALTING begins the works of D371 to convert it into a sustainable building

Iván Fernández Picazo
Iván Fernández Picazo
4 min
LEED gold

ALTING Developments has started the last phase of the modernisation and retrofitting work on the D371 building, with the aim of converting it into a sustainable building with the prestigious LEED gold v4 certification. The works, which include the facade and the interior, are expected to be completed by the end of 2018.

The property, located at 371 Avinguda Diagonal in Barcelona, is one of the buildings that make up the ALTING Group's exclusive portfolio of assets. It is a highly representative property with unique facade located at the intersection of Diagonal Avenue with Rosselló and Pau Claris streets, and just a few meters from Paseo de Grácia.

The project carried out by the ALTING Promotions area includes a comprehensive rehabilitation plan to offer the future tenant the latest innovations and the best equipment on the market. In addition, the project includes a play terrace on the building's walkable roof.
Built in 1992 by the British bank Nat West and owned by ALTING since 2004, D371 has a total area of 3.080m², of which 2.110m² is for commercial use and 970m² for basement (warehouse and parking).
LEED gold
 

The new D371, a LEED GOLD building

ALTING is committed to a better future and to sustainable development. For this reason, the Diagonal 371 retrofitting project has been planned from the beginning with the aim of transforming it into a sustainable building, achieving LEED GOLD certification.

To this end, ALTING Development's team has collaborated with Zero Consulting, a consulting firm specialising in energy efficiency and sustainability, whose team of experts has advised them in the process of obtaining this important certification.
Thus, in the case of D371, as it is a rehabilitation project in which the facade will be modernized and the spaces will not be 100% defined but rather the tenant will finish adapting it to their taste, LEED Core and Shell has been considered the most suitable option.
To obtain the certification, Zero Consulting has carried out all the tasks to advise Alting, including the following steps:
  1. Register the building on the website of the US Green Building Council (USGBC).
  2. Establish the target agreement or strategy to follow that will allow defining the executive project.
  3. LEED consists of a number of criteria with associated points. Some of these criteria correspond to measures to be taken during the project or design phase and others to measures to be taken during the finished building phase.
  4. Once the executive project has been drafted, the credits corresponding to the design phase are documented.
  5. When these credits are documented, they are sent for review by LEED. As soon as the answer is obtained, those points already obtained are unchangeable.
  6. In parallel with the certification process of the design phase, the construction works are carried out, and once completed, the credits corresponding to the construction phase are documented. The process is the same as with the design phase.
  7. Once the points from the design phase and the construction phase are obtained, they are added together to get the final score.
Once the retrofit or building construction has been completed, and it has been verified that all of the above requirements have been met, the certificate will be awarded by the USGBC under the supervision of the Green Building Council International (GBCI).

D371, criteria for obtaining LEED Gold

After an exhaustive evaluation of the project by ALTING Promociones and Zero Consulting, a series of objectives have been defined in order to achieve LEED Gold Certification, which covers issues that refer to all LEED categories:
  • Location and transport: the good location of the building close to many public transportation stops gives us a high score.
  • Sustainable plot: among other measures, a plan to reduce light pollution and a vegetated roof area accessible to tenants is proposed.
  • Water saving: use of efficient faucet and sanitary systems.
  • Energy and atmosphere: the facilities have been defined seeking the optimization of energy consumption.
  • Materials: selection of materials with environmental documentation such as the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) and also with low emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).
  • Indoor climate quality: air quality management during construction, thermal comfort, use of finishes without VOCs, etc.
Following these criteria, D371 will be transformed into an energetically efficient building, which will reduce environmental and economic costs by making better use of light, energy and water resources.
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