4 star BREEAM-NL certificate for CMS office at Zuidas

CMS has received the 4 star BREEAM-NL Excellent New Construction and Renovation certificate for its office in the 'South Tower', which is part of 'The New Atrium' at Zuidas (the business district of Amsterdam). The certificate is one of the most important sustainability labels for office buildings in the Netherlands.

BREEAM stands for Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method. It is an assessment method used to determine the sustainability performance of buildings. The certificate is issued by the Dutch Green Building Council.

Willem Hoorneman, managing partner at CMS Netherlands, about receiving the 4 star BREEAM-NL certificate: "Sustainability is top priority for CMS. It has our constant attention in all our business processes. We want to use energy and treat the environment in a responsible manner en we realise that every change starts within your own personal and business network. Therefore we consider it important to create a balance between sustainable and economic interests at our Zuidas office. That is why I am very proud that we reached this important milestone.”

Ingenious climate facade

During the design and construction phases of the building extra attention was paid to sustainability. The building is made from sustainable building materials, has solar panels on the roof and the exterior consists of an ingenious climate facade. In the summer this facade enables the warm air between the inner and outer ‘skin’ of the building to be ventilated. This ensures that the interior does not warm up. During the winter the ventilation system will be turned off. By doing so the stagnant warm air heats the building. Furthermore, the building is equipped with a thermal energy storage system that provides economical thermal comfort. In addition there are energy-efficient LED lighting and several water savings such as toilets with saving modes and water installations with water traps.

Transparency

The interior spaces are separated or linked by glass. By using glass and by carefully selected building materials the office space has been constructed to make the most of natural daylight. The transparency that goes hand in hand with that add to the feeling of openness and interconnection.

Next to the fact that the office is located close to the Amsterdam-Zuid train station, CMS has a transport plan in place that includes ‘pool bikes’. These bikes can be used by all CMS employees for short and long work-to-work distances.

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