15 January 2023, Antwerp, Belgium/ Düsseldorf, Germany: VGP NV ("VGP"), a European owner, operator and developer of high-quality logistics and semi-industrial real estate, has been awarded the highest distinction conferred by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) with the platinum certificate for Hall A of VGP Park Laatzen. With this award, the committee recognises the fact that the project developer VGP took a large number of relevant criteria for sustainable construction into account throughout the entire construction process.
This is the first platinum certificate awarded by the DGNB for an industrial property that was developed and is still owned by a property developer. To date, only three industrial property projects in Germany have received this prestigious award. This is VGP's first platinum award from the DGNB. Previously, 17 of the company's construction projects in Germany had already received DGNB gold certificates.
In the six main DGNB criteria groups, Hall A of VGP Park Laatzen achieved an overall fulfilment rate of 80 %. The building met 91.2 % and 89.5 % of the two central criteria of ecological and economic quality. The specifications for the life cycle assessment and for biodiversity are 100 % fulfilled. A rainwater retention basin and a photovoltaic system with an output of more than 3,624 KWp ensure that resources are used as sparingly as possible and energy efficiency is maximised. The PV system generates the electricity for sustainable management of the building, which already has 20 charging points for electric vehicles, and this infrastructure is to be further expanded in the future.
Hall A achieved an overall fulfilment rate of 74.4 % for the socio-cultural and functional quality factor. According to the DGNB criteria, the quality of indoor and outdoor spaces is 80 %. For example, the outdoor area offers attractive break areas for employees and there is a staff restaurant in the building. In addition, partially covered bicycle stands, showers and changing rooms have been installed for employees who cycle in order to specifically promote the use of bicycles. Only DGNB-tested and approved building materials were used throughout Hall A, and as a result the indoor air quality fulfils the criteria 100 %.
The building has a gross lettable area of 67,260 m2 and is let to KraussMaffei, one of the world's leading manufacturers of machinery and systems for the production and processing of plastics and rubber. In total, VGP Park Laatzen comprises 139,845 m2 of lettable space for production and logistics purposes on a site area of around 28 hectares. The site is only 21 minutes by car from Hanover near the A7 motorway and is well connected to public transport, including a bus stop located directly at VGP Park Laatzen. VGP Park Laatzen is part of a logistics portfolio in which Deka Immobilien acquired a 50 % stake as part of a joint venture with VGP in summer 2023 and is held by the open-ended mutual property fund Deka-Immobilien Europa.
The VGP Group has 40 locations in Germany and is active in seventeen European countries. The family-owned company is headquartered in Antwerp, Belgium, and operates a total of 112 parks throughout Europe.