'We are going for a green and sustainably developed site'

Flevokust Haven is a future-proof business park. Not only the spacious plots but also the possibilities of the area ensure that companies can build, grow and develop there. When it comes to future-proofing, sustainability soon comes to mind. Not surprisingly, sustainability is high on the priority list. Flevokust Haven aims to be a BREEAM-certified business park in the near future. "We are going for a green and sustainably developed site," explains Louise de Maat, BREEAM advisor at Lelystad municipality. "That means that we don't 'just put something up', but that we really look closely at the materials used and whether there are sustainable alternatives."

What is BREEAM?

BREEAM stands for 'Building Research Establishment's Environmental Assessment Method'. Simply put, BREEAM is a globally known method for assessing the sustainability of an area or business. The BREEAM-NL Area certificate was specially developed for areas undergoing (re)development, such as Flevokust Haven. It is an internationally recognised quality mark that is established based on assessment on six categories:

1. Management
2. Synergy
3. Sources
4. Spatial planning
5. Welfare and prosperity
6. Area climate

Read more information about these categories and the exact points that are assessed.

After going through all categories, a total score in points follows. Those points are translated into stars. A maximum of five stars can be awarded. "Our ambition is to get at least three stars," says Louise. "Then there is recertification every seven years. Then you start looking again: is it still up to date, have we kept everything up to date?"

Why BREEAM?

An area that is demonstrably sustainable scores. With investors, with customers and with users. To give an example: buildings within a BREEAM-certified area are often worth 20% more. Not surprising, because a sustainably designed building (or area) can be used optimally for a long time. With a BREEAM certificate, you always remain interesting to investors. After all, you are proven future-proof!

Sustainable together

The companies setting up at Flevokust Haven also value sustainability highly. And that's good news! This way, together, we will ensure a sustainable Flevoland. Louise: "As a municipality, we respond to the entire area. We don't have much influence on what individual companies do. However, we do encourage them to obtain the BREEAM certificate themselves as much as possible, so that together we really make it a green business park. We can also provide guidance throughout the process, for instance in the form of a so-called 'quick scan' beforehand. Through that scan, we can see together what points a company can score on."

An example

The new building of international clothing company BESTSELLER will be certified at the very highest BREEAM level. Among other things, they are doing this by making most of the building with wood sourced from a sustainably managed forest. In addition, the roof is covered with grass and moss and they are transforming more than half of the acquired land into marsh and woodland. The business premises of investment and development company Necron will also be built according to BREEAM guidelines. Think solar panels on the roof and the use of geothermal energy.

Want to know more about BREEAM? Go to the BREEAM website.