LaSalle Investment Management ("LaSalle") has announced that its Metris office development in Munich, Germany has achieved Gold standard in the pre-certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) by the US Green Building Council ('USGBC') in recognition of the environmental sustainability of the building's operations and maintenance. Final certification will be awarded on completion of the project in March 2010.
Located in the Arnulfpark, close to the busiest bridge in the city of Munich and a short distance from the Central Station, Metris is a 12 story, high-quality, fully-equipped office building with a total floor space of more than 31,000 m².
Metris is an asset of the LaSalle German Income and Growth Fund, a closed property fund investing in German commercial real estate with total assets under management of approximately 1 billion. The fund manager is LaSalle Investment Management.
Developed to provide standards for environmentally sustainable construction, the LEED Gold standard has been awarded to Metris in acknowledgement of both its external and internal environmental qualities. These qualities include the unique combination of a natural stone facade and a thermal insulation system; electricity costs can be kept low as the architecture of the building offers excellent natural light; ground water is used for cooling; high quality construction materials have been used throughout, and the building has large landscaped roofs. The full list of environmental criteria as set out by the city of Munich has also been considered in the development of Metris.
David Ironside, Managing Director of LaSalle Investment Management, Munich comments, "We are thrilled that Metris has been awarded Gold LEED status. This is testament to the hard work that has gone into ensuring that the building is as environmentally friendly as possible. The use of pre-cooled groundwater for the air conditioning system is particularly beneficial to the environment. It also has the additional benefit of resulting in a significant reduction in service charges, making the development even more attractive to potential tenants."
Jones Lang LaSalle has been supervising the construction of the office complex, making sure that all requirements for LEED certification are met.
Simon Marrison, Co-Head of Europe, LaSalle Investment Management, adds, "International corporations place more and more value on the sustainability of their office buildings. Metris is a perfect example of the pragmatic harmonization of environmental and economic criteria in the development of an office building."
Source: Citigate Dewe Rogerson
