Antilooppi VERK office property achieves Excellent BREEAM environmental certification
The real-estate owner Antilooppi has upgraded the level of BREEAM In-Use certification of its VERK property to Excellent. The industrial-chic VERK building in Kalasatama, Helsinki, marks a new chapter in the story of sustainable office properties. Here, sustainability is not just a promise but a reality seen in every choice, from energy solutions to careful space planning and recycled furniture.
Antilooppi was the first real-estate owner in Finland to achieve environmental certification for its entire portfolio. The company has continually and resolutely enhanced its portfolio’s sustainability, the most recent example being the VERK office property. The property, at Sörnäistenkatu 1, already held a BREEAM In-Use certificate at the Very Good level, which has now been upgraded to Excellent.
“VERK is a thoroughly sustainable property which offers our clients a high-spec, sustainable workspaces. The Excellent certificate is a fabulous achievement and the outcome of our long-term work. For us, environmental certificates are not an end point but a concrete tool for measuring and demonstrating our development efforts. This outcome shows that we’re on the right track,” says Hannamari Koivula, Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) at Antilooppi.
Sustainability in the property’s DNA
VERK is in the developing Kalasatama area, right next to the Teurastamo complex. The excellent location makes VERK easy to reach by public transport or bicycle from all over the Helsinki region, which supports low-emission commuting.
The BREEAM assessment also awarded VERK high points for its energy efficiency and energy solutions. The property’s in-use emissions are zero, as VERK uses Finnish carbon-neutral wind power and district heating. The solar power plant generates renewable energy for the property’s needs and reduces electricity purchases. This solar power plant, Antilooppi’s twelfth and its largest to date, brings the company one step closer to its goal of carbon neutrality by 2030.
VERK is home to Antilooppi’s carbon-neutral POOL flexispaces, a network of flexible workspaces for companies located across the Helsinki region. Sustainability at the VERK POOL location is exceptionally evident: the space is furnished with recycled furniture and objects, and materials have been chosen with a focus on durability and reusability. Antilooppi has also applied circular economy principles to the VERK common areas and some modifications made for individual clients. The company has also enhanced sustainability through various initiatives, such as adding more e-car charging points and conducting an extensive flood risk survey to ensure the security of the property and its users in a changing climate.
Sustainability pioneer with a 100%-certified portfolio
Antilooppi is one of the largest real-estate owners in the Helsinki region, with 400,000 lettable square metres in office space. It achieved 100% environmental certification in 2023 and has since then continued its purposeful investments in making its portfolio more sustainable and upgrading the level of certification.
The BREEAM environmental certificates, which are renewed every three years, are a crucial part of Antilooppi’s environmental sustainability work. They serve both as a transparent indicator of the portfolio’s sustainability and as a tool for developing sustainability efforts. In addition to VERK, several other Antilooppi properties have achieved the Excellent level, and the number is constantly growing.
“The certificates are a visible demonstration of our sustainability efforts and help meet our clients’ expectations for sustainable properties and workspaces which support their well-being. As criteria become ever more stringent, the certifications are a crucial tool in helping us develop faster, and our goal is to upgrade the level of certification as much as we can,” Koivula says.
BREEAM In-Use (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is one of the world’s leading environmental classification systems, providing a comprehensive assessment of the sustainability and environmental efficiency of in-use buildings. Excellent is the second-highest BREEAM level and demonstrates an exceptionally high level of property sustainability.
Further information:
Hannamari Koivula
Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)
+358 40 581 9921