SANTIAGO, Chile–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) has awarded the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification to Parque La Colina. This is an important milestone for Parque Arauco as this is the company’s first shopping center to receive LEED Gold certification. This achievement is further proof to Parque Arauco’s commitment to sustainable building after Arauco Quilicura in Chile was the first mall in the country to obtain LEED certification in 2015, and InOutlet Premium Lurín was the first mall in Peru to obtain LEED certification in 2017.
We began to consider sustainable processes since we began construction of Parque La Colina in 2014. For example, during construction, waste management companies were able to recycle 99% of generated waste, like metal scraps, plastics, cardboard, wood, paper, glass and organic waste. In order to reduce the impact of extracting and processing new materials to build Parque La Colina, 32.4% of the budget was invested in materials with recycled content. In particular, the steel was 100% post-consumer recycled, 4% of the concrete was pre-consumer recycled – and both were supplier certified. Finally, during construction we focused on locally sourced purchases, and in order to increase the demand for materials and products extracted and / or produced in the region and reduce the environmental impact of transport, 83% of the materials budgeted for the construction of Parque La Colina were invested with local suppliers with inputs from within 800 km of the project.
Parque La Colina opened in December 2016, and we have been able to take advantage of the sustainable construction features of the mall, especially regarding energy consumption and water savings. Regarding energy, we have incorporated several strategies in order to save energy including high efficiency motors, high thermal insulation standards, bioclimatic ventilation in common areas, LED lighting in all common areas as well as light and equipment efficiency clauses in tenant manuals. In order to reduce our potable water needs we have incorporated several aspects into the mall including installing water-efficient faucets, toilets and urinals, landscaping that includes native and adaptive plants to reduce watering requirements, and a rainwater collection and treatment system so that the park can be watered with rain water.
With this Project Parque Arauco adds its first LEED Gold shopping center to its portfolio, in addition to the LEED Silver project, Arauco Quilicura in Chile and the LEED Silver project, InOutlet Premium Lurín in Peru. This recognition provides additional support to the company’s commitment to sustainability, as shown by the company being the only Latin American real estate company in prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability Emerging Markets Index.
About Parque La Colina
Parque La Colina inaugurated in December 2016 with 63,000 m2 of GLA. The mall is located in the Colina Campestre neighborhood in the northwest of Bogota and has over 199 stores which includes several new entrants in the Colombian market including H&M, Crate & Barrel and Purificación García. The mall also includes 13,000 m2 of green space adjacent to the shopping center.
About LEED Certification
LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices. The program studies the impact a building will have on its environment throughout its life span and evaluates its impact using the highest international standards.
Parque Arauco has 989,500 m2 of total GLA in Chile, Peru, and Colombia. The company inaugurated its first shopping center in Chile in 1982, entered Peru in 2005 and Colombia in 2008. The company’s assets include seven regional shopping centers, four premium outlet malls and fourteen strip centers in Chile; six regional shopping centers, nine neighborhood centers, two premium outlet malls and two strip centers in Peru; and three regional shopping centers in Colombia as well as a large land bank to support the company’s future growth plans. For more details, visit the company’s website: www.parauco.com.
Contacts
Parque Arauco
Sarah Inmon, 562-2299-0608
Head of Investor Relations
sinmon@parauco.com
