The HQE (High Quality Environmental standards) guidelines for construction are stringent and take into account four different categories, eco-construction, eco-management, occupier comfort and occupier health. These are in turn divided into a total of 14 different parameters which must be met in order for a tertiary sector building to qualify. Introduced in France in 2002, the HQE approach remains stricter than sustainability and ecology laws in the Grand Duchy, which makes the Serenity project both proactive and timely. The overall idea is to take harmony with the environment to an unprecedented level without sacrificing practicality and comfort. Thus, HQE buildings control consumption of water, energy and waste disposal, use natural and locally sourced construction materials where possible, optimise hydrothermal, acoustic, visual and olfactory comfort and guarantee the quality of space, air and water within the building. Audits are carried out at the project, conception and realisation stages of construction, and the 14 criteria mentioned above have to be met to determine whether the building can carry HQE certification, and how it rates within HQE guidelines. There are similar schemes to HQE in other countries, such as BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) in the UK, and these schemes also operate internationally, but there is no common approach across borders. This appears to be the next logical step in an era where sustainable construction is a pressing issue.

Harmony

Serenity, developed by CLI and financed by Fidentia Real Estate, is located at 19-21 on the route d’Arlon in Strassen. The location is convenient for the city centre as well as motorway connections with France, Belgium and Germany. In keeping with the style of development in the area, it is approximately 50 metres long on the route d’Arlon, and 170 metres deep between the main road and the rue du Kiem, as well as being divided in four buildings rather than just being one continuous one. Each of the four buildings has three floors of fully customisable office space. All four buildings maintain a route d’Arlon address and are linked by over ground walkways. Architect Tatiana Fabeck highlights Serenity’s “harmony with the existing office buildings and particularly residential developments in the area,” but the appeal goes beyond aesthetics. The development boasts 519 underground (and 17 over ground) car parking spots for a total of 10,680 m² of office space. This translates to one spot per 20 m². Building A, looking onto the route d’Arlon, has a total surface area of 2,733 m², while buildings B, C and D each have a total of 2,649 m². There are also 36 spaces for bicycles. All floors of all four buildings are completely adaptable to tenant requirements, be they open plan, closed offices or a combination of the two. The façade of the buildings has an 18 centimetre thick mineral insulation and the roofing has 22 centimetres, while Fabeck also stresses the advanced energy management system. “Rainwater is collected for use in toilets and watering of green areas, solar panels have been installed and each office will be equipped with motion sensors for optimisation of light: artificial light is adjustable depending on the amount of natural light present.”

In the 14 target criteria for HQE certification, Serenity scores seven “high performance” and seven “good performance” grades. It is estimated that the development is 30% more energy efficient than the average HQE certified building in France and 50% more efficient than the average office premises in Luxembourg, with a use of 150 kilowatt hours per square metre per year, compared with the average of approximately 300. Furthermore, studies have shown that premises constructed following principles such as those which guided the Serenity project contribute at least in part to happier and more productive staff as comfort on a human level is placed at a premium. It would also seem that efficient developments such as Serenity, Vertigo, at the Cloche d’Or, and the BREEAM-approved headquarters of the European Investment Bank are helping environmentally savvy construction become more and more popular in Luxembourg. Serenity is forecast to be ready for business at the start of 2010, with Property Partners and Jones Lang LaSalle as sole rental agents.