BREAAM Excellent certificate for DHL distribution centre in Amsterdam

The DHL warehouse on the Kaapstadweg (Atlaspark) in Amsterdam recently received a BREAAM Excellent certificate. This recognition is the result of the many efforts made by WDP, DHL, and Aan de Stegge construction company to develop a sustainable and energy-efficient building.

BREAAM (in full: Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is a leading assessment method that determines the sustainability performance of buildings and regions. “Sustainability is an essential part of our vision today,” says Girt-Jan Vissers of WDP. “This certificate dovetails nicely with our ambitions in the field of energy efficiency and sustainability. WDP makes a lot of investments to obtain BREAAM certificates, especially Excellent and Outstanding, for new buildings.”

Realising sustainable ambitions

BREAAM looks at various factors that influence the sustainability of a building: Management, Health & Comfort, Energy, Transport, Water, Materials, Waste, Land Use & Ecology, Pollution, and Innovation. DHL’s distribution centre achieved a good score of 70.94%, earning it an Excellent certificate.

WDP and its client DHL were immediately on the same wavelength about the sustainability objectives for this project. “Sustainability is also very important for DHL; we were able to connect quickly,” says Vissers. “That made the partnership very pleasant. We always want to live up to our sustainable ambitions, but the client also has to want to be on board, of course. After all, there are a lot of investments involved. In the case of DHL, that wasn’t a problem at all.”

The Atlaspark industrial estate – where the building is located – is a paragon of sustainable ambition. A BREAAM Excellent certificate is in fact the standard for those who want to build a new building at this location. “We at WDP are looking for locations that fit into a sustainable picture,” says Vissers.