05 of July of 2022
Culmia, one of the leading property developers in Spain, has today launched its own two design standard certificates: the Quartz certificate for healthy homes and the Jade certificate for sustainable homes. Both certificates are created with the aim of defining health and sustainability criteria for Culmia homes.
These new in-house sustainability and health certificates will apply to all properties in build to sell developments. In the case of build to rent and affordable housing developments, as well as designing projects with internationally recognised certificates, the developer is considering also incorporating the recommendations of its own certificates. This measure will see the application of these standards in the development of some 25,000 properties approximately between now and 2030.
Quartz aims to detail the principles of healthy architecture implemented in Culmia’s design requirements. It serves as a design and evaluation guide for technical staff on Culmia developments to integrate aspects that improve the health of those living in these homes in a simple and efficient way.
This guide is built on five pillars: active design, healthy cladding, interior air quality, thermal comfort and environmental comfort.
Using a rating system, it will be possible to assess the different levels of health that homes meet in accordance with variables set for each of the five main elements to analyse.
The purpose of this certificate is to design and build homes that help improve the quality of life of the users, integrating health as the main central pillar.
Jade is a highly demanding scheme with sustainability criteria applied to the residential sector that allows for the definition of criteria for the design and construction of housing aligned with today's sustainability needs of the people and the planet. It does so across three lines of action: environment, people and economy.
This in-house standard guarantees the sustainable design and construction of all Culmia developments to collaborate on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda.
Jade is based on eight categories: active and sustainable mobility, ecological plots, rational use of water, rational use of energy, the circular economy, health and wellness, technology and digitalisation.
To ascertain the sustainability of a Culmia property, the developer uses a formula and rating system to establish the level of compliance with this standard.
For Juan Manuel Borrás, Director of Operations at Culmia, “the launch of these certificates is the result of many months of hard work. Our aim was to provide tools and steps that give us knowledge and help us, and our external partners, in the design and construction of Culmia properties, putting the focus on aspects of sustainability and health. It's the first time the health variable has been given such a prominent role in the design and construction of homes thanks to a specific in-house standard. The sector is still not fully familiar with the main elements that can add more health to a building and that’s why here at Culmia we want to be a leader in this area to open up the path towards healthier homes.
Both certificates were presented today at a special event with the participation of architect Sonia Hernández-Montaño Bou, a specialist in the area of healthy architecture, who shared with those present the importance of design and construction that not only considers the traditional aspects but also integrates two viral parameters such as health and sustainability. The event also saw reflection on the importance of being able to evaluate the sustainability and health of our homes, so as to act on that information and improve all those aspects that can improve people's quality of life and the planet.