Environmental

General

HBB attaches great importance to protecting the environment and tries to make as high a contribution as possible to achieving climate goals. This not only affects the process of planning and realizing or relaunching properties, but also operations and the entire management. In this sense, new developments as well as existing properties are checked in the course of a relaunch with the well-known certificates (e.g. DGNB, BREAM) with regard to their contribution to climate protection. Currently with the Forum Hanau and an office property in Dreieich, two properties owned by HBB were subsequently certified.
In order to obtain an indication of the status of our properties, we became members of initiatives such as ECORE at an early stage in order to have a comparison with other properties of the same type on the market. We are also a member of QUANTREFY, a platform that, on the one hand, allows a comparison to other scoring models besides ECORE (e.g. GRESB), but on the other hand also provides optimization suggestions to improve the score. On this basis, we can optimize our properties from year to year.

In the last three years, HBB's office operations have been largely digitalized. This doesn’t just affect the platforms we are working with. The data management system introduced during this time as well as the internal project management and the digital accounting and accounting system allow for an almost paperless office.

By using digital conference technology, internal and external meetings were freed from unnecessary journeys by car, plane or train, thereby reducing CO2 emissions.

Planning & Development

The planning of our properties takes into account retreat spaces for people and animals and is becoming increasingly “greener” and not just in the roof areas. The consideration of environmentally friendly supply systems as well as the planning of photovoltaics, charging stations for e-mobility, etc. are a matter of course. Many projects include nesting boxes for bats or birds or bee hotels. If necessary, new habitats are created for protected species and these species are settled there.

In addition, the planning process examines the effects on the neighboring buildings in terms of distances, shading and changes in air flows and takes them into account.

Logistically required delivery zones are rendered to be almost invisible and the emissions produced there are reduced as much as possible.

Ecological land use

For several years now, HBB has been increasingly concerned with the relaunch of existing properties and the development of so-called brownfields. The best examples of this are the development of the former Hitzbleck area in Heiligenhaus and the restructuring of the properties in Munich (Forum Schwanthalerhöhe) and Hamburg (Krohnstieg Center). For the last two properties mentioned, we preferred conversion over demolition with new construction.

For new buildings, we aim for higher floors in order to optimize the use of the required land area. In our project in Bochum, parts of the site of the former regional court were built up to six floors above ground and two floors below ground.

Environmentally optimized construction

What counts here at HBB is not only the use of CO2-reduced raw materials, but also the reduction of emissions associated with construction operations and the subsequent existence of the property. We regularly receive positive feedback from the communities in which we build that the low-emission construction we practice in terms of dust, noise and construction site logistics is currently the exception in the projects carried out in the respective city.

The materials resulting from the demolition of buildings are recycled on the building site as far as possible and reused in the foundation and/or development as well as in the outdoor areas. This avoids waste and implements a circular economy system.

HBB has built many of its construction projects on previously contaminated land, where complex measures had to be carried out to remove contaminated sites and building pollutants.

The energy supply for our buildings takes green energies into account and works with the most modern technologies to protect against unnecessary consumption, such as systems to compensate for reactive current. Our nursing homes are heated with our own combined heat and power plants.

If possible, the roof landscapes receive extensive plantation to improve the microclimate in the area surrounding the property and/or a photovoltaic system to provide self-supply with electricity. Filter systems are selected according to the latest standards and strict waste separation is used when disposing of waste.

HBB aims to ensure that new buildings meet the KfW40 standard. This can now be achieved almost universally in retirement homes and residential buildings, but in commercial buildings, individual tenants still need to be convinced of the advantages and necessities.

Environmentally optimized operation

HBB is committed to controlling and optimizing the operating costs of its properties. Smart metering is therefore enabled in newly built properties. For existing properties, we try to retrofit them together with the owners.

Energy consumption is analyzed by our managers and unnecessary load times or energy consumers are eliminated.

The top priority in the company is also to avoid and separate waste.

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