Centro Canalejas Madrid obtains LEED Gold certification in recognition of its commitment to sustainability

Centro Canalejas Madrid obtains the prestigious LEED Gold certification, in recognition of its Environmental Leadership and Energy Design.

OHLA’s commitment to the development of projects with a high sustainable value has been recognized in the framework of one of its most important urban initiatives in recent years: Centro Canalejas Madrid (CCM). CCM has obtained the LEED Gold international certification, awarded by the prestigious US Green Building Council (USGBC), thanks to the work carried out for the recovery and transformation of the seven historic buildings that make up this hospitality, residential and commercial complex. This recognition highlights the environmental design, as well as the energy efficiency criteria applied during the construction process and its subsequent implementation.

Specifically, the project followed the LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations (LEED-NC) program for new buildings or major renovations, which assesses efficiency in both the architectural project and technical installation phase and the construction, entry into service and use phase. An example of this is the roof of the buildings, protected by a layer of sedum (various species of vegetation) covering a large part of the roof surface. The green roof which requires a minimum amount of maintenance while emitting a significant amount of oxygen, is one of the requirements demanded by USGBC.

This certificate also recognizes the use of alternative energies, the improvement of interior environmental quality (geothermal systems), the efficient use of water, the sustainable development of unused areas of the land lot, the treatment of residual water and the selection of materials (locally-sourced materials in order to reduce the carbon footprint). In addition, the BIM (Building Information Modeling) methodology was followed during the project design process, incorporating new collaborative tools in the development and management of the project that have a positive impact in terms of sustainability, by achieving cost optimization and responsible use of material resources.

Centro Canalejas Madrid

Seven historic buildings, most of which are over a hundred years old and have been cataloged, two of them, as an Asset of Cultural Interest, give Centro Canalejas Madrid (CCM) a unique identity, and also to the surrounding areas in which it is located, in the confluence of the streets of Sevilla and Alcalá, the Carrera de San Jerónimo and the Plaza de Canalejas, in the city of Madrid.

OHLA has carried out its promotion and rehabilitation, turning it into a mixed-use complex that houses the Four Seasons Hotel, the first of the hotel chain in the country; 22 Branded Private Residences, pioneers for having the services of the hotel; a commercial gallery, Galería Canalejas; a gourmet space, and a parking lot with 400 spaces. In addition to these figures, the company is committed to employment, having generated more than 5,000 jobs throughout the project, as well as the commitment to the protection of the architectural heritage, with the recovery of more than 17,000 ornamental elements of great value and in whose works more than 7 million euros have been invested.

Sustainable construction

OHLA’s portfolio includes nearly 60 unique building contracts that have been developed with sustainability criteria, most of them located in the United States and Europe. These awards reflect the company’s commitment to sustainable construction through the development of infrastructures that use materials and construction processes with a low environmental impact.