The recognition was awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council.
The building achieved the gold lever, the second highest on the renowned LEED certification scale.
August, 2019. From the design and construction phases of the Costa Rica Convention Centerto its opening, the building was made to be sustainable.. Thanks to this systematic and organized work, the CCCR received the LEED certification, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
“Sustainability is one of the three strategic cornerstones in the process that we work on every day at the ICT. This is why all the actions and projects that we develop are planned and executed under green parameters. The Costa Rica Convention Center is an example of it, and thanks to that we got the LEED certification, which gives us joy and pride,” added Gustavo Alvarado, Director of Tourism Management of the ICT.
The recognition was awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the same that uses the LEED system to evaluate different rubrics to award the certifications, among which are:
- Sustainable place: aims to minimize the building’s impact on the ground and water, which is why it is recommended not to build in urban areas.
- Water efficiency: optimization of its consumption inside and outside the premises.
- Energy and atmosphere: energy efficient design and construction, efficient thermal and light facilities, monitoring, use of renewable energies, among others.
- Materials and resources: the use of sustainable materials in terms of manufacture, transportation, and use is encouraged, as well as the reduction of waste and recycling.
- Quality of interior ambience: values the improvement of the interior air quality, the use of natural lighting, the reduction of noise and the quality of the exterior views.
- Situation and relations with the community: values the establishment of the building in already-habited places, away from environmentally sensible areas, near existing infrastructures and green areas.
- Design innovation.
CRCC is awarded the golden category
Each category considers prerequisites and credits, and the total sum in 110 points. The minimum level is 40 points, the next level, “silver,” is 50 points, followed by the “gold” level with 60 points, and 80 points or more is equivalent to “platinum.” The Costa Rica Convention Center achieved a gold level, which is awarded for life, as it is given to the building and not the operation.
“The Costa Rica Convention Center is very pleased to have been awarded a gold LEED certification. At Grupo Heroica we are committed to the sustainability and innovation as strategic cornerstones for the uprising of a building environmentally friendly in its totality. This award reinforces the commitment to sustainability as a core idea in our tourism model, which positively infused the conventions center from its conception,” added Álvaro Rojas, General Manager of the Costa Rica Convention Center.
Some of the characteristics considered for the conventions center to win the certification were the following:
- Accessibility to the project through alternative transportation.
- Infrastructure that encourages the use of bicycles to get to the project.
- Preferential parking spaces for energy-efficient and low emission vehicles.
- 43% of water savings with the use of efficient accessories (toilets, lavatories, urinals).
- 50% reduction in the use of potable water for irrigation by reusing water from the treatment plant.
- Highly efficient lighting and air conditioning systems.
- Domes that increase the light that enters the building.
- Preference of use of local materials to reduce the project’s carbon footprint.
- Exterior air recirculation design systems, which reduces CO2 concentrations for the comfort and health of the occupants.
- Installation of photovoltaic panels in process
Press contact: [email protected]
Alejandra Fernández ICT: 8387-7025 / 2299-5732
Luis Jara ICT: 8341-4521 / 2299-5762
