Condominio Parque Avenida: an AQUA-HQE certified project under construction and operation in Brazil

The project consists in a twin block, 12 stores building, facing a new connection avenue in Belo Horizonte, capital of the State of Minas Gerais, in Southwest Brazil. The built area is 51307 square meters, comprising 40 magazines and 708 offices, designed for professionals like accountants, lawyers, consultants and shop owners, amongst others. The building was certified AQUA-HQE in 2015 in the construction cycle and in 2018 in the operation cycle.

Certification process

The building was certified AQUA-HQE in 2015 in the construction cycle.The entrepreneur was Odebrecht Realizações Imobiliárias, the Architect was Torres Miranda and the landscaper was Benedito Abbud. The assistant of the maître d’ouvrage was Inovatech Engenharia.

In 2017, the building in operation was admitted in the sustainable management axis, reaching Best Practices in 7 categories, Good Practices in 6 categories, and Base level in 1 category, attaining the HQE Excellent overall level.

FundaçãoVanzolini delivered the certificate to the building syndic Albélio Dias, from AGERE, the investors and the administrators – PROMENADE (shown in the picture). InovatechEngenharia and Izabela Tassar Évora Leite, from Equaliza provided the AQUA-HQE consultancy.

In September 2018 occurred the first surveillance audit, when the performance rose to 9 Best Practices, 3 Good Practices and 2 Base level categories, corresponding to HQE Exceptional.

The building functionnality

Four axes support the building administration: 

• Process Management
• AQUA-HQE requirements
• Social Accountability
• Service Level Agreement, corresponding to an agreement between Parque Avenida and each one of its suppliers, requiring a service level at a defined cost.

Other actions include:

• Sustainable Dialogues: periodic meetings to promote sustainable practices in and out of the condominium, including Sustainable Personal Practices.
• Business meetings: gathering entrepreneurs that occupy the building and others from the neighbourhood, to form a network to enhance the exchanges of products and services promoting sustainability.
• Mini-enterprises program: educating students of the neighbourhood in matters like free enterprise, finances, human resources and production, based on workshops where the youngsters learn on the job as a mini-entrepreneur.
• Women shelter house project, a Morro das Pedras communitysocial project, supported by the building administration.

Main architectonic and technical solutions

Construction cycle

• Façade favouring natural lighting
• Permeable area and extensive garden contributing to reduce the heath island effect and the surface water flow
• Rain water and grey water use for non-potable purposes
• Choice of the site for best solar energy use
• Site location close to public transport, regional commerce and easy access to other city areas
• Envelope and materials designed for better acoustic, hydrothermal and visual comfort.

Rain water and grey water use for non-potable purposes

Operation cycle

A photovoltaic plant has been implemented supplying 60% of the energy consumption used in the common areas of the building.A future expansion is planned with studies of feasibility for reaching net zero energy.

Benefits of AQUA-HQE Certification

The certification is an important management tool and the performance requirements served as guides to design the management and operational processes and improvement actions.

Highlight aspects are:

• Development of a sustainability culture for the building and its users
• Water, energy and chemical products consumption measurement
• Choice of efficient and biodegradable chemical products
• Maintenance of olfactory, hydrothermal and visual comfort
• Administrative documents management
• Better interaction with service suppliers, by means of training and periodic dialogues
• Better relations with the neighbourhood community
• Inducement to invest in technologies.

Results obtained by the sustainable management

Water and energy are being monitored since the building started to be occupied and reduction goals have not yet been established. This will be done in the next few months, as from now the users frequency is more regular.  Nevertheless, the present photovoltaic plant already provides for 60% of the energy needs in the common areas of the building.Comfort and quality of life in the building is evaluated by a yearly satisfaction enquiry answered by workers and users in terms of acoustics, odours and visual. This enquiry also encompasses the administration services. It has already been applied twice, with satisfaction grade answers in all topics.

The Condominium Convention established that the AQUA-HQE Certification shall be permanently maintained for the building operation period.

The Building Syndic recognizes that the certification is fundamental for the estate appreciation along the time and for quality of life of the users.

Article signed Manuel Martins, Executive Coordinator of the AQUAHQE ™ process, FundaçãoVanzolini (Brazil) - Partner of Cerway.

Read more: 

• Parque Avenida : website https://www.condominioparqueavenida.com/
• AQUA-HQE certification https://www.behqe.com/fr/bresilfcav