Maasmechelen Village turns sustainability into property value

Maasmechelen Village, part of The Bicester Collection, wanted to objectively demonstrate its sustainability efforts and set the bar higher than in previous BREEAM In-Use assessments. Encon brought together expertise in buildings, energy, mobility and ecology in a single, coordinated process. The result: ‘Excellent’ ratings for both Asset Performance and Management Performance.

One ambitious goal, many pieces of the puzzle

Having previously achieved ‘Good’ and ‘Very Good’ ratings, Maasmechelen Village deliberately set its sights higher this time. The aim was not merely to achieve an ‘Excellent’ rating, but to score well within that category – with a result that, according to Maasmechelen Village, even came close to ‘Outstanding’.

As a retail environment with an international profile, Maasmechelen Village wanted to have the sustainability performance of its existing real estate and management objectively assessed through BREEAM In-Use. The ambition was clear: to achieve an ‘Excellent’ rating at both asset and management level.

That ambition made the process complex. To achieve a strong BREEAM In-Use rating, various sustainability domains had to come together. Energy performance, renewable energy, charging infrastructure, ecology and building management could not be considered in isolation. At the same time, different team members within Maasmechelen Village were responsible for specific areas.

The challenge therefore lay not only in meeting the certification requirements. The available information and ongoing initiatives had to be efficiently brought together, allowing the different disciplines to reinforce one another and the process to progress towards the desired rating in a targeted way.

A single integrated approach accelerates the BREEAM process

With Encon as its central partner, Maasmechelen Village brought together various sustainability disciplines. This resulted in shorter lines of communication, more efficient information sharing and greater clarity throughout the certification process.

Encon guided Maasmechelen Village towards BREEAM In-Use certification and connected this guidance with various areas of expertise within the project. This brought together PV studies, charging infrastructure, ecological studies and energy audits with the expertise required for certification.

It was precisely this combination that made the difference. Value Retail did not have to address the various sustainability aspects separately and then bring all the information together itself. Encon acted as a central point of contact, directly linking knowledge from different disciplines to the requirements of the BREEAM In-Use process.

This allowed information to be collected and shared more quickly, while progress across the various components remained closely monitored. Value Retail’s clear internal organisation reinforced this approach: each team member had their own specific responsibility, enabling Encon to work effectively with the relevant stakeholders while maintaining an overview of the entire process.

Two ‘Excellent’ ratings and a more efficient basis for property management

The integrated approach resulted in ‘Excellent’ ratings for both the buildings and their management. At the same time, Value Retail gained a more structured way of bringing together various sustainability disciplines.

Maasmechelen Village achieved two BREEAM In-Use ‘Excellent’ certifications:

Asset Performance: Excellent | 73.8%
Management Performance: Excellent | 77.8%

In doing so, Value Retail achieved its ambition to go beyond its previous ‘Good’ and ‘Very Good’ ratings. The scores also provide separate insights into the performance of the property itself and how the site is managed.

However, the value of the process lies not solely in the certificates. By addressing energy, mobility, ecology and building management within a single process, Maasmechelen Village was able to use the available expertise and information more efficiently. The certification thus becomes more than just an end result: it provides a well-founded framework for gaining insight into performance and implementing further improvements in a targeted way.

This is where sustainability and business value converge in this project. Demonstrable building performance, structured management and more efficient coordination support Maasmechelen Village in safeguarding the quality and performance of the site as a retail property.

Maasmechelen Village demonstrates how bringing together various sustainability disciplines within a single BREEAM In-Use process leads to demonstrable building performance and a more efficient way of working.