Green Light for Sustainable Buildings in Austria

On 29th September 2009, 121 founding members launched the Österreichische Gesellschaft für Nachhaltige Immobilienwirtschaft (ÖGNI) in Vienna.
Ralph Scheer, Managing Director for Dress & Sommer Austria, was elected into the executive board at the inauguration assembly. Following the German model, ÖGNI offers a country adapted certification system for the sustainability of new office buildings.

"Right at the beginning we made a lightening start," said Ralph Scheer, pleased with the positive reaction from the industry. "The great response on this evening showed that the domestic property market was just waiting for a system like this." In contrast, previously existent evaluation systems such as LEED or BREEAM unsatisfactorily met the Austrian building regulations and standards, according to the property expert. The model for the ÖGNI was also the certification system of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB), which adapts well to national characteristics thanks to its numerous parameters. The ÖGNI is the first European partner country of the DGNB.

Drees & Sommer is a founding member of the DGNB. For decades, the global corporation has been a forerunner on the sustainable building and refurbishing market. This expertise for green buildings will also be of future benefit to the ÖGNI. Thus Drees & Sommer Austria are already working on the new development of Vienna University of Economics and Business on a first large project with ÖGNI criteria. Using quick checks, experts are currently determining the level of sustainability the property can achieve in the new certification system.

The evaluation system of the DNGB is currently being extended to areas such as historical buildings and city districts. For the future, the ÖGNI is planning an expansion of the system beyond office buildings to different types of projects.

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