Grimma (district of Leipzig), Germany, April 14, 2025. In the heart of the Leipzig metropolitan area, a strategically important business park is under construction. The park covers an area of almost 28 hectares, offers 114,000 square meters of rental space, three modern halls and a great number of jobs. For large companies, it is an attractive base for expansion and innovation. Owing to its situation in close proximity to well-known conglomerates – such as BMW, Porsche and Amazon – the park is stimulating economic growth in eastern Germany. The project is being realized by Hines, a leading global real estate investment manager. In this project, Hines has availed itself of the expertise and know-how of Stuttgart-based Drees & Sommer. The company specializes in the field of construction, property and infrastructure consulting. The park will be developed in compliance with sustainable building criteria as defined in the guidelines for sustainable logistics real estate (Leitfaden für Logistikimmobilien – Logix[i]) and will obtain a Platinum certification from the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). The development will also comply with the requirements of the EU Taxonomy in relation to new buildings.

Almost 38 percent of global carbon emissions are attributable to the construction sector, a fact which highlights the urgent necessity to establish sustainable practices in the construction industry[ii]. Hines Senior Director Dominik Weis commented: “The new industrial and business park represents an important milestone in the development of sustainable logistics solutions in eastern Germany. However, not only does the building and construction sector have a responsibility to use environmentally-friendly materials and technologies, we also have to assume social responsibility by creating safe working conditions and fostering sustainable communities.” A special feature of the project: for the first time, Hines and Drees & Sommer will work in compliance with the Logix guidelines for ESG standards for sustainable logistics real estate. They are pioneers in this field. 

Efficient Construction Site Coordination by Drees & Sommer

Pascal Metschel is Senior Project Head at Drees & Sommer and a member of the Logix Advisory Board. Together with his team of specialists, he assists and supports Hines in the development of the park. The range of services provided includes: organization of the acquisition-related technical due diligence; awarding of the construction work; project management; supervision of the general contractor during the construction phase. In addition, within the frame of the ESG controls work, the experts of Drees & Sommer help to assess to what extent companies comply with the environmental and social aspects of the ESG provisions.

“By linking the different service and performance ranges, we can ensure that all steps in the project are completed efficiently and on schedule. Among other things, this is possible because we work with building information modeling (BIM),” Pascal Metschel added. This method enables a project to be digitally modeled and planned. The expert explained: “What we speak about here is a multi-dimensional digital twin of the projected building. The precise measures, costs and also the lifetime of the materials used are reliably reflected.” In this way, we ensure that resources are really used efficiently and potential sources of error are detected at an early stage. 

Target: Platinum Certification by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB)

Every detail of the entire project is designed with sustainability in mind. Dominik Weis pointed out: “Our target is Platinum Certification by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB)“ A large number of sustainability measures are being taken in order to reach this objective. Among them is the addition of photovoltaic systems to the roofs of all the units – an area of around 100,000 square meters. “This results in reduced carbon dioxide emissions, and the energy needed is covered by renewable energies,” Dominik Weis added. Above this a planted noise barrier will wind along the south side of the building, promoting biodiversity on the site. The sustainability measures for the site will be complemented by façade greening and park-like grounds with sports facilities and a pond. A further item of central importance on the sustainability agenda is to encourage e-mobility. This is being implemented by the integration of charging points for electric vehicles, which will support travel to and from work as well as logistics. The mobility plan also includes parking lots for bikes.

An Environment Where Employees Feel Comfortable

In addition to the intelligent integration of sustainability measures, new working environments that meet the needs of the staff will be created at the site. For Dominik , one thing is definite: “Employees should feel comfortable here and enjoy coming to work. To achieve this goal, we are providing a range of facilities.” For example, there are various types of outdoor areas: sports fields will offer staff members the opportunity to keep active and vary their everyday working lives. There will also be basketball courts and table tennis tables, as well as recreational spaces in green areas, inviting people to linger and relax. Another highlight are the roof terraces where outdoor meetings will take place and employees can spend their breaks. 

“The Logix guidelines will be closely observed. This ensures a responsible use of resources and promotes a modern work environment where the workers’ wellbeing will be constantly fostered,” Marcel Weis sums up.