DGNB for you and the environment

Our homes should be good for you and the environment. That's why we work with the DGNB certification scheme.

ABOUT DGNB

What is DGNB and what does it mean for you?

At Juli Living/Nrep we use the internationally recognized certification scheme DGNB - 'Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen'. DGNB assesses buildings based on documented environmental, economic and social criteria.

If you live in a DGNB certified property, it means that the building has been designed and built with a focus on reducing resource consumption and environmental impact - while creating a healthy environment for occupants to thrive.

The DGNB certification is based on a holistic approach to responsible construction - with the ambition to future-proof buildings for both climate and people.

In 2021, we set ourselves a goal: All our new buildings in Denmark, built after January 2021, must achieve at least DGNB Gold certification. A goal we work towards every day and have achieved ever since.

DGNB - a holistic approach to building

DGNB is an international certification scheme that assesses buildings against a set of criteria in six main areas: environmental quality, economic quality, social quality, technical quality, process quality and site quality. These areas form the basis of the overall assessment and how a building performs in each area determines its final certification.

Silver, gold or platinum?

In the DGNB system, a building can achieve an overall score between 0 and 100%. This score - and the distribution across the six main areas - determines whether the building qualifies for DGNB Silver, Gold or Platinum. For example, a DGNB Gold certification requires an overall score of at least 65%.

In addition to these certification levels, buildings can achieve special awards, such as DGNB Heart, which is awarded to projects with a special focus on indoor climate. Read more about the main areas below.

Examples of our certified properties

Bülows mansion, DGNB Silver (Renovation of property)
Teglværkskanten, DGNB Gold
Banehaverne, DGNB Gold
Fælledkareen, DGNB Gold
Fasanrækkerne, DGNB Gold
Møntmesterhus, DGNB Gold
Hørkær Have , DGNB Gold
Tingbjerget, DGNB Gold
Solhusene, DGNB Gold

Learn more about DGNB's 6 main areas

DGNB primarily focuses on the main areas of environmental quality, economic quality and social quality, and these areas are given the highest weight when a property is to be certified. In addition, there is a focus on technical quality, process quality and area quality. All of these areas contain criteria and sub-criteria that together are used to evaluate a property. Below you can read about the main areas and how we, in short, work with them at Juli Living.

DGNB Heart

When assessing how sustainable a building is, you look at whether it is healthy and comfortable to be in. In other words, whether the indoor climate is good. Buildings with a special focus on indoor climate can be awarded DGNB Heart. There are many benefits to focusing on human health in buildings. For occupants, this means more energy, fewer sick days, less risk of secondary diseases and generally greater well-being.

Kronen in UN17 Village is set to receive DGNB Heart.

DGNB's other awards and bonuses

In addition to DGNB Silver, Gold and Platinum, it is possible to achieve additional awards and bonuses. These include DGNB Heart, which is awarded to buildings with a special focus on indoor climate and well-being, or DGNB Diamond, which recognizes buildings with special architectural quality. Read more about these below.

DGNB Heart

Kronen in UN17 Village has been awarded DGNB Heart.

DGNB Diamond

DGNB Diamond is a special recognition for buildings that have a high architectural quality. DGNB Diamond interprets the classic working virtues - usability, durability and beauty - in a sustainability perspective. The purpose of the award is to support, clarify and emphasize architectural quality in construction.

The UN Global Goals Bonus

The UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are today a guideline for how companies, for example, can contribute to sustainable development. Using DGNB as a planning tool when developing new buildings gives you a starting point for working with 13 of the 17 SDGs. In addition, extra points can be earned through a UN SDG Bonus, which specifically rewards the integration of the SDGs into the project.

Circular economy bonus

What characterizes the circular economy is that materials and products are part of circular and continuous cycles, where the key words are reuse and recycling. Circular economy is included in several places as part of the DGNB principles, and in addition, extra bonus points can be achieved for integrating circular economy.

Climate bonus

The greening of buildings is a necessity to reduce the carbon footprint. For this reason, bonus points can be earned for reducing the climate impact throughout the lifetime of the building. Life cycle assessments play an important role by setting requirements for the building's overall environmental impact and operational energy.

Innovation area

Thinking outside the box and finding new ways to solve problems can often help create more sustainable products. Therefore, points can be awarded for introducing alternative and innovative concepts, processes and technologies. Innovation covers many different things and is part of several criteria, where innovative approaches can replace standardized indicators and still earn the same number of points.

What DGNB means for you

8 things DGNB certification means for you

DGNB certification has a number of benefits for occupants. Below we highlight 8 things to help you understand just that. Not all of our properties are DGNB certified, and this section only covers those that are.

3: We think about the property's CO2 emissions

We measure the CO2 emissions of all our properties. And what does that mean for you? Quite simply, it means that you can live in our properties with a clearer conscience. Because with this control over emissions, it's much easier for us to focus on minimizing emissions even further - for the benefit of you, the environment and future generations.

We are working towards becoming CO2 neutral

We are very aware of the climate footprint of real estate. And as part of Nrep, we are at the forefront of accelerating the transformation towards a carbon-neutral industry. Our goal is to be carbon neutral by 2028.

Milestones we are proud of

We have reduced CO2 emissions by up to 30% on our new builds from 2020 to now.
All our new builds are certified to a high level of sustainability.
We measure CO2 emissions on all properties.
By the end of 2025, we are creating three ambitious and groundbreaking properties that will be 100% carbon neutral.
Our goal is for our property portfolio to be carbon neutral by 2028.

4: Enjoy the sight of butterflies and insects

At properties where possible, we work to create and preserve biodiversity in and around the buildings - as it benefits both nature and people. In the courtyards of some of our properties, you'll see various plants that attract insects, insect hotels, sedum-covered roof surfaces and much more.

UN17 Village invites the nature of the Fælleden in

I UN17 Village in Ørestad, we have been very focused on bringing the plant and animal life found in the large nature area bordering the village into the village courtyard. Therefore, we plant native plants here and create a green corridor from Fælleden and into UN17 Village. The idea is to create new habitats and food sources for animals and insects.

5: Eco-friendly materials

Building materials can contain substances and chemicals that can cause harm to people, plants and wildlife. That's why we pay close attention to using environmentally friendly materials, preferably recycled materials.

Dennis gave an example

6: Green power is important for the green transition

That's why we have partnered with Verdo, which means that we now have green power at all common areas in our properties.

With this agreement, we are supporting and increasing the production of renewable energy and helping to reduce the overall environmental impact.

All new residents are automatically signed up for a green electricity agreement that covers private consumption. We encourage all existing residents to also choose a green agreement for private consumption. If you live in one of our properties and want green electricity for your private consumption - take a closer look at Verdo's electricity agreements.

7: We've thought about the changing weather conditions

In Denmark, we are already facing increased climate risks due to rising sea levels and more frequent extreme weather. And the changing weather conditions are something we take into account when we work with properties. We use software that can simulate different climate scenarios and predict potential changes in weather conditions and sea levels in the areas where our properties are located. This allows us to constantly monitor climate risks and take action if necessary.

8: We decorate smartly

We want to make sure that we design the spaces in our properties in the best possible way to achieve the most efficient and appropriate use of space. This is important for you to have a great home where you have everything you need - but it's also important to optimize the use of our scarce land resources.To ensure the best use of space, we use a tool that helps us maximize the utilization of our land.