SmartCity Malta Appoints an International LEED Consultant

Malta, November 1, 2009

SmartCity Malta, the first development in Malta to register for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED® ) certification, has appointed Hilson Moran as their consultants.

Hilson Moran is a leading international firm of consulting engineers providing a comprehensive range of services in connection with the built environment. Its multidisciplinary approach will enable SmartCity Malta to tackle the sustainability issue with in-depth knowledge. Hilson Moran is part of the Altran Group (the European leaders in innovative consulting with a network of international professionals across 20 countries). The firm is also a member of the US, UK, Italian and Emirates Green Building Councils.

SmartCity Malta’s LEED consulting will be handled by Hilson Moran Italia in conjunction with Hilson Moran’s UAE office. Other Hilson Moran projects include the new Porta Nuova Development and Siemens Head Quarter in Milan the iconic tower of 30th St Mary Axe and the 300 meters tall Pinnacle building in London.

As a first step towards LEED Green Building Certification, SmartCity Malta has registered Phase One of the self-sustained business township with the USGBC. This rating system applies benchmarked guidelines for the design, construction and operation of high performance green building. LEED also utilises advanced computer modeling techniques to simulate overall building performance. This allows informed decisions to be made on SmartCity Malta’s buildings and overall design.

Initial steps into SmartCity Malta’s LEED certification were completed with the support of a sustainability team led by Bovis Lend Lease Milan. The team carried out the general pre-requisites on site to comply with necessary requirements. Ongoing activities at SmartCity Malta include monitoring pollution levels relating to construction and the implementation of a waste management strategy.

Hilson Moran will be liaising with the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) to submit credit information and to advise the design team members on strategies for achieving specific LEED requirements. LEED certified buildings utilise and maximise the use of key resources more efficiently than conventional buildings. This, in turn, creates healthier working and living environments which will be greatly beneficial to SmartCity Malta’s business partners and knowledge workers.