During the months of October and November, the Sustainability Department conducted Sustainability Courses as part of its training program for the client, American Express. Through 16 sessions and over 20 hours of instruction, 30 client employees were trained on basic topics to obtain LEED and BOMA BEST certifications in their operation and maintenance modalities for existing buildings. The courses were led by our specialists, Architects Mauricio Ramírez, Pedro Olvera, and Paola Pérez. These courses detailed the significance of sustainability in the construction realm and the building’s lifespan, and how implementing appropriate policies within companies can have a significant environmental impact, leading to sustainable certifications.
BOMA BEST is a green building certification established since 2005 and led by BOMA, headquartered in Canada (BOMA: Building Owners and Managers Association International). This process certifies EXISTING buildings of various typologies. The certification’s scoring and level are determined by a questionnaire with continuous improvement implementations.
The certification levels are::
Certified Level – less than 20%
Bronze Level – 20%-49%
Silver Level – 50%-79%
Gold Level – 80%-89%
Platinum Level – above 90%
This certification can be applied to buildings of any typology: offices, light industry, enclosed and open-air shopping centers, as well as universal buildings. BOMA BEST assesses 10 areas: Energy, Water, Air Quality, Comfort, Health and Wellbeing, Purchasing, Custodial, Waste, Site, Stakeholder Engagement. The parties involved in this certification process include building owners, administrators, and operators, external sustainability consultants, and BOMA reviewers and certifiers.
The benefits of a BOMA BEST certification include:
Energy and Water: Reduced energy usage in the building.
Waste Savings: Savings through efficient organic and inorganic waste management.
Health and Wellbeing: Promotes and enhances tenant health and wellbeing.
Contracts: Increased lease contract renewals and rental rate increases.
Company Policies: Healthier and more sustainable policies, allowing the company to expand nationally or internationally as a model of a green enterprise.