GSE ITALIA FOR VAILOG-SEGRO: A LOGISTICS FACILITY AS A VIRTUOUS EXAMPLE OF GREEN BUILDING

GSE Italia has always had sustainability in its DNA. One of the Group’s primary objectives is to drive innovation within the industry by continuously improving standards in the field of sustainable development.

A clear example of this is the project delivered for Vailog-SEGRO, a leading player in Italy’s industrial real estate development sector. The project consists of a logistics facility with a covered area of 36,305.66 sqm located in Orbassano (Turin), representing an outstanding and virtuous example for the entire industrial construction sector thanks to its ability to combine two fundamental aspects: sustainability and innovation.

The first building in Italy pursuing Zero Carbon certification The facility is a particular source of pride for GSE Italia because, thanks to its characteristics, it is pursuing the BREEAM International New Construction by BRE Excellent certification and, above all, because it is the first logistics building in Italy pursuing Zero Carbon certification by the International Living Future Institute.

To obtain this important certification, it is necessary to demonstrate the building’s carbon neutrality, both in terms of embodied emissions, related to materials and the construction process, and operational emissions, related to the use of the building. This has been made possible through careful monitoring of the quantities of materials installed during both the design and construction phases, as well as monitoring the technical characteristics related to CO₂ emissions, thoroughly documented through EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations). Material quantity optimization, supplier selection, and material sourcing also played a key role.

Furthermore, for the construction of the building, GSE committed to keeping emissions below 500 kg of CO₂ per sqm, successfully exceeding the target with an actual result of 325 kg CO₂/sqm, outperforming the agreed objective by 30%.
GSE and sustainability: a commitment aligned with European objectives Zero Carbon certification is particularly important in the construction industry for two reasons: one related to the broader context and the other more specific to the sector itself. First, the European Commission has established highly ambitious environmental targets aimed at making Europe the world’s first climate-neutral continent, with a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. Secondly, it should be considered that around 40% of global emissions are generated by the construction sector. For this reason, the European Commission has introduced specific regulations governing the building industry, with the objective of eliminating emissions from buildings by 2050.

Aware of this responsibility, GSE has made sustainable development an integral part of its corporate philosophy since 2010, starting with its first environmental certifications for logistics buildings.

Innovation, high performance and attention to landscape integration A range of cutting-edge solutions were adopted for the construction of the Orbassano facility, including low-carbon foundations and industrial flooring using Class III/B and III/A cement combined with recycled aggregates. The use of these carefully selected materials resulted in a reduction of CO₂ emissions by 30% and 25% respectively compared with traditional concrete mixes.

The project features an infiltration trench with a capacity of 10,000 cubic metres of rainwater and a rainwater harvesting system for reuse in irrigation and toilet flushing. From a plant engineering perspective, the warehouse is strongly focused on energy efficiency, thanks to the installation of a 1 MWp photovoltaic system and a hydronic HVAC system based on polyvalent heat pumps connected to air handling units and four-pipe fan coils, reducing the building’s environmental impact and lowering both emissions and energy consumption.

“We are extremely proud of this project, for which GSE committed to achieving a CO₂ emissions reduction more than 30% below the imposed threshold and, during the design phase, energy consumption was reduced by 25% compared to an equivalent conventional building,” states Vincenzo Binetti, Sustainability Manager at GSE Italia. “In addition to the environmental performance achieved, another aspect that makes the Orbassano project a milestone in our recent history is the building’s ability to fully meet operational requirements while integrating techniques that minimise its environmental impact.”

“Another noteworthy achievement,” adds Mathieu Hamm, Project Director at GSE Italia, “was our ability to honour all contractual commitments made to the client, including project delivery deadlines, despite the challenges encountered during construction due to the significant increase in raw material prices.”

For GSE Italia, a sustainable logistics building is one that, in addition to fulfilling its functional purpose, successfully integrates the proper management of the various dimensions of sustainability, such as energy performance, CO₂ impact, comfort, biodiversity and strategic location.

Finally, landscape integration is a fundamental aspect of its projects. In this case, within the Orbassano logistics facility area, 7 hectares of green spaces will be redeveloped, including both private and public-use areas, and more than 500 new trees will be planted, selected from local species.