International recognition for the sustainable maintenance of the Rotterdam building in the In-Use Performance category
Aroundtown’s office building Erasmusstaete in Rotterdam has been selected as a finalist in the In-Use Performance category at this year’s BREEAM Awards 2026. The nomination recognises the successful sustainable development of the existing building and underlines Aroundtown’s progress in systematically integrating ESG criteria into operations, maintenance and asset management. This marks the second consecutive nomination for an Aroundtown building.
BREEAM, the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method, is one of the world’s leading certification systems for sustainable buildings and assesses both environmental and socio-cultural aspects of building use. The BREEAM Awards are among the most renowned international awards in the field of sustainable real estate. Organisations from around the world that apply BREEAM in their projects or portfolios are eligible to participate.
Erasmusstaete is a multi-tenant office building and located in Rotterdam’s Brainpark II district. The property initially achieved a BREEAM In-Use rating of “Pass” with a score of 32.21% in 2022. Through a consistent sustainable optimisation strategy, the rating was improved to “Very Good” with a score of 62.58% by 2025. Aroundtown continues to advance the sustainability performance of its Dutch portfolio even after achieving full BREEAM certification coverage. In 2025, 34 properties improved their BREEAM rating, with 93% of recertified assets achieving a rating of “Good” or “Very Good”.
“The nomination of Erasmusstaete for the BREEAM Awards is a strong endorsement of the continuous implementation of our sustainability strategy and our approach to firmly embedding ESG criteria across our existing portfolio. It demonstrates that targeted measures in ongoing building management can make a measurable contribution to decarbonisation while creating long-term value for tenants, investors and the environment,” says Limor Bermann, Chief Sustainability Officer of Aroundtown.
The significant improvement was achieved through targeted measures in ongoing building operations. These include the installation of photovoltaic panels, the conversion to LED lighting, upgrades to air handling systems and measures to enhance biodiversity. Erasmusstaete therefore demonstrates how existing buildings can achieve a significantly higher sustainability performance through a methodical and continuous improvement approach.
The building now meets the Paris Proof 2050 energy targets and achieves a WEii score of 65 kWh/sqm per year. This makes Erasmusstaete one of the first Paris Proof assets within Aroundtown’s Dutch portfolio and aligns it with the CRREM 1.5°C pathway for 2050. At the same time, the building has maintained full occupancy, demonstrating that environmental performance, tenant retention and commercial objectives can be successfully combined.
The insights and best practices gained through the BREEAM In-Use process are also being applied to further buildings across Aroundtown’s portfolio.
