Tishman, US Embassy Bring Success Stories to Green Building Conference in Sofia

Sofia Airport Center (SAC) is the first commercial, LEED-certified office building in Bulgaria. File photo

Presentation of successful green building projects in Europe and the United States, green architectural design, energy-efficient and sustainable construction techniques are on the agenda of an upcoming conference in Sofia.

Los Angeles-based Tishman International Companies, a leading international commercial real estate development and management company, is a sponsor of the conference on Green Building, organized by the Embassy of the United States and the American Chamber of Commerce of Bulgaria.

Themed "Green Building–A Sustainable Path to Energy Efficiency and Economic Growth," the conference will be held from 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. on October 7, 2010 at the Hilton Hotel Sofia in Sofia, Bulgaria.

The speakers will include Bulgarian Minister of Regional Development Rosen Plevneliev, U.S. Ambassador James Warlick, American Chamber of Commerce President Anthony Hassiotis, and Reginald Miller, representing the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Julian Edwards, Managing Director of Tishman Management Company, Europe and an expert in international commercial real estate development and financing, will be the moderator.

Also participating will be the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)'s Vice President, International Operations Jennivine Kwan, LEED-accredited professional Vessela Valtcheva-McGee of Triple Green Building Group, LLC, and a representative from Colliers International.

"We have learned from experience that the environmental benefits of green building are significant: building green can reduce energy consumption, CO2 emissions, water usage and solid waste by as much as 50-70 percent, and the cost savings that result are good for business," commented Edwards.

Also representing GE/Tishman International at the conference will be Carlo Marzot, Senior Partner and Managing Director of EZ MEP International and a leader in commercial real estate development.

Marzot will present "The Economic and Financial Benefits of Green Building," as demonstrated by the case history of the Sofia Airport Center (SAC), the first commercial, LEED-certified office building in Bulgaria, developed by Tishman International.

At the outset of the multi-faceted SAC project, located adjacent to Sofia International Airport, Tishman International decided to make SAC a model of innovative, environmentally friendly development.

The SAC team of owner, architect and MEP engineers and general contractor early on established the goal of collaborating to achieve the USGBC's LEED® Silver certification for the office building being developed at SAC. In five key areas critical to qualifying for LEED, each with multiple factors to take into consideration, the development team used a range of strategies to attain the best possible green outcomes.

"The construction of SAC is just one aspect of our company's involvement in Bulgaria's economic growth and real estate market" noted Edwards.

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