Via Crespi in Milan: the first HQE-certified office development in Italy

The Via Crespi building in Milan developed by Property development teams at BNP Paribas Real Estate Italy secure the first High Quality Environmental certification for service buildings in Italy.



HQE certification was issued by Certivea, a subsidiary of the French CSTB (Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment) which supports programs for improving environmental performance in France and internationally by parties in the construction sector.

The high-end office complex features 7,600 sq. m on five levels along with 216 parking spaces. The complex was constructed in Milan's historic centre and also boasts a fitness centre, bars, restaurants and stores.

Via Crespi was constructed after the demolition of offices formerly occupied by BNL (BNP Paribas group). BNP Paribas Real Estate Italy handled the entire new classification project for the area from the land purchase to planning and including construction and letting of the new building.

The building was delivered at the start of the year to its user, Richemont Italia S.p.A., which includes luxury brands such as Cartier, IWC, Montblanc and Baume & Mercier.

This is an outstanding operation; thanks to its HQE profile it secured an Excellent level in its Sustainable Building Passport.

The Sustainable Building Passport is a new international label clearly expressing the level of HQE-certified buildings with the aim of a clear message that is easy to understand for the public, staff and investors of the building's environmental performance.

One of the features of Via Crespi is its high energy performance at BBC Effinergie® label level, thanks in particular to:

• Very effective external heat insulation and a dual-layer western façade


• 50 sq. m of heat-generating solar panels that ensure almost all needs (93% of hot water requirements)


• Heat and cold production by dual-flow air/water pumps and cold beam distribution


• High-performance Building Technical Management (BTM) to monitor and control consumption.

The building also boasts high environmental performance:

• Outstanding location in Milan's historic centre with good public transport access


• Rainwater recovery to water greenery and clean parking areas


• A selection of materials with low health impact and very low Volatile Organic Composite (VOC) emissions


• Effective processing of summer heat in particular with sun breaks all around the South and South-Eastern façades


• Thick concrete slabs, concrete raised flooring, absorbing suspended ceilings and silent cold beams ensuring acoustic comfort

Sustainable development is applied in the six business lines of BNP Paribas Real Estate (Property Development, Transaction, Consulting, Valuation, Property Management and Investment Management) and is a component of the CSR (corporate social responsibility) policy.

All its service constructions have accordingly been HQE-certified for over five years at very high performance levels. Of the certified 800,000 sq. m which have been awarded a Sustainable Building Passport, ten operations have been ranked “excellent” and twelve “very good”.