ING's Ascot Central awarded NZGBC 4 Green Star

REAL ESTATE
PRESS RELEASE Auckland, 29 April, 2009

ING Medical Properties Trust’s Ascot Central awarded NZGBC 4 Green Star - Office Design Rating

The New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC) has awarded Ascot Central, Greenlane, the 4 Green Star - Office Design rating. Ascot Central is one of sixteen buildings owned by ING Medical Properties Trust (NZX:IMP) and is the first property built in Auckland’s southern corridor to achieve the 4 Green Star design rating.

"The NZ Green Building Council is pleased to recognise ING Medical Properties Trust with this 4 Green Star award under the Office Design rating tool, signifying ‘best practice’ in sustainable building design, for the Ascot Central office building,” says Jane Henley, CEO, NZGBC.

David Carr, General Manager ING Medical Properties Limited, the manager of the Trust, adds, “We are delighted with the award. IMP was looking for an independent body to confirm our commitment to best practice in building design quality, sustainability and innovation. The NZGBC has established stringent criteria to evaluate the rating, and this aligns directly with ING’s global best practice standards and IMP’s philosophy for innovation and excellence in New Zealand.

“In order to achieve this award, a number of innovative sustainable building strategies were considered and adopted for the design project, in association with the development partner McConnell Property Ltd. The materials used were selected for durability, recycled content and low or zero air emissions,” says David Carr.

The Green Building Council measures building design projects against eight environmental impact categories plus innovation; these are management, indoor environment quality, energy use and efficiency, transport, water, materials, land use and ecology.

“Prospective corporate tenants are demanding minimum standards for sustainability as they search for their optimum office location. The 4 Green Star rating comes from an internationally recognised, independent body, which gives IMP a significant point of difference, while reassuring tenants the building design will meet their requirements,” continues Carr.

Fertility Associates, New Zealand’s leading provider of fertility support, diagnosis and treatment, is the largest medical tenant in the Ascot Central building.

Alex Price, CEO Fertility Associates, says, "The NZGBC 4 Star Office Design rating gives our patients the assurance that our facilities are housed in a world class environment in terms of design best practice. The building also meets our own standards for quality of design, environment and energy efficiency.”

The sustainable design features at Ascot Central include rain water harvesting, high efficiency glazing, carbon dioxide monitoring and ensuring the best quality materials were used, with low or no volatile organic compounds. The rainwater harvesting process means rainwater is collected from the roof and stored in underground tanks. This water is then used to flush toilets throughout the building, reducing the amount of water drawn from the mains supply and reducing expensive ongoing water charges.

David Carr concludes, “The award is a boost to our brand as tenants look to locate their businesses in superior quality facilities. Ascot Central delivers an improved indoor environment and reduced ongoing operating costs, in turn providing our tenants with real benefits in terms of well-being, health and performance.”

ENDS

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