New BREEAM rating of Very Good for the Van Gogh Museum
In 2014, the Van Gogh Museum became the first museum in the world to obtain a BREEAM rating of Very Good. Recently, the museum qualified for that rating again, and now its offices also meet all the requirements for this BREEAM rating.
Van Gogh Museum obtains BREEAM certificate and rates Very Good
In order to meet the requirements for BREEAM again, the Van Gogh Museum implemented a number of sustainability measures. For example, all traditional lighting has now been replaced by LED lighting. A number of intermediate meters have also been installed to help the building systems work more efficiently. Finally, ecological measures like the installation of bat boxes have been added. With this, the Van Gogh Museum has made some big moves to raise its profile as a model of sustainability in museums.
45% energy savings by configuring systems differently
An important aspect was reducing the museum’s energy consumption. And the museum succeeded in doing this thanks to various efforts. In recent years, the energy consumption of the Van Gogh Museum had already dropped by about 45%, this largely due to optimisation the configuration of building systems.
For example, the heating lines of the boilers were adjusted and made weather-dependent. This allowed the control systems to be configured more loosely, reducing the need for deep cooling and dehumidification in summer. This saves a lot of energy. Optimisation combined with lower loads has resulted in fewer system failures.
CFP’s role shifts from initiator to expert
CFP Green Buildings and the Van Gogh Museum have been partners in sustainability from the very start. Ben van der Stoop of the Van Gogh Museum explains how the role of CFP has evolved in recent years.
CFP and the Van Gogh Museum have been partners in sustainability from the very start. Ben van der Stoop of the Van Gogh Museum explains how the role of CFP has evolved in recent years.
“In the beginning, everything was new to us. In 2013, CFP conducted a baseline measurement to see where we stood in terms of sustainability. We also jointly formulated an ambition in the field of sustainability. The Van Gogh Museum would like to become one of the most sustainable museums in the world. Quite ambitious, but it is mainly to push ourselves to continuous improvement. CFP played a leading role in this and made a number of recommendations to achieve this ambition. Together, we successfully completed a sustainable renovation. That also helped us get to know the material better and better. We have since set up our own Green Think Tank internally, which has taken over the pioneering role, and CFP Green Buildings acts as an advisor in the field of sustainability. This expert role is indispensable for us to coordinate and collect the right evidence. We also need an expert to keep us on top of changing laws and regulations.”
Would you like to know more about obtaining the same BREEAM rating as the Van Gogh Museum, or are you interested in going through the special BREEAM checklist and quickscan? Please contact us for more information about BREEAM NL in use.
