Building Certification in New Tashkent

The development of New Tashkent is accompanied by requirements not only for architecture and urban planning solutions, but also for energy efficiency, environmental performance, and the application of international green building standards.

The Directorate for the Construction of New Tashkent under the Cabinet of Ministers issues investors, when purchasing a land lot, an official requirement to comply with green building standards for projects implemented through the electronic auction platform.

This means that the choice of a certification system — LEED, BREEAM, or EDGE — should be considered already at the design stage, rather than after construction has been completed.

What requirements apply to investors?

According to the Directorate’s requirements, investors must ensure compliance with energy efficiency and green building principles throughout project implementation.

In particular, investors are required to:

take energy efficiency and environmental requirements into account when developing design and cost-estimate documentation;
apply one of the green building certification systems during the design and construction of the project;
achieve the minimum certification level established for the relevant building type;
use energy-efficient construction materials, equipment, and technologies;
comply with project requirements for landscaping and the improvement of green areas;
engage a qualified green building specialist in the design and certification process.

In addition, upon request from the Directorate, the investor must be prepared to provide reports and supporting documentation on green building, energy efficiency, and environmental performance indicators.

What level of certification is required in New Tashkent?

The minimum certification level depends on the type of building.

Building Type	Minimum Certification Level
Commercial buildings	LEED Silver or BREEAM Very Good
Residential buildings	LEED Silver, BREEAM Very Good, or EDGE Advanced
Social and government buildings	LEED Certified, BREEAM Good, or EDGE Certified

At the same time, the specific obligations of each investor should be verified against the Investment Agreement, technical requirements, and documentation for the specific lot.

LEED, BREEAM, or EDGE — Which One Should You Choose?

The choice of certification system depends on the building type, the requirements of the investment agreement, the project stage, the available budget, and the investor’s objectives.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)

LEED is an international system for assessing the environmental performance and energy efficiency of buildings.

For projects in New Tashkent, the following levels are предусмотрены:

LEED Silver — for commercial and residential buildings;
LEED Certified — for social and government buildings.

LEED covers a wide range of building performance parameters, including energy, water, materials, indoor environmental quality, site location, and other characteristics.

This system may be particularly relevant for large commercial, office, hotel, and mixed-use developments where investors require a comprehensive international assessment of the building.

BREEAM

BREEAM is also a comprehensive international environmental assessment system for buildings.

The Directorate has established the following minimum levels:

BREEAM Very Good — for commercial and residential buildings;
BREEAM Good — for social and government buildings.

Choosing BREEAM requires early coordination between architects, engineers, and the certification specialist, as many criteria need to be incorporated directly into the design solutions.

EDGE

EDGE is primarily focused on the measurable reduction of building resource consumption, including energy, water, and embodied energy in construction materials.

The Directorate has established the following minimum levels:

EDGE Advanced — for residential buildings;
EDGE Certified — for social and government buildings.

For developers, one of the advantages of EDGE may be the opportunity to assess design solutions at an early stage through a calculation model and determine which measures will achieve the required efficiency indicators.

Why Should Certification Not Be Left Until the End of Construction?

One of the most costly mistakes is to start working on green building certification after the project has already been approved or when construction is already at an advanced stage.

The Directorate’s requirement explicitly provides for compliance with the established criteria at all stages of design documentation development, approval, and construction works.

For example, once the project has been approved, it may become significantly more expensive to change:

facade and glazing characteristics;
thermal insulation of the building envelope;
engineering equipment;
ventilation and air-conditioning systems;
lighting;
sanitary equipment and water consumption;
energy metering systems;
construction materials;
landscape and environmental solutions.

It is important to incorporate the mandatory certification criteria into the project and collect evidence confirming their implementation. Otherwise, for certification systems such as LEED and BREEAM, starting the certification process only during the construction stage may become practically impossible.

Therefore, the certification system should preferably be selected before the main design solutions are finalized.

What Should an Investor Do at the Start of the Project?

Review the Investment Agreement and technical requirements for the lot.
It is necessary to determine which certification system and minimum certification level apply specifically to your project.
Select the certification system: LEED, BREEAM, or EDGE, taking into account the building type, budget, design solutions, and future operation.
Conduct a project Pre-Assessment.
This will show whether the current concept is capable of achieving the required certification level and what changes are necessary. A technical and economic assessment of the proposed measures can also be prepared.
Engage a green building specialist at the design stage.
This is directly предусмотрено by the Directorate’s requirements.
Include certification requirements in the technical assignments for architects and engineers.
Organize the collection of supporting documentation during construction.
Since the Directorate may request reporting on green building, energy efficiency, and environmental performance indicators, the necessary evidence base should be developed throughout project implementation rather than prepared retrospectively.

What Documents May Be Required?

Depending on the selected certification system and the specific project, the following documentation may be required:

design documentation and energy efficiency calculations, specifications for engineering equipment and construction materials, water consumption data, resource metering schemes, documents for materials and equipment, landscaping plans, construction documentation, photographs and completion certificates, as well as other evidence confirming compliance with the criteria of the selected standard.

It is especially important to organize the process so that the designers, general contractor, equipment suppliers, and certification specialist work with a single coordinated list of requirements.

Reporting to the New Tashkent Directorate

The official requirement also states that information on completed activities, achieved results, existing issues, and supporting documentation must be submitted to the Directorate in both written and electronic form.