Planting the seeds of sustainable construction: LIST innovations in Luxembourg’s first of its kind eco-driven urban project by CODIC Group.

On 7 November, Luxembourg broke ground on a visionary project, Botanica – Your office resort, driven by CODIC to transform a former industrial field into a vibrant, eco-conscious district. From optimized logistics and circularity to nature-based solutions, LIST innovations will be playing an important role in making it happen.

This milestone launch—symbolized by the planting of the first tree—ushers in a new era of sustainable construction for the country. With its development scheduled from 2025 to 2030, the Botanica project signals a collective commitment to responsible urban growth.

Optimizing logistics for greener, safer construction

Since 2023, LIST has been collaborating with CODIC and its construction teams  to implement an optimized logistics plan, targeting reduced environmental impact alongside economic and safety benefits. The result of this is the development of a first-of-its-kind, easy-to-follow checklist by LIST, enabling construction companies to quickly adopt sustainable on-site practices . According to a previous project carried out by LIST, and similar initiatives in Europe, a 5-66% reduction in the number of trucks coming to the site can be expected thanks to the implementation of a mutualized logistics system. Additionally, by gathering detailed data from the various companies involved, LIST will assess the total carbon footprint of Botanica, establishing new sustainability benchmarks for Luxembourg’s construction sector.

“In our previous projects in Luxembourg, we showed  that an optimized logistics could divide the number of trucks coming to the construction site by 3 and enable strong productivity improvements and cost reductions for companies at the same time, but such good practices need anticipation and collaboration. With this project, CODIC shows how real estate can drive a win-win change on construction sites,” declared Fabrice Berroir, Lead R&T Engineer.

Pioneering circularity: Turning waste into resources

LIST will explore the reuse potential of existing esources on the construction site within the Botanica project. An inventory will identify materials that can be directly reused or recycled, advancing Luxembourg’s construction industry towards a circular economy model. By setting a new precedent for resource efficiency, the project aims to reduce environmental impact while creating a blueprint for future projects in sustainable construction.

“The EU aims to be climate-neutral by 2050. This implies many changes in the construction industry, which needs to break with the take-make-waste model and experiment with new sustainable and circular practices. Collaboration between researchers and practitioners is therefore crucial to co-create and test new digital tools and processes that support the reuse of construction and demolition waste, design for disassembly and other circular practices contributing to extending the lifespan of buildings and their components and slowing down the need for raw materials,” testified Annie Guerriero, Senior Lead R&T Scientist.

Leveraging nature-based solutions for sustainable urban development

Another innovative aspect of LIST’s involvement in the Botanica project is the potential use of NBenefit$®, a decision-making tool that evaluates the negative and positive environmental impacts, externalities as well as financial values of nature-based solutions. By exploring ways to integrate such solutions into the project, it will help CODIC create an urban environment that supports biodiversity, enhances resilience and fosters a healthier living space. This approach will help the project to meet its sustainability goals while maintaining competitiveness, exemplifying LIST’s commitment to combining environmental and economic benefits.

"With NBenefit$, we’re bringing a data-driven lens to Botanica’s green spaces design, allowing CODIC to make informed choices that align environmental impact with economic feasibility. This approach, which integrates life cycle assessment and ecosystem service valuation, allows us to shape sustainable, resilient green spaces that benefit both the community and the ecosystem," added Claudio Petucco, Research & Technology Associate at LIST.

Strengthening the foundations of Luxembourg’s sustainable future for real estate industry

A first of its kind project in Luxembourg, this initiative led by CODIC not only embodies a commitment to sustainable development but also sets a precedent for future construction projects. The tree-planting ceremony commemorates the beginning of a new era, with LIST at the heart of the effort to shape a resilient, sustainable future for Luxembourg’s urban landscape.

"By initiating the partnership with LIST on the Botanica project in Luxembourg, CODIC demonstrates its strong societal commitment to innovation for sustainable development. With more than 60,000m2 erected for an estimated 6-year site construction, CODIC provides LIST with an open-air laboratory to accelerate the environmental transition of the real estate sector in Europe and in Luxembourg in particular," says Vincent Beck, CEO of CODIC International.

About CODIC

For more than 50 years, CODIC has been a passionate real estate developer. Its main areas of expertise are: OFFICE, RETAIL, HOME and INVEST. CODIC International has been developing its know-how mainly in Belgium, France and Luxembourg since 1989 (delivery of the Altitude project in 2019, Royal-Hamilius in 2021), in Hungary and Spain. In line with its value creation strategy, CODIC puts its experience and performance to the service of cities, tenants and investors who have trusted them over the years. Codic’s loyalty values are combined with its strengths: the constant search for quality, anticipation, the search for performance and cost control at all levels. Each of its projects is characterized by the excellence of its location, the quality of its programming, a strong architectural identity, the use of high-level technologies, the commitment to sustainable development for all its buildings, careful landscaping and the integration of art works. CODIC’s daily commitment, convictions and adaptability have always allowed the company to keep on moving forward. It is with this “CODIC spirit” that they build the future. CODIC, Initiatives of tomorrow.

Photo: (C) CODIC