In January, Wolfgang Tiefensee, the German Federal Minister of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs, awarded the first DGNB green building certificates (DGNB German Quality Seal for Sustainable Building) at the international trade fair Bau 2009 in Munich.

Two HOCHTIEF projects received awards: The "smarthouse" developed in Munich by HOCHTIEF Projektentwicklung was awarded the gold pre-certificate, while the "Super C", a service center owned by RWTH Aachen which has already been completed, received the bronze certificate.

The "smarthouse" makes optimum use of the natural energy resources available on the site through measures like thermo active ceilings, ground water and earth to air exchangers. Combined with an energy-efficient façade, the building is more than 50 percent below the limit specified by the German Energy Saving Ordinance. Modern lighting control also ensures that daylight is used economically. The DGNB pre-certificate confirms the high quality of the "smarthouse", which is expected to be completed in 2010.