Real Plaza Puruchuco

Location: Av. Nicolás Ayllón – Central Highway km 4.5, Ate District, Lima, Peru

Project type: New construction – Shopping mall

Certification: EDGE – Final Certification

Gross floor area: 233,078 m²

Developer: Interproperties Peru

Project Description

Real Plaza Puruchuco is the newest and largest shopping mall in the Real Plaza chain in Lima. Located in a growing urban area of the Ate district, the project was conceived as a modern commercial space that integrates retail, services and common areas, offering a comfortable, efficient and sustainable shopping experience for thousands of visitors every day.

From the early design stages, the project incorporated resource efficiency criteria aimed at reducing its environmental impact without compromising thermal comfort, operational performance or user experience. The building integrates passive and active strategies for energy and water efficiency, aligned with international best practices for large-scale retail developments.

Real Plaza Puruchuco achieved EDGE Final Certification awarded by GBCI, validating that the sustainability strategies were properly implemented and meet the savings required by the standard.

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What makes this project innovative?

The key innovation of Real Plaza Puruchuco lies in demonstrating that large-scale shopping malls can effectively integrate sustainability in a measurable and economically viable way.

The project stands out for:

• Integrating energy, water and materials efficiency strategies within a high-traffic, high-intensity retail operation.
• Prioritizing passive solutions such as natural ventilation and solar control, reducing reliance on mechanical systems.
• Incorporating low-consumption technologies that are widely replicable across the retail sector, supporting scalability in future developments.
• Aligning sustainability with Real Plaza’s vision of creating high-quality public spaces that enhance urban and social experiences.

Impact and strategies implemented in the project

Overall EDGE performance

• Energy savings: 21%
• Water savings: 47%
• Reduction in embodied energy in materials: 71%

Energy efficiency strategies

Energy savings are achieved through a combination of passive and active measures, including:

• Reduced window-to-wall ratio to limit heat gains.
• Use of reflective paints and roofing materials, combined with roof insulation.
• Low-emissivity (low-e) glazing.
• Integration of natural ventilation to improve thermal comfort and reduce air conditioning demand.
• Variable speed drives on cooling tower fans.
• Energy-efficient lighting in retail areas, corridors, common spaces and outdoor areas.

Water efficiency strategies

Significant water savings are achieved through:

• Efficient flush toilets.
• Low-flow urinals and faucets.
• Faucet aerators and automatic shut-off taps, particularly in high-traffic areas.
• Efficient fixtures in kitchen sinks and shared service areas.

Materials optimization strategies

The reduction in embodied energy is achieved through an optimized selection of construction systems and materials, including:

• Cast-in-place reinforced concrete slabs for floors and roofs.
• Steel-faced sandwich panels for roofing.
• Fiber cement boards on metal studs for interior and exterior walls.
• Medium-weight hollow concrete blocks for interior walls.
• Dense solid concrete blocks for exterior walls.
• Finishes in ceramic tiles and polished concrete.

Contribution to urban sustainability

Real Plaza Puruchuco has become a benchmark for sustainability in the Peruvian retail sector, demonstrating that significant resource savings can be achieved in large-scale commercial developments.

EDGE certification validates the project’s commitment to efficiency, user comfort and reduced environmental impact, contributing positively to the urban environment and to the quality of life of the people who visit the mall every day.