A commercial office block in Santa Venera has been developed using sustainable material targeting
carbon neutral, making it the first of its kind in Malta.
Like other European countries, Malta is under pressure to reach climate change targets and the
maligned construction industry plays a pivotal role in reaching such targets.
While very few developers are doing their part to help the country’s reach such targets, a few have
set their sights on targeting carbon zero buildings.
One of these is Gerada Quality Construction.
Climablock in Malta
Climablock is a high-quality ICF (Insulated Concrete Form) system which combines the structural
integrity of concrete and the thermal insulation properties of EPS (Expanded Polystyrene).
The system is based on forms – the Climablock elements – that can be easily and rapidly
interconnected to form a structure suitable for pouring concrete. After the concrete hardens, the
system provides thermal insulation during winter and summer, ensuring high energy savings.
Owners of carbon neutral buildings enjoy the comfort of living in much more comfortable spaces
and lower utility bills. Such ways of building also reduce noise, thanks to the robust double insulated
walls. The simple and quick installation and the anit-seismic benefits compliment such buildings.
Solely replacing traditional globigerina limestone (ġebla tal-franka) and/ or hollow concrete blocks
with these Insulated Concrete blocks reduces the development’s carbon footprint and construction
waste, as these already use recycled materials.
In addition, since these blocks lock into each other, it reduces the need to cut the blocks. However,
should it be required this is easily done using a hot knife, with no atmospheric pollution such as dust.
Likewise, the unusable cut- offs of the ICF are easily packed into lightweight sacks and transported to
a recycling facility.
On the other hand, traditional materials would are cut using a rotary saw, causing fine dust
particulate to pollute the air. Additionally, the unusable cut- offs, which would be more bulky and
heavier to transport, would likely end up as land fill since it would need more energy to recycle.
Gerada Quality Construction was awarded the Leader in Sustainable initiative at the Malta Business
Awards which took place late last year.