FruitMasters Smart Fruit Hub nominated for international sustainable construction award
Logistics centre in the Netherlands finalist at international BREEAM Awards
Geldermalsen, 26 May 2026 – The Smart Fruit Hub of growers’ cooperative FruitMasters in Geldermalsen has been selected as a finalist for the BREEAM Awards 2026 in the category New Construction Project of the Year. The BREEAM Awards are one of the most prestigious international sustainability prizes for the built environment.
About the BREEAM Awards
BREEAM stands for Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method. It is the world’s leading and internationally recognised sustainability certification for assessing and certifying the integral sustainability of buildings and areas. The BREEAM Awards spotlight projects and organisations that demonstrably contribute to a more sustainable built environment. Finalists distinguish themselves in the areas of performance, innovation and applicable solutions, within themes such as climate adaptation, circular construction, digital innovation and new build. The category New Construction Project of the Year focuses specifically on new-build projects that place sustainability at the centre from day one and achieve demonstrable results in doing so.
From historic auction site to future-proof hub
FruitMasters has been rooted in Geldermalsen for more than 120 years, on the site where generations of growers brought their fruit to auction. Always moving, always in transition to meet the demands of today. The Smart Fruit Hub embodies that story: a historic auction location fully transformed into a future-proof hub for the global fruit chain. That is our Where the best things grow. The 35,180 m² logistics hub has been built entirely on the former auction site. Due to its location, there was no room to expand outward, so the decision was made to focus on densification.
What makes the Smart Fruit Hub special
- BREEAM Outstanding: 91.04%, the most sustainable food production facility in the Netherlands
- Built entirely on the existing site
- 2,812 solar panels, generating 1.36 million kWh per year
- Water purification of 15,000 litres per hour, reducing water consumption by more than 30%
- A rainwater collection system of 1,500 m³ beneath the building
- More than 94% of construction waste recycled
- A daylight-rich working environment with nature integrated throughout the building
A link in a fully sustainable chain
The Smart Fruit Hub is more than a building. It is the link in a fully sustainable chain from orchard to plate: from 400 sustainably certified growers via sustainable logistics to consumers worldwide. All affiliated growers hold PlanetProof and/or LEAF Marque certification, and FruitMasters itself holds ISO 14001 certification.
Maartje Vullings, CSRO FruitMasters, on the nomination: “This nomination feels like a wonderful recognition of what sustainable transformation truly means: taking a historic site and turning it into a future-proof hub. Sustainability is not an added extra, it is the new standard. This is a recognition of the collective commitment of so many colleagues and partners who work on this with conviction every day.”
The winner will be announced at the BREEAM Awards ceremony on Wednesday, 30 September 2026.
