Stopanska Banka Headquarters Achieves LEED Gold - A First for North Macedonia

The project scored 69 points with no denied or pending credits, and was delivered in joint venture with FOCAL Project Managers. It marks an important step in NEA◦POLI’s continued expansion across South-East Europe, building on our established presence in Greece.

Skopje 19/05/2026 –  The new headquarters of Stopanska Banka AD Skopje has officially achieved LEED Gold certification under LEED BD+C: New Construction – establishing it as the first LEED-certified building in Skopje and the first project in North Macedonia to reach the Gold tier. Until now, the country appears to have had only a single LEED-certified project, at the Silver level, in Prilep.

For NEA◦POLI, the result extends a well-established South-East European presence,  including a substantial body of work in Greece, into a new market. North Macedonia now joins the firm’s regional portfolio with a Gold-tier benchmark.

A national and municipal milestone

LEED — Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design — is among the world’s most widely recognised green building rating systems. Securing a Gold rating in a market with little prior certification history is meaningful: it establishes a clear reference point for the environmental performance of commercial buildings in the capital and sets a benchmark for the wider country.

1stLEED-certified building in Skopje
1stLEED Gold project in North Macedonia
69points awarded (Gold threshold: 60)
 
A strong and clean result

Beyond the headline tier, the quality of the certification stands out. The project was awarded 69 points, comfortably above the 60-point Gold threshold, and completed the final review with no denied or pending credits — an outcome that points to disciplined design and thorough documentation throughout.

Performance was strong across the rating system’s core categories, including location and transport, water efficiency, energy performance, indoor environmental quality, innovation, and regional priority. The breadth of that performance reflects sustainability considerations that were embedded in the building from the design stage rather than retrofitted at the end.

Delivered through partnership

The certification was delivered through NEA◦POLI’s joint venture with FOCAL Project Managers, whose coordination and on-site project leadership were integral at every stage. Green building certification is rarely the achievement of any single party; it depends on aligned intent across the owner, project manager, design team and consultants. FOCAL’s role in maintaining that alignment day to day was central to the result.

“This is the first project we have taken through the full LEED process to final certification – and it sets the tone for everything we intend to do across the region.”

NEA◦POLI also extends its congratulations to Stopanska Banka and to its parent, the National Bank of Greece, whose commitment made the certification possible, along with the design team and every stakeholder who contributed.

Expanding across South-East Europe

The Skopje headquarters represents a deliberate step in NEA◦POLI’s regional growth. From its bases in Kuala Lumpur and London and with deep Greek roots, the firm has long worked across Asia and Europe; this certification signals a focused expansion of its portfolio into South-East Europe – a region with a growing appetite for credible, internationally recognised green building standards.

NEA◦POLI views Skopje as a starting point rather than a single engagement. As cities across the Balkans and the wider region advance their decarbonisation goals and demand higher-performing buildings, the firm intends to be a long-term partner in that transition.