BREAAM
What's this about?
BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) is an environmental assessment methodology developed by BRE – Building Research Establishment – in 1990 in England, in order to assess the sustainability of a building.
The certification is voluntary, i.e. any building can be certified when it meets the parameters that will be carried out later; it offers a guarantee of sustainability linked to the correct use of the best solutions in terms of construction during the design, construction and management of the building.
The certification is very flexible, in the sense that it does not only bind to certain types of buildings, but incorporates as many solutions and alternatives as possible within the real estate market.
The main BREEAM standards are the following:
- New Construction: for new non-residential buildings
- International New Construction: for new residential and non-residential buildings
- In-Use: to improve the performance of existing buildings
- Refurbishment: for renovation work
- Communities: for masterplan projects
Evaluation Process
In the evaluation process of new buildings, existing buildings, renovation projects or major masterplan projects, the objective is the monitoring of parameters related to sustainability, classified into a number of categories, which are as follows:
- Energy (energy monitoring, CO2 emissions, use of efficient transport systems, etc. …)
- Land Use & Ecology (site assessment, impact on the ecology of the existing site, etc. …)
- Water (water consumption control, efficient equipment, etc. …)
- Health & Wellbeing (related to visual, thermal and acoustic comfort, indoor air quality, etc. …)
- Pollution (monitoring the impact of refrigerants, light pollution at night, noise pollution, etc. …)
- Transport (accessibility of public transport, facilities for cyclists, etc. …)
- Materials (life cycle impact, durability and resilience, efficiency, etc. …)
- Waste (Management of construction waste, etc. …)
- Management (responsible construction practices, commissioning and delivery, etc…)
Levels and parameters
The levels achievable by a building are assigned on the basis of scores obtained from the assessment
of the parameters listed above. The scores are divided into: Outstanding , Execellent , Very good, Good, Pass and Unclassified.
Professionals involved
The certification process is followed by ad hoc, accredited and mandatory figures in order to obtain certification. These figures are the BREEAM Assessor and the BIU Auditor, specialized in every single rating process, whose task is to guide the client in the choice of the rating, verify the requirements and maintain contact with the project team for the collection of evidence. Beside these figures operates the BREEAM Accreditated Professional. The BREEAM AP is a BRE-accredited figure who supports the client and the project team in identifying appropriate strategies for obtaining the rating.