About BREEAM buildings

The BREEAM assessment process was created in 1990 with the first two versions covering offices and homes. Versions are updated regularly in line with UK Building Regulations and different building versions have been created since its launch to assess various building types.

These versions essentially look at the same broad range of environmental impacts:

• Management
• Health and Wellbeing
• Energy
• Transport
• Water
• Material and Waste
• Landuse and Ecology
• Pollution

Credits are awarded in each of the above areas according to performance. A set of environmental weightings then enables the credits to be added together to produce a single overall score. The building is then rated on a scale of:

PASS, GOOD, VERY GOOD, EXCELLENT or OUTSTANDING

and a certificate awarded to the development.

Why is management important?

Good building management is crucial to the building's performance as it has an impact throughout the building's life e.g. from the commissioning stages through to maintenance, monitoring and setting targets for improvements.

BREEAM encourages effective building operation by requiring the following:

• Best practice commissioning (inc. seasonal commissioning)
• Policies implemented at top level management
• Effective, used and maintained operating manuals
• Operational Environmental Management system
  

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Why is health and well being important?

On average we spend 90% of our time in buildings, therefore the internal environment of the buildings we live, work and play in has proved to be a major contributor to our quality of life.

In this section BREEAM awards credits where the environment is designed to maximise occupant control; for example in the following areas:

• Heating
• Lighting
• Air quality
• Noise

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Why is energy important?

The CO₂ emitted from the operation of buildings in the UK accounts for over 50% of the total UK CO₂ emissions. If you include CO₂ from manufacturing, transportation of construction materials and transport of people (usually to and from buildings) this figure increases to 75% of the total UK CO₂ emissions.

This section of BREEAM focuses on reducing CO₂ emissions from building operations.

Issues considered within this area are:

• CO₂ emmisions
• Low energy lights
• Metering
• 'A' rated white goods
• Energy management

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Why is transport important?

This section works in conjunction with the Energy section to minimise CO₂ emissions from transport to and from a building.

In this area BREEAM considers:

• The location of the development
• Parking & cyclist facilities
• Access to public transport and local amenities
• Implementation of travel plans

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Why is water important?

Water shortages are becoming increasingly more common. We need to use what we have sparingly. Designers/clients can influence new building occupiers to do this.

BREEAM credits are awarded where the following measures are in place:

• Water efficient appliances (e.g. low flush toilets)
• Water metering
• Leak detection systems
• Water butts

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Why are materials and waste important?

When considering materials used in the construction industry it is important not only to consider the raw materials used but also the embodied energy used to create each element in a building.

BREEAM does this by rewarding:

• Materials with a low embodied energy i.e. 'A' rated in the Green Guide to Specification
• Buildings where part or all of an existing building is being re-used (i.e. refurbishment projects)
• Responsibly resourced materials
• Use of recycled materials

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Why is land use and ecology important?

From 1990-1998 approximately 54,000Ha of undeveloped land was changed to developed land. This is equivalent to 13,300 football pitches! The projected change from rural to urban uses in England between 1998-2016 is a further 110,000Ha.

Think carefully about the location you are building on:

• Is it brownfield or are you rededicating a contaminated site?
• Can you make any ecological enhancements?
• Are you protecting or endangering existing ecological features?
• Are you making the best use of your building footprint?

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Why is pollution important?

There are a number of environmental effects of pollution ranging from acid rain, depletion of the ozone, to waste water flooding. These effects are addressed within the BREEAM pollution section.

The BREEAM pollution section encourages:

• Refrigerants and insulation with a low global warming potential
• Space heating with minimum Nox emissions
• Building in a low flood risk area and attenuation of surface water run off
• Good practice in terms of oil interceptors/filtration in car parks and other risk areas.

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