If you have looked at a new office, a block of flats or a student building recently, you may have seen a line in the brochure about its BREEAM rating. It is usually tucked in beside the floor plans and the photos of the gym. Most people skim past it. That is a shame, because it can tell you quite a lot about the building you are about to spend your days in.
This guide explains what BREEAM is, what the ratings mean and what questions you might ask, whether you are choosing a new workplace or a new home.
What BREEAM actually is
BREEAM stands for Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method. It is a way of measuring how well a building performs in terms of its impact on the environment and on the people who use it. It was first developed in the UK and is now used in many countries around the world.
The idea is simple. Rather than relying on a developer simply saying their building is green, an independent assessor checks the design and construction against a long list of standards. The building earns credits for each area where it meets those standards. The credits are added up and turned into a score, and the score leads to a rating.
BREEAM can be applied to many kinds of buildings, including offices, shops, schools, homes, hospitals and industrial units. There are also versions for refurbishing existing buildings and for buildings that are already in use.
A certified building will have one of these ratings, from lowest to highest:
– Pass
– Good
– Very Good
– Excellent
– Outstanding
There is also an unclassified result for buildings that do not reach the minimum score, but you would rarely see that advertised.
Each step up means the building has scored more credits across the assessment. Outstanding is the top rating and is achieved by a relatively small share of buildings. Many local councils and large organisations ask for at least Very Good or Excellent on new projects, so you will see those two ratings quite often.
A rating is not a guarantee that everything about a building is perfect. It is a sign that the people behind it took certain issues seriously and had their work checked.
How a project gets its rating
BREEAM works best when it is planned from the very start of a project. Decisions about orientation, windows, insulation and heating are much easier to get right on paper than to change once the building is going up.
Most developers bring in a specialist early on to guide the design team, keep track of evidence and work towards the target rating. A breeam consultant can help a client set a realistic target, spot which credits are achievable on that particular site and make sure the right information is gathered along the way. The formal assessment is then carried out by a licensed assessor, and the certificate is issued once the evidence has been checked.
There are usually two main stages. A design stage assessment looks at the plans and specifications before construction. A post construction assessment checks that what was built matches what was promised. The second stage is worth knowing about, because it means the rating reflects the finished building rather than just good intentions.
What the assessment looks at
This is where BREEAM becomes useful to a lay reader. The score is built from several categories, and many of them affect your daily life far more than you might expect.
Energy. How efficiently the building uses energy for heating, cooling, lighting and hot water. In a flat this can affect your bills. In an office it affects how comfortable the space feels across the seasons.
Health and wellbeing. This covers things like daylight, views out, air quality, noise, comfortable temperatures and good lighting. These are the things that decide whether a place feels pleasant to be in all day.
Water. How much water the building uses, through things like efficient taps, toilets and leak detection.
Materials. Where the materials came from, whether they were responsibly sourced and how long they are likely to last.
Transport. How easy it is to reach the building without a car, with credits for cycle storage, showers and links to public transport.
Waste. How waste was handled during construction and whether there is proper space for recycling once people move in.
Land use and ecology. How the project affects the local wildlife and green space, and whether it adds planting or habitats.
Pollution. Issues such as light pollution at night, flood risk and the impact of refrigerants used in cooling systems.
Management. How well the project was planned and handed over, including whether the people who run the building understand how to operate it properly.
There is also room for extra credits for innovation, where a project goes beyond the normal standards.
What to ask as a tenant or buyer
If you are looking at a new workplace or a new apartment building with a BREEAM rating, a few simple questions can tell you more.
1. Which rating, and at which stage? A design stage rating is a promise. A post construction rating confirms the building was finished to that standard.
2. Which version of BREEAM was used? The scheme has been updated over the years, so a rating under a newer version reflects more recent standards.
3. Where did it score well? Ask whether the building scored strongly on energy, daylight or air quality. These affect comfort and running costs more directly than some other categories.
4. How is the building run day to day? A building can be well designed and then poorly managed. Ask whether there is a plan for maintaining heating, ventilation and recycling facilities.
5. What is nearby? Transport credits can point you towards cycle storage, showers and good public transport links.
For flats, it is also worth knowing that homes in the UK are often assessed in other ways too, such as through Energy Performance Certificates. A BREEAM rating can sit alongside these and give a wider picture.
Conclusion
A higher rating will not suit every person or every budget. But it does give you a useful shortcut. It suggests that someone has thought about light, air, warmth, water and how you will get there each day. Those are the things that make a building feel good to live or work in, long after the brochure is forgotten.
A BREEAM rating is more than a badge on a marketing page. It is a summary of how a building was designed and built to treat both the planet and its occupants. Once you know what the levels mean and what the categories cover, you can read that line in the brochure with fresh eyes and ask better questions before you sign anything.
