8 ROUGH GUIDE

April 26 2008

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Green rooms
BREEAM is building a reputation in sustainable construction, but what exactly is it?
What is BREEAM?
BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method), which was originally created in 1990, is a set of assessment methods and tools designed to help construction professionals understand and mitigate the environmental impacts of the developments they design and build. The percentage of credits achieved under each category is then calculated and environmental weightings are applied to produce an overall score for the building. The overall score is then translated into a BREEAM rating of Pass, Good, Very Good, Excellent, and the recently introduced Outstanding. The BREEAM rating achieved is presented on the BREEAM Certicate.

What types of BREEAM assessment are there?

There are two types of BREEAM assessment. Design and procurement preferably conducted during the early stages of the design process. Post construction review generally carried out a year after the completion of the project. It is used to check that the items specied within the design and procurement assessment were implemented during construction. Only trained professionals under licence to the BRE can perform BREEAM assessments. Licensed organisations operate under a strict quality assurance procedure and are audited by the BRE.

How much does it cost?

According to consulting engineer Faber Maunsell, the cost depends on the scheme used, the type of service required, and the size and complexity of the development. However, it reckons an average assessment will cost 2,000 to 4,000.

What are the advantages of BREEAM?

The main benets for occupiers are: Higher operational savings and lower operating costs. Lower legal and insurance costs. Better corporate image. The main benets for contractors and designers are: Better knowledge of the buildings performance. Enhanced image as a forward-thinking practitioner. The main benets for investors and developers are: Better marketability. Increased exibility. Good return on investment.

How does BREEAM work?

BREEAM is used to assess the performance of buildings in the following areas: Management: overall management policy, commissioning site management and procedural issues. Energy use: operational energy and CO2 issues. Indoor and external issues affecting health and wellbeing. Pollution: air and water pollution issues. Transport: transport-related CO2 and location-related factors. Land use in terms of greeneld and browneld sites. Ecology: ecological value conservation and enhancement of the site. Materials: environmental implication of building materials, including life-cycle impacts. Water: consumption and water efciency. For each of these categories, the building is assessed against performance criteria set by BRE and awarded credits based on the level of performance.

What are its limitations?

It deals only with specic categories of buildings. The results of an assessment can be difcult to communicate in a meaningful way. Although BREEAM provides guidelines on what sustainable measures can be implemented, it does not offer advice on how energy-saving measures can be achieved.

water savings, energy efciency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. Successful buildings receive a silver, gold or platinum rating. GBTool (Green building tool) can handle both new building and renovation projects within the three types of buildings it assesses: multi-unit residential, ofce and school. The process is managed by iiSBE, the International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment. It provides approximate assessments of a range of potential environmental performance parameters, all related to performance benchmarks that are relevant to the region and building occupancy. Scores are assigned in a range of -2 to +5. Green Star is an Australian voluntary environmental rating scheme that evaluates the environmental design and achievements of buildings. It covers nine categories that assess the environmental impact that is a direct consequence of a projects site selection, design, construction and maintenance. The nine categories are management; indoor environment quality; energy; transport; water; materials; land use and ecology; emissions, and innovation. These categories are divided into credits, each of which addresses an initiative that improves or has the potential to improve environmental performance. Points are awarded in each credit for actions that demonstrate that the project has met the overall objectives of Green Star. The Green Globes system was introduced in the US in 2004. It was adapted from a Canadian protocol of the same name, and is one of only two green building rating systems recommended by the Canadian government. It is an online building and management audit that helps property owners and managers to benchmark the energy and environmental performance of their buildings against best practices in areas such as energy, water, waste management, hazardous materials, and indoor environment. Using a condential questionnaire, it generates an online report. The Comprehensive Assessment System for Building Environmental Efciency (CASBEE) focuses on issues such as earthquake resistance, which are of particular importance in Japan, its country of origin.

What competition does it have?

Although many green building ratings systems exist internationally, there are six principal ones including BREEAM. The others are: The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, developed by the US Green Building Council, provides standards for environmentally sustainable construction. Since its inception in 1998, LEED has grown to encompass more than 14,000 projects in 50 US states and 30 countries covering 1.062 billion sq ft of development area. LEED assesses ve key areas: sustainable site development,

Where can I nd out more?

BREAAM - www.breeam.org LEED - www.usgbc.org GBTool - www.greenbuilding.ca/gbc2k/gbtool/gbtool-main. htm Green Star - www.gbca.org.au Green Globes - www.greenglobes.com CASBEE - www.ibec.or.jp/CASBEE

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