BREEAM
The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) is a tool that allows designers of new buildings to limit the impact of a building on the environment and create safe and healthy spaces for the end users. It provides a framework, based on scientific research into building methods, to deliver sustainable development.
This holistic method of assessing the environmental performance of a building is designed to ensure that best environmental practice is designed into a building, going beyond current building regulations. The requirement to achieve a BREEAM rating is often included in the Core Strategies of Local Planning Authorities and is therefore listed as a planning condition to be discharged before handover and occupation.
The building is assessed under the following categories: Management, Health & Wellbeing, Energy, Transport, Water, Materials, Waste, Land Use & Ecology and Pollution. Depending on the desired BREEAM Level (Pass, Good, Very Good, Excellent, Outstanding) , many of these sections require the attainment of minimum standards, ensuring compliance with key BREEAM issues and that comparability exists across schemes, building types and countries.
Like the Code For Sustainable Homes, BREEAM Assessments are comprised of a 2 stage process:
- Design Stage, where the BREEAM strategy is developed and evidence and developer commitments are gathered
- Post Construction Stage, where the strategy set at the Design Stage is evidenced as built, or amended and reassessed to achieve the requisite level.
We can also produce BREEAM Pre-Assessments for planning application purposes or to evaluate the project at the very beginning in order to evaluate to baseline of your standard construction strategy. We're happy to talk through your project if you contact us on 01423 506070 or info@awardenergy.co.uk
