BREEAM Certification

(Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method)
Certificazione Breeam

BREEAM is an environmental sustainability assessment method, developed in 1988 by the Building Research Establishment (BRE).

It is one of the most relevant certifications at an international level, designed to monitor, evaluate and certify building sustainability.

To date, among the many existing green building, over 2,300,000 buildings around the world (89 countries) have undergone the BREEAM assessment.

In order to obtain the BREEAM certification it is required to adopt sustainable practices not only in the design and construction stage of the buildings, but also through the subsequent management and maintenance processes.

The BREEAM code, in fact, consists of a series of strategic principles and requirements that define an integrated approach for the design, construction, management, evaluation and certification of the different factors that affect the environmental, social and economic impact throughout the life cycle of the building in question.

The BREEAM method can be applied to certify new buildings and renovation projects. Its highly flexibility feature aims to make its certification standards applicable to virtually any building and location and on different scales.

Within ESA engineering’s Energy, Research & Development department, the BREEAM Accredited Professionals, recognised for their knowledge of the BREEAM rating, are working to guide architects and engineers in the design and construction stage of buildings, directing them towards efficient construction solutions that are respectful of the environment and of people’s health.

BREEAM Standards

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 renovations
  • Communities: for masterplan projects
BREEAM sostenibilità

In the assessment process of new buildings, existing buildings, renovation projects or large masterplan projects, the BREEAM voluntary sustainability assessment method monitors sustainable parameters by grouping them into a series of categories , which include the most influential factors in terms of low impact design and biodiversity protection.

The reference categories for the BREEAM certification are:

  • Energy(monitoring energy, CO2 emissions, use of efficient transport systems, etc.…)
  • Land use and ecology (site assessment, impact on the ecology of the existing site, etc…)
  • Water(inspection of water consumption, efficient equipment etc.)
  • Health and wellbeing (relating to visual, thermal and acoustic comfort, indoor air quality, etc..)
  • Pollution(monitoring the impact of refrigerants, light pollution, noise pollution, etc.…)
  • Transport (accessibility of public transport, facilities for cyclists, etc..)
  • Materials(impact of the life cycle, durability and resilience, efficiency, etc…)
  • Waste (Construction waste management, etc…)
  • Management(responsible construction practices, commissioning and delivery, etc…)

The evaluation parameters of the 2014 version of BREEAM UK New Construction are as follows:

Unclassified (<30%), Pass (>30%), Good (>45%), Very Good (>55%), Excellent (>70%) and Outstanding (>85%).

The certification process consists of two stages: a design stage evaluation, which results in an intermediate certificate and an evaluation at the end of the construction, resulting in the issue of a final certificate and an additional score.

Consultancies for BREEAM Certifications

At ESA engineering we believe that BREEAM sustainability certification can add relevant sustainability elements into the life cycle of a building. In fact, thanks to an integrated design policy, the sustainable choice of construction materials and the construction of efficient systems, it is possible to achieve significant environmental and economic advantages. We are proud of the excellent results achieved in the sustainability related areas required by the BREEAM certification by some of our projects (e.g. BREEAM certification for OVS Flagship Store).

We can also support you in the certification process of your project.