BREEAM UK New Construction scheme launch
See also: BREEAM UK New Construction (NC) 2018.
In March 2018, the updated BREEAM UK New Construction scheme went live, following BREEAM’s most comprehensive industry consultation to date.
The revision of the world-leading sustainability assessment method for real estate addresses key industry challenges around the performance gap as well as lifecycle assessment, offering benefits for developers, investors and users. It also adopts fresh approaches to sustainable travel and ecology to reflect evolving best practice.
BRE worked with industry to align the updated scheme to today’s sustainable development priorities. The learning from that collaboration has driven a string of improvements, the most important being:
- Performance gap: The energy category now addresses one of the industry’s most pressing concerns, through potential action at design and occupation phases. It rewards detailed energy modelling in design, and allows for this to be reviewed as part of its new post-occupancy stage. This enables modelled and actual building performance to be compared easily.
- Lifecycle assessment: The materials category now encourages whole building lifecycle assessment, in a move designed to increase industry understanding and inform decision-making based on the true impact of materials specified.
- Ecology: New criteria for this category promote the integration of holistic, best-practice ecology approaches across the lifecycle of the building. These criteria are based on BREEAM’s Strategic Ecology Framework, a pioneering methodology linking ecology with all aspects of development.
- Travel: The transport criteria have been restructured to focus on rewarding positive action, rather than proximity to existing services.
Jane Wakiwaka, Sustainability Manager for The Crown Estate, said:
“BREEAM schemes provide our developments with a measurable and comparable benchmark against which to assess and improve environmental performance. We support the launch of the 2018 New Construction scheme as a means of driving the industry forward, as well as challenging design and construction teams to improve and innovate in the performance of the built environment.”
Alexandra Vella, Principal Engineer at Hoare Lea, said:
“BREEAM UK New Construction 2018 has adapted its method in the way energy use is predicted and the associated rewards gained. Verifying actual energy usage and using these figures when designing will better equip designers to accurately predict building needs and avoid oversizing services. Realistic records of energy use and carbon emissions could then be used to update guidelines in this area.”
The arrival of BREEAM UK New Construction marks the latest stage in the continuing development of the sustainability assessment method, which is now applied in 77 countries and has more than 2.2 million buildings registered under its schemes.
This article was originally published here by BRE Buzz on 5 March 2018. It was written by Simon Guy.
--BRE Buzz
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
HSE simplified advice for installers of stone worktops
After company fined for repeatedly failing to protect workers.
Co-located with 10th year of UK Construction Week.
How orchards can influence planning and development.
Time for knapping, no time for napping
Decorative split stone square patterns in facades.
A practical guide to the use of flint in design and architecture.
Designing for neurodiversity: driving change for the better
Accessible inclusive design translated into reality.
RIBA detailed response to Grenfell Inquiry Phase 2 report
Briefing notes following its initial 4 September response.
Approved Document B: Fire Safety from March
Current and future changes with historical documentation.
A New Year, a new look for BSRIA
As phase 1 of the BSRIA Living Laboratory is completed.
A must-attend event for the architecture industry.
Caroline Gumble to step down as CIOB CEO in 2025
After transformative tenure take on a leadership role within the engineering sector.
RIDDOR and the provisional statistics for 2023 / 2024
Work related deaths; over 50 percent from construction and 50 percent recorded as fall from height.
Solar PV company fined for health and safety failure
Work at height not properly planned and failure to take suitable steps to prevent a fall.
The term value when assessing the viability of developments
Consultation on the compulsory purchase process, compensation reforms and potential removal of hope value.
Trees are part of the history of how places have developed.