Tuesday, 28 September 2010
BREEAM - how does your office rate?
Want to know how your office can get BREEAM certified? Find out more with this easy-to-follow guide to the ratings system
BREEAM stands for the Building Research Establishment’s Environmental Assessment Method. It’s a bit of a mouthful, but those few letters are the making of a sustainable office! If you are wanting to move office and need to starting drawing up plans for your office fit-out, then discovering the BREEAM system can offer some guidelines to making your office more efficient and enable you to contribute positively to the overall life of the building. Not only will a BREEAM rating reflect favourably on your company or brand but it will also help to make UK office spaces more environmentally friendly.
The system is measured according to four ratings – Excellent, Very Good, Good and Pass. The easiest way to start checking off boxes in your bid to make a sustainable office is to implement the recommendations for a greener office from the outset and build your design around them. However, it is still possible to create a more environmentally sound office space without starting from the ground up. Assessors and fit-out companies will be able to assist you in making these decisions based upon the capital cost that each would incur.
Considerations that assessors make when deciding upon a BREEAM rating can include any number of different factors, from efficiency-boosted water systems, natural lighting adaptations, leak detection and low energy rated material use within the office itself to providing CO2 emission reduction from amenities such as convenient cycling facilities. Ultimately, thoughtful building management and creative use of systems and resources are key to making your office a green haven.
