BRE is launching the updated BREEAM UK New Construction scheme this week, following a comprehensive industry consultation.
The revision of the sustainability assessment method for buildings addresses key industry challenges around the performance gap as well as lifecycle assessment.
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.
Among the updates and improvements for the scheme are:
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 help increase industry understanding and inform decision-making based on 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.
Commenting on the new scheme, 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.”
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