BREEAM: The importance of attaining excellence

With sustainability and energy efficiency a crucial part of building design and construction, especially with the UK’s 2050 net zero target rapidly approaching, architects and Architectural Technologists across the UK are keen to achieve a Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) ‘Excellent’ rating. Doing so demonstrates a commitment to minimising environmental impact and incorporating innovative solutions for long-term sustainability. But how important is it to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating, and how can designers best approach doing so?

Internationally recognised, the BREEAM certification was designed and developed to drive wellbeing and sustainability across the built environment through a stringent and robust framework that aids the verification and certification of building stock in the UK and across the world. The UK’s Building Research Establishment launched BREEAM in 1990 to set standards that help improve building performance at every stage of the design and construction process – from design and construction through to use and refurbishment.

In addition to rewarding and recognising buildings with a focus on environmentally friendly principles, this influential certification also aimed to improve sustainability in those buildings and the built environment as a whole. As a result, BREEAM is the most common building certification in the UK. It is also applied in more than 85 other countries. In fact, it has been used to certify more than 590,000 assessments to date, including buildings at all stages of their life cycles.

Its popularity is hardly a surprise. While securing BREEAM certification involves various upfront costs, such as certification fees and the appointment of an assessor, a building that achieves an ‘Excellent’ rating will likely be substantially cheaper to operate than one without certification.

With building owners and facility managers keen to lower operational costs, sustainable design features, such as water conservation and energy efficiency, are becoming increasingly popular. Consequently, building designers will need to incorporate these into the designs of buildings to ensure enhanced performance and adherence to the BREEAM standards.

Additionally, meeting these standards and attaining an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating can help architects and building owners mitigate risks often associated with changing environmental regulations, and demonstrate a commitment to environmental responsibility. The environmental performance achieved through the installation of smarter heating systems, lower water consumption, and improved energy efficiency, can also help to reduce maintenance and replacement costs.

Designing and building a smarter building that incorporates sustainable materials and systems, such as energy monitoring systems and LED lighting, will provide a healthier and more comfortable building for users. The improved acoustic and thermal performance created by regulating temperature, humidity, and noise levels will also help increase productivity and enhance wellbeing for anyone in the building. Additionally, the better thermal and acoustic performance could see the building consuming less energy, reducing the building owner’s carbon footprint and cutting energy expenditure substantially.

The design and construction of a sustainable building – and subsequent attainment of an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating – is also a highly effective way of attracting future purchasers and occupiers. The improved occupant health and wellbeing, biodiversity enhancements, reduction in water consumption, sustainable procurement, and energy usage developments will go a long way towards attracting consumers that value environmentally-conscious building design – especially projects that have obtained independent and internationally recognised benchmarks, such as BREEAM.

Of course, it’s easy to identify the benefits of attaining an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating, but how exactly can this be done?

The journey towards achieving an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating begins unsurprisingly with early planning and design. Integrating sustainability considerations can enable the seamless incorporation and identification of environmentally friendly materials and systems into the project. In fact, early planning during the design stage enables architects and designers to explore and implement innovative solutions that align with BREEAM criteria, and consider the optimal choice of materials, site selection and orientation.

Taking such a proactive approach means the key sustainable principles are intrinsic to the building, from conception through to completion and building use. Addressing sustainability concerns early means those involved in the process can optimise design choices and minimise the need for potentially costly retrofitting in the future.

With achieving sustainability and obtaining an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating being fundamentally linked to energy-efficient building design, the implementation of innovative and low-carbon solutions to reduce energy consumption, minimise the environmental impact, and enhance operational efficiency is crucial. Utilising energy-efficient design elements, such as high-performance insulation and glazing, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, and optimised building orientation to maximise natural light, will contribute to reduced carbon emissions and lower energy expenditure.

With occupant health and wellbeing increasingly gaining significance in building design, promoting this through the improvement of natural light, enhancing access to outdoor spaces, and implementing ergonomic design principles can make a huge difference to the environmental performance of the building. Considering these important aspects when designing and building residential and commercial properties across the UK will grant designers a greater opportunity to obtain an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating.

The specification and use of sustainable materials, implementation of construction waste management plans, and reduction of waste through reuse and recycling can all have a significant impact on a building’s energy performance and, subsequently, its BREEAM rating.

In fact, sustainable materials often have lower embodied carbon, requiring less energy to produce and transport. They are also frequently derived from renewable sources and designed with durability in mind, reducing the need for frequent replacements. Of course, it’s worth noting that the methods required to improve a building’s BREEAM rating will vary depending on the location, building type, and other factors. So, seeking advice and guidance from experienced experts is absolutely essential.

Engaging with sustainability consultants, especially ones that specialise in enhancing energy efficiency and reducing consumption, will substantially improve a building’s chances of gaining an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM certification.

Experienced professionals can assist property designers, and building owners in identifying opportunities for improvement and recommend sustainable design strategies. This will optimise the building’s environmental performance and ensure the best chance of obtaining BREEAM compliance.

With sustainability becoming a crucial aspect of building design, gaining BREEAM certification and demonstrating a commitment towards reducing carbon emissions and providing a more comfortable and healthier environment for occupants has never been more important for Architectural Technologists.

This article appears in the AT Journal issue 154, summer 2025 as "BREEAM: The importance of attaining excellence" written by Ellen Huelin, Sustainability Director, Whitecode Consulting, images by Jack Hobhouse via Hawkins\Brown.

--CIAT