BREEAM Certification Services
Environmental Technology SRL is the first company in Romania to offer a full Green Building certification service. BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) is the leading and most widely used environmental assessment method for buildings in the world. It sets the standard for best practice in sustainable design and has become the main method for describing a building's environmental performance. BREEAM is the leading environmental assessment method for buildings, with over 110,000 buildings certified and over 500,000 registered for certification. Environmental Technology SRL will help you through the whole of the green accreditation process.
BREEAM provides clients, developers, and designers with
- market recognition for low environmental impact buildings
- assurance that best environmental practice is incorporated into a building
- inspiration to find innovative solutions that minimise environmental impact
- a tool to help reduce running costs
- a tool to improve working and living environments
- a standard that demonstrates environmental objectives
BREEAM addresses wide-ranging environmental and sustainability issues and enables developers and designers to prove the environmental credentials of their buildings. It:
- uses a straightforward scoring system that is based on research
- has a positive influence on the design, construction and management of buildings
- sets and maintains technical standard with rigorous quality control
There are two routes for certification in Romania:
- BREEAM International for Offices, Industrial, and Retail developments
- BREEAM Bespoke for less common building types.
Within each category there are different assessments that can be carried out to suit each development.
Design Stage
The Design Stage assessment and BREEAM Certification analyses the performance of the building at the design stage, usually prior to the beginning of operations on site. Certification at this stage does not represent the building’s final ‘as built’ BREEAM performance. To complete a formal assessment at this stage the design must be advanced to the point where the relevant information is available to enable Environmental Technology SRL to model the building’s performance.
Post-Construction Stage
The Post Construction Stage assessment and BREEAM Certification represents the final ‘as built’ performance of the building. A Post Construction Stage assessment is carried out after practical completion of the building works but before handover and occupation of the building. There are two approaches to assessment at the post-construction stage:
- A post-construction review of a design-stage assessment
- A post-construction assessment
Where a formal Design Stage assessment has not been carried out Environmental Technology SRL can still carry out a full Post Construction Assessment.
The type of building projects that can be assessed using BREEAM include
- Whole new buildings
- Major refurbishments of existing buildings
- New extensions to existing buildings
- A combination of new-build and existing building refurbishment
- New build or refurbishments which are part of a larger mixed use building
- Existing building fit-out
If an existing building undergoes a major refurbishment we can still carry out a BREEAM assessment. A major refurbishment project is where there are new:
- Thermal elements include walls, roofs and floors.
- Fittings include windows (incl. Roof-lights), entrance doors
- Building services include lighting, heating and mechanical ventilation/cooling
BREEAM can be used to assess the fit out of an existing building. Environmental Technology SRL can carry out an assessment on the first fit-out of the shell of a new building or the re-fit of an existing building. A building fit-out can be certified at the design stage, based on the fit-out design and specification or post fit-out based on an assessment of the actual finished, fitted-out building. The methodology for a fit-out assessment includes the same core issues as any BREEAM assessment. This approach serves to highlight the intrinsic environmental performance of the existing building and recognise the opportunity that a fit-out presents to improve the environmental performance of an existing building. If a building is to undergo a first fit-out and the shell of the building has been BREEAM assessed then a ‘Two stage approach’ can be adopted.
Shell and Core Buildings
The assessment of a speculative building against the BREEAM requirements is straightforward and can be easily carried out by Environmental Technology SRL. Several BREEAM issues and their requirements are tailored for buildings that are to be fitted out later. It may not be possible to assess full compliance with some BREEAM issues, as fit-out decisions relating to certain aspects of the building will be made by the future tenant. However there is flexibility in the BREEAM system so that it can be applied to speculative buildings.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us
