Overwhelmed by BREEAM's many credits?

Overwhelmed by BREEAM's many credits? Here is how you can bring your strategy back into focus 🧐

In yesterday's post, I told you that BREEAM in itself is not a strategy. But if you already have a great strategy, how can you make it shine through that sea of credits?

Having worked on BREEAM-targeted projects for over a decade, I really appreciate its wide spectrum of topics from Energy and Health all the way to Materials, Ecology and Pollution (and many more). So don't get me wrong, it is a good thing that projects that want to do well must score on all fronts.

But in this strength also lies a big challenge: It can be distracting!

If you want your project to have a unique sustainability identity, BREEAM’s wide scope can sometimes dilute your primary focus.

The Solution?
🌟 Craft a narrative by linking Key Credits, bringing your strategy forward

Let me give you some examples (based on BREEAM-NL):
🎯 Do you have a net-zero strategy? Don’t stop at operational energy reduction (ENE 01). Do go all in here with a 100% reduction but also think about the embodied energy of materials (MAT 01). String these two together in one whole life carbon narrative.

🎯 Is future proofing and resilience your focus? Hidden in the waste credits find WST 05 which is all about adaptation to climate change. It really makes you think about solutions for climate risks and it strings well together with other credits that may or may not appear to you as related to climate adaptation - thermal comfort HEA 04, passive design ENE 04, water use WAT 01, to name a few. And of course, preventing rainwater run-off (POL 03) and "Make Your Building a Sponge!" (see one my last posts)

🎯 Want to showcase your circular ambition? Again, take MAT 01 as starting point, but this time go all in with the extra points on that one. And do take along the building installations, too. The industry is way behind with creating EPD’s but somebody’s got to ask for it!
Proofing demountability (MAT 07) might be labour intensive, but it will make sure that circularity is thought through in the detail. because what good is a reusable element if you can’t disassemble it (and make sure to document that in your material passport).

🎯 Want to use biophilia to connect occupants to nature? It isn’t just about trees. Make it a holistic approach. Obviously start with HEA 10, specific for Biophilic design, but give the green meaning on all levels. Give it proper packages and soak up that massive rain (POL 03), do your bit to increase biodiversity with the ecology credits (LE 04 and 05), think about views from the inside (HEA 01). And do make it scientific to prove that you are using the right green species and placement for temperature and pollution control by simulating the effects with ENVI-met.

I ran out of characters so these are just some examples... Have you thought of using BREEAM like that before? Let me know your examples in the comments below...

#sustainablearchitecture #greenbuilding #realestate