BREEAM Construction, characteristics of this ecological certificate

One of the undoubtedly most effective ways to know that a building will be ecological and that it will really comply with important sustainability measures is to see if it has some form of international recognition certification. These specify whether they are sustainable houses, and among the most well-known is the BREEAM construction certificate. It is one of the most important for several reasons, such as its good adaptation to various countries and in local languages.

One of the important qualities of this label is that, in addition to being very technical, it is more transparent than others. It is not very new; it has almost three decades of experience in England and is based on technical excellence and the modernization of buildings to assume sustainable functions.

Another of the most important features of the BREEAM construction label is that it is a certificate fully adapted to the language, regulations, and construction practices of the country where it is located. For example, in Spain, it is fully functional in our language. Partly because of this, it is easy to apply, and it does not require specialized technicians. It will be the BREEAM personnel who certify the installation to grant the label to those who have followed their guidelines.

This makes it a quite interesting option for those who want to apply the regulations -which are also very clear to understand- in their own way.

Known by the acronym BREEAM -which serves for the definition in English of Building Research Establishment’s Environmental Assessment Method-, this label is an international method developed by the BRE Global organization, established in the United Kingdom. In coincidence with other ecological certificates, BREEAM measures the degree of environmental sustainability in buildings. Nowadays, it is used for all types of constructions, although in the 90s, it was only used for residential houses.

One of the simplest ways to understand the BREEAM construction certificate is that it operates through a points system, very easy to understand and also transparent, which evaluates the sustainable characteristics in various phases of construction. From design and conditioning to restoration and other factors are taken into account. For buildings, ten categories are measured to evaluate their sustainability:

1. Energy management.
2. Health and wellbeing for its inhabitants.
3. Energy requirements.
4. Transport.
5. Water and supply.
6. Materials used.
7. Waste produced.
8. Land use.
9. Building ecology.
10. Pollution and innovation.

The BREEAM construction certificate classifies buildings through a credit system, which if achieved grants the certification label. And they always aim to benefit constructions that prioritize the welfare and comfort of the inhabitants, in addition to buildings that are environmentally friendly.

The BREEAM team will have the final task of certifying the work done and may grant the label with five ratings:

• Approved.
• Good.
• Very good.
• Excellent.
• Exceptional.

The fifth and most exquisite rating, that of exceptional, is reserved for very few buildings.

Certification process as BREEAM construction

When the promoter or builder of a building requests access to obtain the BREAM certificate, they must contact an advisor, although this will incur an extra cost. This is necessary to implement a strategy to obtain the label, since BREEAM does not ensure the construction processes, but rather reviews the final result.

The person designated for the entire process must take into account everything that can be done in the building and construction to obtain the certificate. In addition, a report must be filled out to be taken to BREEAM when the time comes for certificate management. All this entails a cost: on one hand, the advisor's fee must be paid if hired, then there are certification fees. In addition to this, there is the cost of improving the building and implementing ecological measures to achieve the BREEAM label.

Globally, the BREEAM construction certification has a position of great reputation. After starting in England, the label has become important in about fifty countries around all the continents of the world. In Spain, all the documentation is in our language.

The main advantage of this certification is that, like other important ones such as Passivhaus for passive houses, it is an action to contribute to promoting a much more sustainable and environmentally friendly construction.

Another very important aspect is that, additionally, the energy efficiency in buildings and sustainable construction has numerous benefits for all the inhabitants of the building in question. For health, as well as for comfort and wellbeing, a building that has the BREEAM construction certificate will make it clear that it is beneficial for us and also for the environment.