Sustainability has climbed the agenda of commercial property investors and developers, not just due to legislation but thanks to market pressure. Today’s occupants expect a high level of environmental performance from the buildings they inhabit, and rightly so.
Thankfully, there is a growing number of product and service providers that can help a contractor to raise the bar. Standards and external certifications such as BREEAM have become a vital tool to help a developer communicate the sustainable credentials of a project and final property.
Mayer Construction is working with consultancy Carbon Consult to ensure that its construction of an office at 159-163 Kings Cross Road is rated BREEAM ‘Excellent’. We spoke to Carbon Consult Director Fleur Baguley about the project.
Firstly, what is BREEAM?
Fleur: BREEAM is a holistic assessment scheme that looks at a range of sustainability features in a building. It aims to mitigate real estate’s impact on the environment and provide a way to communicate its environmental benefits, which will stimulate the construction of more sustainable buildings. The framework is constantly updated as legislation and practices evolve.
Once a building is assessed it is given a rating, from ‘Unclassified’ through ‘Pass’ ‘Good’ ‘Very Good’ through to ‘Excellent’ and ‘Outstanding’. Examples of building elements that are assessed include management of the project, energy, water use, materials, waste and pollution.
How is Carbon Consult working with Mayer Construction?
Fleur: We are working with Mayer Construction on a series of measures to design and build a property to the best sustainability standards. Our overall goal is to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating.
Specific project features include a passive design analysis and implementation that will reduce CO2 emissions by 20%, use of low carbon technology such as a photovoltaic array, a target to divert 80% of waste away from landfill and a reduction in water use by 42% through efficiency.
When did you start working on the project?
Fleur: We generally start working on projects at any stage, from initial conception and building design to execution. BREEAM works best where it can be embedded into the building design to allow the best possible performance outcomes. We are working closely with Mayer Construction to further the design in terms of BREEAM and embed the requirements within the construction phase.
How will the building’s occupier benefit from inhabiting a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ building?
Fleur: For a start, energy performance will be excellent so bills will be lower than in a less sustainable building. The building will have been designed from the beginning to be as efficient as possible.
Secondly, a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ building should create an environment that is pleasant to work within. ‘Sick building syndrome’ has been an issue documented and discussed in previous years and one which occupiers are increasingly conscious of. Design aspects of schemes such as BREEAM and WELL are increasingly used to ensure new assets can actively contribute to people’s health and wellbeing by incorporating natural light, fresh air and so on. Not only will staff be happier, but studies show that they will be more productive.
Have you witnessed an increased focus on sustainable construction?
Fleur: Yes, the construction industry and occupiers are all more aware of the importance of sustainability than, say, a decade ago. The 2016 Paris Agreement made it a legal obligation for investors to seek “responsible” investment opportunities hence sustainability has been high on the agenda.
BREEAM was actually established in 1990 and has had various iterations since then. It’s been really picking up speed in the last few years and has become a mandatory planning requirement for many councils.
Is there a similar sustainability standard in the residential sector?
Fleur: At the moment, there is no legal obligation regarding sustainability in the residential sector. However, this will change.
The UK is leading in the development of the Future Homes Standard, which will require new build homes to meet high energy performance standards. By 2025, gas boilers will be banned from new buildings so that will push new energy sources such as air and ground source heat pumps. The market is moving quickly, and it is exciting to see how quickly new measures will be adopted.