BREEAM Certification
Contact our expertsComprehensive BREEAM assessment and certification across new construction, refurbishment, in-use and community projects, helping buildings demonstrate sustainability throughout their entire lifecycle.
The BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) certification scheme is the leading internationally recognised methodology for assessing the environmental performance of buildings – and one we work with on a daily basis at Grinity.
BREEAM sets standards for best practice in sustainable design, construction and operation, and has become one of the most comprehensive and widely respected benchmarks for measuring building environmental performance. We help developers, designers and asset managers demonstrate the environmental credentials of their buildings to clients, occupiers and other stakeholders.
This assessment methodology is based on established performance benchmarks derived from reference standards, which we use to evaluate the design, construction, refurbishment and operation of your building. The criteria applied span a broad range of categories, including energy and water consumption, indoor environmental quality (health and wellbeing), pollution, transport, materials, waste, ecological impact and management processes.
Key Benefits of BREEAM Certification
- Enhancement of asset market value
- Supporting routes towards net-zero building objectives
- CO₂ footprint evaluation
- Mitigation of adverse environmental impacts
- Contribution to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals
- Reduction of buildings' operational costs
- Positive impact on communities and society
- A single, comprehensive assessment covering multiple sustainability aspects
- Independent evaluation by a qualified third party
The BREEAM Certification Process
Early engagement with the BREEAM process is critical for your project. We recommend commencing certification at concept design stage – this enables the project team to embed sustainability measures efficiently, optimise credit achievement across categories, and avoid revisions of previously approved design.
Delayed initiation typically results in reduced score potential and increased expenditure due to late design changes, additional studies, or retrofitted technical solutions. By engaging early and proactively, we help you minimise risk, protect project economics, and maximise the final rating outcome.
A BREEAM Assessor is an independent, licensed and qualified specialist responsible for the formal evaluation of documentation, verification of its compliance with the technical manual, and submission of the assessment to BRE for Quality Assurance and certification.
A BREEAM Accredited Professional (AP) acts as a strategic sustainability adviser to the whole project team – client, architect, designers, specialists and contractors – supporting the integration of certification requirements into the design from the earliest project stages.
Grinity has several licensed BREEAM Assessors and BREEAM APs who guide you through the certification process effectively and with maximum confidence, supported by many years of experience across a wide range of projects. Drawing on in-depth knowledge of the BREEAM scheme requirements, our specialists coordinate the assessment, verify compliance, manage the evidential process and liaise with the certification body to ensure a smooth pathway from registration to final certification. We also support your project team in evaluating alternative strategies to achieve the targeted score and secure compliance with individual criteria in the most effective and commercially balanced manner.
BREEAM New Construction
BREEAM New Construction is an assessment method we apply at the design, construction and initial occupation stages of a building. It is an international scheme applicable to new development of office, retail, industrial, residential and educational buildings, hotel developments, and residential institutions.
The BREEAM International New Construction scheme can be used worldwide, excluding countries with National Scheme Operators (NSOs) that administer locally adapted versions of the scheme for specific jurisdictions (such as the United Kingdom or Sweden). Further information regarding NSOs is available on the BREEAM website.
Criteria categories
- Management
- Health & wellbeing
- Energy
- Transport
- Water
- Materials
- Waste
- Land use & ecology
- Pollution
- Innovation
Certification rating levels
| Rating | Percentage score | Graphical representation |
|---|---|---|
| Accepted | 10 – 25 % | ★ |
| Pass | 25 – 40 % | ★★ |
| Good | 40 – 55 % | ★★★ |
| Very Good | 55 – 70 % | ★★★★ |
| Excellent | 70 – 85 % | ★★★★★ |
| Outstanding | > 85 % | ★★★★★★ |
BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit-Out
The BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit-Out certification scheme is the framework we use for refurbishment and fit-out projects involving non-residential buildings and interior spaces.
This scheme was launched in 2014 in the United Kingdom (followed one year later by the international scheme for other countries) as a complement to certification schemes for new developments and existing buildings. Its introduction made it possible to assess a building's overall environmental impact throughout its full lifecycle, including repair works, refurbishments, extensions and internal modifications.
The assessment comprises four separate parts:
- Part 1 – Fabric and Structure
- Part 2 – Core Services
- Part 3 – Local Services
- Part 4 – Interior Design
The certificate may be awarded for any of the parts separately, depending on the scope of works within the given project, with each part defining its own set of measures and related criteria against which we assess and evaluate the project.
The BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit-Out certification rating levels and criteria categories are identical to those of the BREEAM International New Construction scheme.
BREEAM In-Use
The BREEAM In-Use certification scheme is the tool we use for existing buildings. First introduced in 2009 in the United Kingdom, it enables us to assess and support improvements in building performance and management, taking into account the function and age of your whole building or a specific part of it.
The assessment consists of two parts, and certification may be awarded independently for either:
- Part 1 – Asset performance – evaluates the inherent performance characteristics of the building, based on its type, construction and building services systems.
- Part 2 – Management performance – assesses the management strategy, operational procedures and practices associated with the building's use, including its environmental impacts such as waste generation, CO₂ emissions, and the consumption of water, electricity and other resources.
The BREEAM International In-Use certification scheme is available in two variants, depending on the functional use and type of the assessed building:
- Commercial – non-residential buildings and spaces only, covering commercial, industrial, office, retail, educational buildings, care homes and other accommodation facilities (e.g. hotels and student residences).
- Residential – residential developments and housing projects only.
This scheme can be used worldwide, excluding countries with National Scheme Operators (NSOs) that administer locally adapted versions of the scheme for specific jurisdictions (such as Germany or Spain). Further information regarding NSOs is available on the BREEAM website.
Criteria categories
- Management
- Health & wellbeing
- Energy
- Transport
- Water
- Resources
- Resilience
- Land use & ecology
- Pollution
- Innovation
Certification rating levels
| Rating | Percentage score | Graphical representation |
|---|---|---|
| Accepted | 10 – 25 % | ★ |
| Pass | 25 – 40 % | ★★ |
| Good | 40 – 55 % | ★★★ |
| Very Good | 55 – 70 % | ★★★★ |
| Excellent | 70 – 85 % | ★★★★★ |
| Outstanding | > 85 % | ★★★★★★ |
List of projects with a valid* BREEAM In-Use certificate carried out by Grinity on the BRE website
* Certificates that have already expired under the BREEAM In-Use scheme are not listed online.
BREEAM Communities
BREEAM Communities is a certification scheme focused on sustainability and quality of life within masterplanning and urban development projects, covering both single-use and mixed-use developments. Unlike other BREEAM schemes, we do not assess individual buildings through this standard – instead, we address the broader context of entire neighbourhoods, revitalisation projects and large-scale developments, already at the earliest stages of the design process. This approach helps us support planners, local authorities, developers, investors and local communities in delivering high-quality urban environments that are environmentally responsible, economically viable and centred on people's quality of life.
This scheme was originally launched in 2008 in the United Kingdom. It can be used worldwide, excluding countries with National Scheme Operators (NSOs) that administer locally adapted versions of the scheme for specific jurisdictions (currently the Netherlands and Spain). Further information regarding NSOs is available on the BREEAM website.
Criteria categories
- Governance
- Social and economic wellbeing
- Resources and energy
- Land use and ecology
- Transport and movement
- Innovation
The BREEAM Communities certification rating levels are identical to the BREEAM International New Construction certification rating levels.
List of Grinity certified projects under the BREEAM Communities scheme on the BRE website
Contact our BREEAM Certification experts
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