Scoring and Rating BREEAM assessed buildings

There are a number of elements that determine the overall performance of a new construction project assessed using BREEAM, these are as follows:

1. The BREEAM rating level benchmarks
2. The minimum BREEAM standards
3. The environmental section weightings
4. The BREEAM assessment issues and credits

How these elements combine to produce a BREEAM rating is summarised on the following pages. This is followed by a description and example describing the methodology for calculating a rating.

The BREEAM rating benchmarks for new construction projects assessed using the 2011 version of BREEAM are as follows:

Table 1 BREEAM rating benchmarks

The BREEAM rating benchmark levels enable a client or other stakeholder to compare an individual building’s performance with other BREEAM rated buildings and the typical sustainability performance of new non-domestic buildings in the UK.

In this respect each BREEAM rating level broadly represents performance equivalent to:

1. Outstanding: Less than top 1% of UK new non-domestic buildings (innovator)
2. Excellent: Top 10% of UK new non-domestic buildings (best practice)
3. Very Good: Top 25% of UK new non-domestic buildings (advanced good practice)
4. Good: Top 50% of UK new non-domestic buildings (intermediate good practice)
5. Pass: Top 75% of UK new non-domestic buildings (standard good practice)

An unclassified BREEAM rating represents performance that is non-compliant with BREEAM, in terms of failing to meet either the BREEAM minimum standards of performance for key environmental issues or the overall threshold score required for formal BREEAM certification.

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