01 - Management - BREEAM Knowledge Base

BREEAM Accredited Professional (AP) – Retrospectively applying AP status - KBCN0308

The AP status cannot be applied retrospectively. The purpose of using an AP on a project is that they can advise and steer the development from the outset to maximise its BREEAM and sustainability performance for the least cost/risk. If early AP appointment and involvement does not occur then the aims and criteria of this BREEAM issue are not being met.

BREEAM AP – Achieving the design credit at the Post Construction Assessment - KBCN0215

Where a project will be undertaking a post construction stage assessment only (no interim assessment), to demonstrate that the criteria were met at the design stage a "BREEAM credit monitoring report" should be provided when the assessment is submitted, which shows that at the design stage of the project the building was still on target for the proposed BREEAM rating. This could be an excel document showing the issues that the design is on target for achieving with a short summary of how the BREEAM AP is steering the project for the correct rating. As long as the criteria are met and the correct information can be gathered for your evidence, a design stage certification is not required.

BREEAM AP – Change of BREEAM APs/Sustainability champions during project - KBCN0295

Whilst it would generally be preferable to retain the same individual in the role of BREEAM AP/Sustainability champion throughout the design and construction of a particular project for the purposes of continuity, we appreciate that this may not always be feasible. It is therefore entirely appropriate that the three credits available for using BREEAM APs/Sustainability champions can still be awarded where the individual performing the role changes (provided the ongoing involvement of an AP/SC is maintained in accordance with the criteria).

BREEAM AP and BREEAM assessor – conflict of interest - KBCN0196

An individual can be appointed as a BREEAM/HQM Assessor and BREEAM AP/Sustainability Champion for the same project, where the Assessor also holds current and applicable AP/Sustainability Champion credentials. If this route is chosen, it must be made clear when submitting the assessment that both roles are being carried out by the same person and confirmed how potential conflicts of interest are identified and managed. This will mean, when appropriate, that the assessment can be escalated to a more detailed level of quality assurance checking.

BREEAM AP/Sustainability Champion appointment timing - KBCN0738

It is acceptable for the BREEAM AP/Sustainability Champion to be appointed later than the required stage, if it can be demonstrated that the AP/Sustainability Champion was appointed at the earliest appropriate time in the project and that the late involvement will not have a detrimental effect on the setting of BREEAM performance targets that need to be formally agreed no later than the concept design stage.

Capital cost reporting and LCC measured area - KBCN0438

When assessing the Capital cost reporting and the LCC credits, the area to be considered should be the Gross Internal Floor Area (GIFA), according to the below RICS definition: Gross Internal Floor Area Gross Internal Floor Area is the area of a building measured to the internal face of the perimeter walls at each floor level, which includes:

Areas occupied by internal walls and partitions
Columns, piers chimney breasts, stairwells, lift-wells, other internal projections, vertical ducts, and the like
Atria and entrance halls with clear height above, measured at base level only
Internal open sided balconies, walkways, and the like
Structural, raked or stepped floors are treated as a level floor measured horizontally
Horizontal floors with permanent access below structural, raked or stepped floors
Corridors of a permanent essential nature (e.g. fire corridors, smoke lobbies, etc.)
Areas in the roof space intended for use with permanent access (BCIS)
Mezzanine areas intended for use with permanent access
Lift rooms, plant rooms, fuel stores, tank rooms which are housed in a covered structure of a permanent nature, whether or not above main roof level
Service accommodation such as toilets, toilet lobbies, bathrooms, showers, changing rooms, cleaners’ rooms and the like
Projection rooms
Voids over stairwells and lift shafts on upper floors
Loading bays
Areas with a headroom of less than 1.5m
Pavement vaults
Garages
Conservatories (BCIS)

And excludes:

Perimeter wall thickness and external projections
External open-sided balconies, covered ways and fire escapes
Canopies
Voids over or under structural, raked or stepped floors
Greenhouses, garden stores, fuel stores and the like in residential property
Open ground floors and the like (BCIS)

14.02.18 - KBCN content amended to extend the applicability to LCC and to refer to GIFA rather than GEA, to reflect current industry practice.

Certificate validity – EMS - KBCN1401

The requirement for the principal contractor to operate an EMS relates to the duration of operations on site. Certification against ISO 14001/EMAS must be valid at the Design Stage and Post Construction Stage submissions and cannot be expired, pending or applied retrospectively.

07/05/2021: Clarification on Design and Post Construction Stage added

Change in main contractor - KBCN0645

In situations where the main contractor changes mid-project, for example where the original contractor goes into administration and is replaced by another main contractor, it is acceptable for the post-construction credits to be awarded based on the new contractor providing information on their activities. This is providing the project is yet to start on site. This is in effect assessing the issue using the Post Construction Assessment route instead of a Post Construction Review. However, if the project has already started on site and information about the site activities of the previous contractor is not available it would not be appropriate to award the credit solely based on the new contractor activities.

Checklist A1 – not applicable items - KBCN0770

If you can clearly justify and robustly demonstrate that an item in Checklist A1 is not applicable on the assessed project, for the purposes of the BREEAM scoring, this item can be considered compliant.

Commissioning – Monitor and specialist commissioning manager - KBCN00051

The commissioning monitor is typically a project team member who will monitor the systems commissioning and testing programme for the building. The individual may combine that role with that of the specialist commissioning manager to deal with complex systems if they have the necessary knowledge. However, if the building has several specialist systems it is unlikely that the same person would be able to carry out all of the commissioning and more than one specialist would most likely be required.

Commissioning – Role of Specialist commissioning manager - KBCN0604

The specialist commissioning manager for a complex system must be a specialist contractor and not a general sub-contractor. They must be on hand to independently verify the work carried out by whoever installs the system. In principle, it is possible for the specialist commissioning manager to be from the same organisation as the main contractor provided any conflicts of interest have been declared and records show how they have been managed to provide confidence that commissioning will be carried out appropriately. The separate roles of the main contractor and specialist commissioning manager are so that the installation and commissioning are carried out independently by different parties.

Considerate construction – corporate registration - KBCN0905

Where credits are awarded for the assessment of the site against a compliant scheme, corporate registration, which assesses the contractor's overall operations and performance across multiple sites, is not in itself recognised. To award considerate construction credits, BREEAM requires the assessment of the specific assessed development, in line with the criteria.

Considerate construction: Checklist A1 – Photo card identification - KBCN1632

Checklist A1 Reference 4.e. requires the following: 'Operatives’ identification; all operatives to be provided with a photo identification clip card' However, since this was introduced into 'considerate construction' requirements, data protection legislation and expectations around privacy have progressed. This requirement can, therefore, be disregarded.

Considerate constructors exemplary criteria - KBCN0843

Where the exemplary criterion has been met, the exemplary credit will be awarded in addition to the two standard credits for considerate construction. There is no need for the assessor to demonstrate compliance with the standard credits in this case, just the exemplary one.

Considerate Constructors Scheme – International projects - KBCN1451

Where the Considerate Constructors Scheme is available outside the UK, this can can be considered as a 'BREEAM compliant' scheme for the purposes of this Issue.

Definition – Critical value - KBCN1006

Critical value aims to maximise whole life value of the building based on client requirements, and differs from minimising life cycle cost. This is a more specific analysis of how the building's ongoing maintenance and operation can impact business needs. For instance:

Where any disruption to business is costly, a specification with long periods between maintenance cycles and reduced maintenance time may be desirable.
Where maintaining aesthetics are important, a maintenance cycle may be based on aesthetic upkeep rather than functional lifespan.
Where maximum recyclability and re-usability is important, an alternative, costlier specification may be required.
Where capital costs are constrained, the specification with the lowest LCC may not be affordable, and instead, the best available option within the budget is chosen.

Definition – Project value - KBCN0552

The term ‘project value’ represents the total project cost, which includes all costs such as construction, design, land acquisition, etc.

Design team meetings via conference call - KBCN0201

Design team meetings can be conducted via conference calls.

It can be difficult for design team members to be in the same place at the same time. Conference calls are a more sustainable way to conduct meetings.

Environmental management – no principal contractor - KBCN1213

In order to achieve compliance where there is no principal contractor, the criteria must be met by the party which fulfills an equivalent role in managing the construction. The intent of the criteria is to ensure that the site is managed in accordance with demonstrably sustainable principles by the party having overall control of site management and operations.

Environmental management – Timing of obtaining ISO 14001/EMAS certification - KBCN0229

The contractor must be in possession of the ISO 14001/EMAS certification prior to starting works on the development under assessment. This is to ensure that the aim of the issue, to ‘encourage construction sites managed in an environmentally sound manner’, can be achieved. To uphold the robustness of BREEAM, the date of certification to ISO 14001/EMAS must be prior to initial works starting on the site.

Evidence requirements – responsible sourcing of materials at post-construction - KBCN1599

Whilst the UK BREEAM manuals are less prescriptive in the evidential requirements to allow flexibility, to ensure consistency across the schemes, it is expected that robust evidence should be provided to verify the source of any certified materials and how the assessor has confirmed the products and manufacturers used. Evidence supplied at post construction stage must reflect the completed building and confirm the responsibly sourced materials that have been procured and installed on the project. Supporting documentation is required to validate letters of confirmation or schedules of materials. Evidence provided could include proof of purchase, for example, invoices, delivery tickets, purchase orders or correspondence from suppliers. This may be an example for each material sourced, rather than every delivery ticket for instance. Alternatively, evidence of the use of the responsibly sourced materials may include as-built drawings, O&M documentation or site photographs.

Fabric testing and inspection in hot climates - KBCN0790

The requirements for thermographic survey and air tightness testing are applicable to both, cold and hot climates. A suitably qualified professional will advise on the appropriate testing conditions and specific methods in order to address this issue in different climatic conditions. Building fabric air tightness is important in different climates in order to ensure than no additional energy is consumed due to increased heating or cooling demand originating from the lack of integrity of the building fabric.

FSC and PEFC Mixed Sources certified timber - KBCN00091

Products labelled:

FSC Mix or
PEFC Mixed Sources

Meet the BREEAM responsible sourcing requirements. This means any such products:

In HQM, and in BREEAM NC 2016 or older schemes: meet the prerequisite for legally harvested and traded timber.
In BREEAM NC 2018 or newer schemes: meet the prerequisite for legal and sustainable timber.
In all schemes: can be used to demonstrate responsible sourcing.

Products carrying the FSC Mix label contain at least 70% FSC certified and recycled material. These products may contain a small proportion of FSC Controlled Wood (KBCN00054). However for BREEAM compliance, the FSC Mix label is sufficient to meet our requirements.

14-Mar-2024 - Wording clarified and expanded. Relevant prerequisites and requirements clarified. Scheme applicability updated.

FSC Controlled Wood - KBCN00054

The FSC Controlled Wood label minimises the risk that wood comes from illegal or controversial sources, however it does not eliminate this risk. Therefore, products which are:

Labelled as FSC Controlled Wood or,
Where the majority of material in a product is comprised of FSC Controlled Wood,

Do not meet the BREEAM definition of responsibly sourced. Where FSC Mix labelled products contain FSC Controlled Wood, see KBCN00091. This means that any such products:

In HQM, and in BREEAM NC 2016 or older schemes: do not meet the prerequisite for legally harvested and traded timber.
In BREEAM NC 2018 or newer schemes: do not meet the prerequisite for legal and sustainable timber.
In all schemes: cannot be used to demonstrate responsible sourcing.

14-Mar-2024 - Wording clarified and expanded. Relevant prerequisites and requirements clarified. Scheme applicability updated.

Legally harvested and traded timber – Examples - KBCN0956

The following examples are considered compliant for BREEAM purposes. Legally harvested:

Evidence of compliance with the CPET (see here, timber bought inside the UK only)
FSC, PEFC or SFI certification
Evidence of compliance with the EUTR (timber bought inside the EU only)
Risk assessment/due diligence documentation demonstrating a low risk of non-compliance with the ‘legally harvested’ requirements given in the manual.

Legally traded:

Evidence of compliance with the CPET (see here, timber bought inside the UK only)
FSC, PEFC or SFI certification
Risk assessment/due diligence documentation demonstrating a low risk of non-compliance with the ‘legally traded’ requirements given in the manual.

Legally harvested and traded/Legal and sustainable timber – Reclaimed/recycled timber - KBCN1402

As an alternative to virgin timber and wood-derived products from a Legally harvested and traded timber/Legal and Sustainable source, ‘recycled timber’ is acceptable. For the purposes of these prerequisites, ‘recycled timber’ is defined by BREEAM as: Recovered wood that prior to being supplied to the assessed project had an end use as a standalone object or as part of a structure and which has completed its lifecycle and would otherwise be disposed of as waste. The term ‘recycled’ is used to cover the following categories: pre-consumer recycled wood and wood fibre or industrial by products but excluding sawmill co-products (sawmill co-products are deemed to fall within the category of virgin timber), post-consumer recycled wood and wood fibre, and drift wood. It also covers reclaimed timber which was abandoned or confiscated at least ten years previously. BREEAM requires documentary evidence that all reclaimed/recycled timber products meet the definition of ‘recycled timber’ given above.

Life Cycle Cost - KBCN0385

Life Cycle Costing (LCC) is a methodology that aims at selecting the optimal option amongst a number of option appraisals. An LCC should therefore consider:

At least two design option appraisals and,
Each design option appraisal includes at least two cash flow scenarios. For example, best case, worst case, and most likely case.

This allows project teams and clients to make informed choices about the long term financial implications of different design decisions.

27-Mar-2024 - Wording and requirements clarified. Scheme applicability updated.

Life cycle cost – Multiple assessments on the same site - KBCN000003

Where there are multiple assessments on a site and a single life cycle cost (LCC) plan will be carried out, it is acceptable to use this plan as evidence provided that the results of the LCC plan can be applied to all of the assessed buildings and therefore may have a positive influence on the material specification of such buildings. Where the design of some assessments differ to the extent that the LCC plan cannot reasonably be applied, a separate LCC plan is necessary to achieve credits for this issue. Where multiple assessments are covered under a single LCC plan, there must be sufficient detail for each building to enable them to be adequately assessed.

Post Occupancy Evaluation – Bespoke - KBCN0678

It is acceptable to use a bespoke POE providing that the assessor is satisfied that the methodology covers all relevant aspects of a compliant POE. The assessor should therefore refer to the further guidance on POE provided in the BREEAM technical manual for information on what a compliant POE methodology should contain, as copied below:

The BCO guide to Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE), British Council for Offices, 2007
BRE Digest 478, Building performance feedback: getting started, Building Research Establishment, 2003
Guide to Post Occupancy Evaluation Report and Toolkit, HEFCE, AUDE & University of Westminster, 2006

Project budget - KBCN0893

The project budget is required as evidence to demonstrate that an amount of money has been set aside for the commissioning and testing programme, responsibilities and criteria. It is appreciated that, for confidentiality issues, the principal contractor might not be willing to the project's overall budget with all stakeholders. In such cases, compliance with this requirement will be met where it is clearly demonstrated that the costs related to sustainability measures, which may involve members of the design team, have been included in the overall budget. A wish-list that will later be value-engineered out of the project will not be deemed acceptable. The costs relating to sustainability measures included in the brief must be costed.

Responsible construction practices – Multiple contractors on the same project - KBCN0352

It is the site that must comply with BREEAM issues rather than any individual contractor. Several different contractors may have obligations to meet compliance criteria. One of the contractors and/or site managers may have responsibility for ensuring compliance during site operations. It is ultimately the client/project team's responsibility to determine and demonstrate compliance.

Scope of construction works included - KBCN0642

Only the scope of works the principal contractor is responsible for needs to be considered in the assessment of this Issue. This also includes works carried out by sub-contractors that are engaged by the principal contractor.

03.11.2021 Above text added to issue 2.0 of the UK RFO technical manual. Text remains applicable to all previous issues of the manual.

Seasonal commissioning evidence - KBCN0818

Where the criteria require that seasonal commissioning activities are to be completed over a minimum 12 month period following the occupation of the building, it is accepted that completed records may not be available at the time of Final Certification. In such cases, evidence of the appointment of a seasonal commissioning manager and schedule of commissioning responsibilities which fulfils the BREEAM criteria are acceptable to demonstrate compliance.

Seasonal commissioning of Solar Photovoltaics (PV) - KBCN0244

Solar PVs can be excluded from the requirements for seasonal commissioning. This is because commissioning at a particular time of the year will not affect the original commissioning of the system.

SSM replacing BREEAM AP for on-site monitoring - KBCN0601

It is acceptable for a suitably qualified Site Sustainability Manager (SSM) to take over the monitoring of site impact role (Sustainability Champion (construction)) from a BREEAM AP. In some instances it may be more appropriate for an SSM to carry out the role of the 'construction' Sustainability Champion. Therefore where a BREEAM AP has provided design input, an SSM could take over the role to complete the on-site requirements.

Stakeholder consultation – Building occupier unknown - KBCN0227

Where the building occupier is unknown, it is still possible to achieve the credit. The end user requirements must be assumed and considered by other project parties (e.g. client, design team, etc.) using their experience and judgement until such time as the occupier is known.

Stakeholder consultation – Existing shared facilities - KBCN0360

The consultation must include any existing shared facilities relied on to achieve compliance as well as the new facilities. To ensure the shared existing facilities are appropriate and in line with the users' requirements.

Submitting aftercare & post occupancy evaluation data - KBCN0589

Where credits have been awarded which require post-occupancy evaluation or an element of aftercare data collection (according to scheme requirements) from the building once operational and occupied, the data gathering must take place at the specified time and the findings reported to BRE. The timing of this evidence gathering depends on the criteria of the BREEAM scheme having been undertaken. However, for all schemes, once the evidence is due for submission, it should be sent to [email protected] with the following title; 'BREEAM Assessment Type Building Data BREEAM Assessment Reference' For example, a BREEAM 2011 New Construction assessment would use the following title when submitting their evidence; 'BREEAM NC 2011 Building Data BREEAM-1234-5678'

This KBCN replaces KBCN0695 for HQM.

Sustainability Champion role – Construction - KBCN0446

The intent of the Sustainability Champion role is to monitor and report on the project’s progress towards the relevant BREEAM target(s), over the course of the stated RIBA stages, in order to minimise the risks of possible non-compliance with the agreed BREEAM targets. To do this the Sustainability Champion should:

Ideally be site-based, or visit the site regularly and be authorised to carry out inspection and monitoring of the works relevant to their role
Monitor site activities with an appropriate level of frequency
Report regularly to the principal contractor and attend relevant project team meetings, identifying potential areas of non-compliance and recommending actions to mitigate these.

03.11.2020 Issue 2.0 of the UK RFO technical manual updated with the above text. It remains applicable to previous issues of the manual.

Testing and inspecting building fabric – Untreated spaces - KBCN0972

Untreated spaces, which are not subject to compliance with statutory energy performance regulations, can be excluded from the scope of the 'Testing and inspecting building fabric/thermographic survey/air pressure testing' criteria.

Testing and inspecting the building fabric credit - KBCN0649

The requirements for this credit are to ensure continuity of insulation, avoidance of thermal bridging and air leakage paths. How this is achieved is up to the judgement of the suitably qualified professional. The criteria are intended to afford the design team the opportunity to demonstrate that the above are met by whatever means are appropriate, which will generally be air-tightness testing and a thermographic survey. Should the suitably qualified professional advise alternative means, the assessor must be satisfied and be able to demonstrate that all the above requirements have been met. BREEAM seeks to be outcome-driven and does not, therefore, prescribe the specific testing methods to achieve the criteria in this Issue.

Testing and inspecting the building fabric – Shell Only - KBCN0573

For Shell Only assessments with spaces which are intended to be treated post-assessment, imposing the requirement for a thermographic survey on a future user is not acceptable, as it may be difficult and unreasonable to expect them to remediate any defects revealed by the survey. Therefore the credit is still applicable even if building services have not yet been fitted. While we appreciate that it may be more challenging to achieve this credit for a shell only assessment compared to shell and core and fully fitted buildings, please note that the credits within the Management category do have a higher weighting for shell only assessments and there are also fewer credits applicable. Therefore each credit in the management category is worth more, as a percentage of the final score, than they are for shell and core / fully fitted buildings. This, therefore, helps to justify any potential additional burden felt by shell only assessments for this credit.

Thermographic survey – Seasonal constraints - KBCN00031

Where seasonal constraints prevent the thermographic survey from being completed prior to certification at the post construction stage, the requirements can be satisfied with:

Evidence that a Suitably Qualified Professional (SQP) has been contractually appointed
Written confirmation by the SQP that the seasonal constraints prevent the survey at an appropriate time before certification
The survey is scheduled to take place at the earliest opportunity after the handover, and
There is a specific contractual agreement in place to remedy any identified defects before the defects liability period expires.

Thermographic surveys are designed to map the thermal efficiency of buildings and to detect areas where there are breaches in the thermal envelope. Surveys need to be conducted when temperature differences between the external areas of the building and surrounding air can be detected after the envelope is sealed. There may will be instances where the survey cannot be done before certification after the envelope is sealed and as such, the survey would take place after certification.

Thermographic survey for large and complex buildings - KBCN0405

In the case of large and complex buildings, it may be impractical for the thermographic survey and air-tightness testing to cover 100% of the building. The level of the survey should be decided by a Level 2 qualified thermographic surveyor. This could include, for example, airports, large hospitals and high-rise buildings.

Thermographic survey or airtightness testing impractical - KBCN0150

In the case of large and complex buildings, it may be impractical for the thermographic survey and airtightness testing to cover 100% of the building. Where a complete thermographic survey or airtightness testing is deemed impractical by a Suitably Qualified Professional (thermographic survey or airtightness testing), the following guidance applies:

Airtightness testing: Guidance in airtightness standard TSL2 (or relevant local standard) should be followed regarding the extent of the survey and testing. This could include, for example, airports, large hospitals, high-rise buildings.
Thermographic survey: Any building with a floor area less that 2000m² should have a full survey unless it contains a large number of similar rooms, e.g. a health centre or hotel. Any building with a floor area greater that 2000m² may be sampled by taking images of a representative sample of spaces on each floor including spaces with different activities and at different locations on the floor plan. Each elevation and each elevational and roof treatment/type need to be sampled. Sampling should be increased if evidence of poor building fabric thermal performance is identified from sampling.

23/11/2020 amended text to improve clarity: 

In the case of large and complex buildings, it may be impractical for the thermographic survey and airtightness testing to cover 100% of the building. Where a complete thermographic survey is deemed impractical by a Level 2 qualified thermographic surveyor, the guidance in airtightness standard TSL2 (or relevant local standard) should be followed on the extent of the survey and testing. This could include, for example, airports, large hospitals, high-rise buildings.

Thermographic survey – Standards for qualification of personnel - KBCN0689

Assessors can accept reports from thermographers who hold a suitable Infrared Thermographic Testing (TT) qualification under one of the following standards, depending on which one was current at the time of the thermographer's qualification:

ISO 18436-7:2008
ISO 9712:2012
ISO 18436-7:2014
ISO 6781-3:2015

13-Mar-2017 - Compliance note amended to allow the applicability of standards based on the time of the thermographer's qualification, rather than the BREEAM scheme version.
03-Nov-2021 - Above text added to issue 2.0 of the UK RFO 2014 technical manual. The text is still relevant to previous issues of the manual.
07-Mar-2023 - Updated title to clarify that this KBCN relates to standards for the qualification of personnel.

Transport of construction materials – Data and methodology - KBCN0413

To ensure comparability across assessments, the information completed in the scoring and reporting tool should be restricted to the minimum data specified in the technical manual. For the purposes of this BREEAM Issue, the distances reported should be calculated from the point from which the products or materials were sourced, whether this be directly from a manufacturer or from a builders' merchant/distributor:

For products or materials purchased directly from a manufacturer or quarry, for example, the distance should be calculated from the ‘factory gate’, including any intermediate transport.
For products or materials, which are purchased from a merchant or distributor, only the distance from their depot should be reported.

Where products cannot be sourced locally, for example on small islands, the transport required to import the materials or products can be discounted, and only the local onward transport to the site recorded. The aim of this requirement is to encourage developers to consider the impacts of transporting products and materials to site. As such, the criteria seek to address only those impacts, which can be influenced by the developer.

27.07.2018 Wording amended to add clarity.

New Construction / International / 2016 /

01 - Management

Aftercare – speculative developments - KBCN0101