by Brianna Crandall — July 10, 2015—The sustainability credentials of building renovation and interior build-out projects around the world can now be assessed and recognized under the BREEAM design and assessment method for sustainable buildings, following the launch of the BREEAM International Refurbishment and Fit-Out program last month.
The development of BREEAM International Refurbishment and Fit-Out (RFO) involved extensive industry consultations and followed the success of an equivalent program in the United Kingdom. Under the U.K. version, a variety of renovation and interior build-out projects have been BREEAM rated, ranging from central London office blocks and shops, including the famous Foyles bookshop, to out-of-town superstores.
“BREEAM International RFO provides a tailored version of the scheme that can assess refurbishment and fit-out projects all over the world, by taking account of the range of local and regional standards, conditions and climates,” says BREEAM International RFO scheme manager Sarah Summerson of BRE. “Wherever they are, improving existing buildings presents difficult challenges—the BREEAM RFO assessment scheme recognizes these by being sufficiently flexible to assess projects against the issues that each can reasonably be expected to influence.”
This flexibility derives from the scheme’s four-part modular approach, which gives a range of certification options. Part One deals with the building fabric and structure; Part Two is concerned with core services (e.g. centralized mechanical and electrical (M&E) plant); Part Three deals with local services; and Part Four covers interior design. Renovation and interior build-out projects can be assessed against one or all of the four parts, or any combination, depending on which are relevant to a particular project. This gives the option for just part of a building to be assessed (e.g. a shop build-out) or the entire building.
BREEAM International Refurbishment and Fit-Out allows projects on a broad range of building types to be assessed, including offices, retail facilities, industrial buildings, schools, universities, hotels and other short stay accommodation. “Sustainable refurbishment and fit-out has numerous benefits for the end client,” says Sarah Summerson, “including reduced running costs and a healthier working environment for occupiers.”
