by jbs111609 j3 — November 20, 2009—RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) has introduced a system for rating the environmental impact of office fit-outs or refurbishments, an area that accounts for 10 percent of the 64.5 billion spent on construction in the U.K.
With pressure growing from all fronts for property occupiers and owners to improve the sustainability of existing stock as well as new buildings, RICS has led the development of Ska Rating, which focuses completely on fit-outs rather than new construction.
Ska Rating comprises 99 good practice measures across Energy & CO2, Waste, Water, Pollution, Transport, Materials and Wellbeing. Depending on the number of measures achieved, and the significance of these from a sustainability perspective, a fit-out is then awarded either Gold, Silver or Bronze ranking.
A key feature of the Ska Rating is that it has been designed to be accessible even for the smallest organization. All the information about the rating method, criteria and best practice guidance is available free via the Web.
Use of the online assessment tool is also free for those who want to self-assess their fit-out. However those companies looking to obtain a quality-assured certificate will also be able to commission a formal assessment from a qualified Ska Rating assessor.
RICS says Ska Rating has already received several industry honors including:
- Winner: CoreNet Global, Industry Excellence Award 2009 (Leadership and Strategy)
- Winner: CoreNet Global UK, Land Securities Trillium Award 2008 (Sustainability)
- Winner: Association of Interior Specialists, Eco Innovation award, 2009
- Finalist: Construction News Quality Awards, 2009 (Sustainability)
