Towards a sustainable built environment
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schemes becoming more viable with growing demand, however, there is limited take-
up to date.
There are many reasons for this slow progress, among them:
• The market is still immature and is developing from a low base.
• The cost premium for sustainability is not always seen as a benefit.
• The nature of the construction market limits the benefits of ‘branding’.
• The market finds it difficult to place a value on benefits that do not readily translate
into financial savings.
• Many third party benefits which feature highly in sustainable buildings are not
measured at all in the final cost analysis.
Voluntary rating schemes
Environment and sustainability rating tools have been developed across every stage of
the construction process, including:
• planning (strategic environmental assessment (SEA), sustainability checklist for
developments, etc.)
• design of buildings and infrastructure projects (BREEAM, LEED, Green Star,
BEAM)
• selection of materials (The Green Guide to Specification, Envest, etc.)
• construction (SMARTWaste, Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS), etc.)
• management and operation (BREEAM, LEED, Green Star, BEAM)
• refurbishment (BREEAM, LEED, Green Star, BEAM).
The main benefits of using such tools are:
• independent verification of performance
• a recognised award to assist with marketing of buildings
• demonstration of compliance with the environmental (and sustainability)
requirements of occupiers, planners, development agencies, developers and
company stakeholders.
BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) was
originally developed for offices, although it has now been developed and revised to
include most types of residential and commercial new construction.
Although the built environment is dominated by existing buildings, less emphasis has
been placed on rating schemes for refurbishment schemes. This is due to the varied
condition of existing building stock and the uncertain nature of refurbishment, which
makes a single set of rules difficult to adopt. However, sustainability principles can be
applied to all schemes, including refurbishment.
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