BREEAM In-Use: Assessing Operational Performance
Purpose and structure
BREEAM In-Use is the scheme for existing, occupied buildings. Unlike New Construction, it assesses how a building actually performs in operation, not how it was designed. It is organised into three parts, each assessed separately: Asset Performance (the building fabric, services and installed systems), Building Management (how the building is operated, maintained and managed), and Occupier Management (how the tenant or occupier manages its own space and behaviour). Each part produces its own rating, so a single building can hold different ratings across the three parts.
Traps to watch
Candidates frequently assume In-Use has a single overall rating - it does not; the three parts are scored independently. Another common trap is confusing In-Use with Refurbishment and Fit Out: In-Use is for existing operation, while RFO covers alteration works. Also watch for questions that imply In-Use requires a design-stage assessor - it is an operational assessment, driven by evidence such as metered energy data, maintenance records, and management policies.
Worked example
A landlord operates a building where the base build is efficient but tenants run wasteful equipment. Asset Performance might score well (good fabric and systems), Building Management might score moderately (decent maintenance regime), but Occupier Management could score poorly because tenant behaviour and sub-metering are weak. The correct answer to 'what is the building's rating?' is: three separate ratings, not an average.
Evidence mindset
In-Use rewards documented operational evidence. Questions often test whether a claimed credit is supported by records - if there is no evidence trail, the credit is not awarded.