BREEAM Assessor flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Outstanding rating threshold

In BREEAM New Construction the Outstanding rating requires an overall score of at least 85 per cent, the highest of the five rating bands.

Pass rating threshold

The Pass rating is the lowest certified band in New Construction, requiring an overall weighted score of at least 30 per cent; below that the result is Unclassified.

Minimum standards

Prerequisite requirements in certain issues, notably Energy and Water, that a project must meet; failing one caps the achievable rating regardless of total score.

Innovation credits

Additional credits awarded for performance beyond scheme requirements, contributing up to about ten per cent on top of category scores in New Construction.

Interim and final certificates

New Construction issues a design-stage (interim) certificate and a post-construction (final) certificate; the final certificate confirms as-built performance.

Energy category weighting

Energy carries the largest single category weighting in New Construction, roughly fifteen to nineteen per cent of the total score depending on scheme version.

Licensed assessor role

A trained and licensed BREEAM assessor compiles evidence, scores issues, and submits the assessment for BRE Global quality assurance before certification.

Man-2 considerate constructors

A New Construction management issue rewarding registration and performance under the Considerate Constructors Scheme during the construction phase.

In-Use three parts

BREEAM In-Use is structured as Part 1 Asset Performance, Part 2 Building Management and Part 3 Occupier Management, each scored and rated separately.

Asset Performance part

In-Use Part 1 assesses the built asset's fabric, services and design attributes largely independently of how the building is operated by occupants.

Building Management part

In-Use Part 2 covers operational policies and management practices under the control of the building owner or facilities manager.

Occupier Management part

In-Use Part 3 assesses the fit-out and operational practices within the tenant's or occupier's control, separate from the base building.

In-Use certification option

In-Use uses a self-assessment online workflow; a certified rating requires third-party verification, while self-assessment alone does not produce a certificate.

In-Use applicability

BREEAM In-Use applies to existing non-domestic buildings in operation, whether or not the building was originally certified under another BREEAM scheme.

In-Use recertification

In-Use certificates have a defined validity period; reassessment is required after expiry to maintain a current certified rating for the building.

Separate part ratings

Because In-Use parts are scored independently, one building can simultaneously hold different ratings for Asset, Building Management and Occupier Management.

Four RFO assessment parts

Refurbishment and Fit Out assesses four parts: building fabric and structure, core services, local services, and interior design, each scoped independently.

Scope-based assessment

RFO rates only the parts and elements within the project scope, so a fit-out-only project may be assessed solely on local services and interior design.

Upstream and downstream scope

RFO scope rules determine which issues apply depending on whether an element is altered, retained or newly installed, excluding unchanged retained elements.

Fit-out-only project

A project altering only interior finishes and local services is assessed on the interior design and local services parts, not on retained fabric or core services.

RFO applicability

The scheme covers refurbishment, fit-out and combined projects across non-domestic building types, recognising constraints imposed by existing structures.

Retained element treatment

Retained building elements not being altered are typically scoped out of the RFO assessment so the project is not penalised for pre-existing conditions.

RFO certificate meaning

An RFO certificate reflects the sustainability of the works within the defined project scope rather than the whole-building performance.

Fabric and services weighting

Where building fabric and core services are within RFO scope, energy performance improvements to those elements carry substantial weighting in the score.

BREEAM Infrastructure scope

BREEAM Infrastructure, formerly CEEQUAL, assesses civil engineering, infrastructure and public realm projects rather than individual buildings.

Infrastructure life-cycle stages

Infrastructure assessments are organised around strategy, design, construction and operation or handover stages, aligning with project decision gates.

Infrastructure rating bands

Infrastructure ratings are Pass, Good, Very Good, Excellent and Outstanding, based on the percentage of applicable credits achieved by the project.

Normalised infrastructure score

Because only relevant sections are assessed, the infrastructure score is normalised against applicable credits rather than all possible credits.

Communities three steps

BREEAM Communities is structured in three steps: strategic principles, masterplanning, and delivery and operation across the development life cycle.

Communities assessment object

Communities assesses large-scale masterplans and the design of new communities at the planning stage, before detailed building design begins.

Communities rating bands

Communities uses the standard five bands, Pass through Outstanding, derived from the weighted percentage of available credits achieved.

Communities core themes

Communities credits address governance, social and economic wellbeing, resources and energy, land use and ecology, transport, and innovation.