Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology on the UK Residential Projects

Abstract

The United Kingdom is currently facing a housing shortage and has been for many years, caused mostly by natural growth in population, immigration and an aging housing stock. The solution to combat this problem is not as simple as constructing many hundreds of thousands of homes across the country, with many setbacks caused by economic, environmental and social concerns. The design and planning of individual residential projects, with fundamentally sustainable schemes could help to mitigate the concerns that are causing setbacks to house building. Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM) is the world’s longest established method of assessing, rating and certifying the sustainability of buildings produced by Building Research Establishment (BRE). Implementing BREEAM on construction projects can vastly increase their sustainability compared to those that simply follow regulations. Projects that follow BREEAM specifications covered any additional costs by lower running costs during the building’s life. Providing people in the UK with homes which are built in a highly sustainable manner may allow huge benefits that outweigh the costs for both of the residents and the wider population. The general knowledge and consciences of people is also increasing for a more sustainable world, and as construction can contribute but also take away greatly from the sustainability of society, this approach to building seems obvious and yet is nowhere near mainstream as one may expect. This study looks to investigate the reasons behind a low proportion of BREEAM implementation on residential projects, when at first glance the benefits seem to greatly outweigh the costs. Secondary data gathered through a desk study was used to help determine the costs and benefits of residential projects that have implemented BREEAM. The researcher also attempted to gather primary data in the form of interviews and a questionnaire, gaining an insight into a current construction industry view on the usage of BREEAM.