To certify BREEAM or not to BREEAM – that is the question?

Since the economic downturn, cost has been the key priority for most new builds. There is now a culture that has developed across the industry of creating cheaper buildings at a rapid rate and ultimately resulting in a faster return on investment. It is easy to fall into the trap of sourcing the most economic components and materials for the short term, but it is important for clients to consider the long term savings that can be made on a building when using environmentally and energy efficient materials and methods of construction.

In such a harsh economic climate, it is imperative that designers, developers and clients all ask the question – does sustainability pay?

When executed correctly, the owners and occupiers of a sustainably effective building will see economic advantages across a range of areas. It is important that companies within the industry are able to back up claims to environmental consciousness within their processes. BREEAM is one of the world's leading sustainability assessment method for master planning projects, infrastructure and buildings. The certification is designed to inspire designers and developers to make full effective use of resources. The focus on sustainable value and efficiency makes BREEAM certified developments attractive property investments as well as generating sustainable environments that enhance the well-being of the end user and the surrounding environment.

With eco-credentials of the highest importance in the construction and modern trading world, having the correct certification is fundamental to success. B & K Structures, leading provider of optimised hybrid solutions, constantly strive to keep sustainability at the heart of their corporate social responsibility ethos. Through the application of timber - the number one renewable mainstream construction material - B & K Structures are able to produce greener buildings with low carbon footprints. But sustainability does not end with the completion of the development – producing airtight, energy efficient structures positively impacts on the whole life-cycle of the building and reduces ongoing energy and maintenance costs.

B & K Structures adopt and apply Best Practice sustainability principles through all aspects of their processes - from raw material procurement through to design and manufacture, offsite processes and onsite assembly. B & K Structures demonstrate their commitment to sustainability through a range of credentials and have been known to achieve Excellent BREEAM ratings on a number of their buildings.

A recent build that exhibits the highest levels of sustainability is the ground-breaking BSkyB Believe in Better Building (BiBB). This new educational facility for graduates, apprentices and staff training, reflects the Sky’s sustainable aspirations. Based at the Sky Campus at Osterley, West London, the 3,000m2 development provides an inviting multi-functional amenity.

BSkyB’s own sustainability strategy shaped the building philosophy. The new educational facility incorporates a Combined Cooling Heating and Power Plant (CCHP), along with BSkyB’s existing wind turbine.

BSkyB had specific sustainability targets mapped out for the structural framing options including:

    15% reduction in embodied carbon of construction
    27% of recycled content
    responsible sourcing of materials through PEFC or FSC timber
    80% of key materials by mass manufacture within a given radius depending on density

The building was awarded with a BREEAM Excellent rating – demonstrating that it not only meets but exceeds best practice in sustainable building design, construction and operation through a widely recognised measure of environmental performance of a building. An engineered timber industrial system offered optimum airtightness through insulated panel facades. With B & K Structures’ well established sustainable supply chain, the correct manufacturing partners were appointed that aligned with the requirements for green materials that were both PEFC and FSC certified. The glulam and cross laminated timber (CLT) structure, previously unheard of in a commercial building of this size in Britain, could achieve beyond zero embodied CO2 emissions (when including carbon sequestered during the trees growth). The team specified materials that have low or no VOC content to avoid off-gassing problems and where concrete was used, it has 100% secondary aggregate and sand and uses the minimum cement through 40% PFA OPC replacement.

During the construction of the timber, there was a noticeable buzz among the Sky staff. The project exceeded Sky’s sustainability aspirations, through renewable and zero carbon timber construction. The client was so impressed, that B & K Structures has been appointed to provide sustainable structures for the next two buildings which will be constructed from timber systems using the same supply chain.

Initial upfront investment in a robust, airtight building, will reap benefits in the long term from reduced maintenance and running costs – vital for public buildings such as schools and hospitals.  Housing developers, retailers and commercial end users have a different set of priorities with speed of construction rating one of the highest. Optimised hybrid structures offer a rapid return on investment for developers, together with delivering quick and efficient build process for the retail and commercial sector -  getting buildings on stream and operational in the optimum time.