Demystifying Building Accreditations

By BCO Media

July 25, 2022

By Matthew Redgrove, BCO NextGen London

Building accreditations create a universal language for best practice within the construction industry, providing a road map for conscious design which centres around the ESG agenda. With the climate crisis looming ever larger and central government not currently enforcing new design standards, building accreditations are filling the gap by making our industry more sustainable.

 Historically considered burdensome, sustainability concerns were passed around with the handover marking a final shift in responsibility from developer to contractor to occupier. The emerging suite of building accreditations means this will no longer be the case, and the industry is adapting accordingly. It is an exciting, challenging time in construction — as an industry we will have to pull together in an unprecedented way to deliver targets which are increasingly vital to the wellbeing of people and the planet.

 New entrants to the market from across the globe are driving innovation across the industry

There are a host of new building accreditations on the market, brought in from across the globe. The American contingent includes WELL, FitWel, Wired Score, Smart Score and LEED, while Australia has brought NABERS to the table. Each encourages innovative solutions from developers, which push the market forward in specific ways.

These accreditations focus on a range of sustainability criteria thereby encouraging innovation. Indeed, using all available accreditations as a guide, developers are being prompted to consider the wider scope of their potential impact. This broad scope is motivating a more holistic approach to construction which places the emphasis on longevity and drives an end-to-end approach.

As designers and clients are getting to grips with these new accreditations, conflicts are beginning to emerge. These raise questions and spark creative solutions. For example, if smart technology is introduced on a project, how will it impact operational energy and carbon? If openable windows are installed – which have been shown to improve employee wellbeing, how will that balance with the additional embodied carbon required for the opening mechanism? While it is clear that these accreditations are beneficial from an ESG perspective, the challenge is figuring out how best to optimise their potential.

 Together, this roster of new accreditations is changing the conversation around sustainability, and ultimately raising the bar across the industry.

 The main driver in creating a culture of accountability in construction is the emergence of data transparent accreditations. This will encourage cross-industry collaboration towards a common end goal — building sustainably.

 These accreditations mainly use three forms of scoring mechanisms: checklist, design consultation, and data driven – or a combination of the three.

BREEAM remains the industry benchmark because it is enforced through the planning process, but ultimately it is data-focused accreditations, such as NABERS, that are driving a complete overhaul in terms of how the industry regards building accreditations. The formerly dominant checklist approach, which ends at the point of handover, is no longer enough. Clients expect a more thorough consideration of green building practices, which extend throughout a building’s lifecycle.

BREEAM is still the bottom line, but by incorporating a cross-section of new accreditations, designers and developers can create more comprehensive outcomes. Capitalising on the availability of data that accreditations provide enables developers to produce buildings that continuously adapt to and deliver on sustainability goals.

 It is clear that data driven accreditations provide a much more transparent, and therefore influential, overview of operational impact — which is ultimately what matters. Only when we capture and monitor this data are we going to be able to drive tangible improvement as an industry.

 Accountability from end to end is what clients now expect, prompting an industry-wide paradigm shift towards a more holistic approach, which fits the ESG agenda.

 With data-driven accreditations such as NABERS, ratings can only be achieved when meter readings are taken a year after occupancy. This kind of transparency completely shifts the goalposts, widening the scope for continual improvement which involves everyone and lasts long after handover.

 Hard data offers a much clearer insight into the true sustainability credentials of a building by continuous monitoring over its operational lifetime. This is assessed year on year, which means there is no longer a clear division of responsibility. Designers and developers need to create something which is truly efficient; contractors need to deliver on that; and occupiers and asset managers have to maintain and improve on operational performance throughout the duration of the building’s life.

 The availability of data will also directly affect asset value, market recognition and market reputation, which will be an incredibly powerful catalyst for change from a business perspective. Transparency of data effectively means that there is nowhere to hide — which will ultimately define the next phase of accountability in pursuit of genuine green buildings.

Moving forwards, there is — rightfully — a sense of constant monitoring which is a direct result of accreditation related data collection. No one will be exempt from this, because green buildings can’t exist without conscious investment and improvement at every stage, from every angle. The pursuit of sustainability is a constant process of improving operational performance to optimise a building over its lifetime, and data transparency means that everyone has to deliver because the facts are laid bare. This visibility holds people and businesses to account, and in turn, that accountability will raise the bar across the industry — ultimately shifting the market. Everyone will become more involved: investors, developers, clients, contractors and occupiers, end to end.

End-to-end requires a collaborative approach to building accreditations

 Alongside changes in accreditations’ measurement, there is also a stronger focus on the full lifecycle of a project. Historically, assessment mechanisms have been static but the industry is beginning to adapt to working in a way where accreditations are a constant presence. This requires a collaborative approach — as the drive towards building sustainably gathers momentum, developers, contractors and occupiers will increasingly need to work together across the full lifecycle of a project.

 Because accreditations are now end-to-end, it is no longer acceptable for developers to tick a box and move on, effectively terminating responsibility at the point of handover. Increasingly, a culture of early contractor involvement is arising which extends from consultancy through to occupation, and there is a significant change in how we approach the aftercare of assets. Clear-cut transfer of responsibilities are ceasing to exist. To maintain a presence and enact a force for change through handover requires an industry-wide overhaul from the design phase through to contractor and asset manager involvement.

 While sustainable building design is already a priority, there is as yet no requirement to enforce sustainable practices past the point of handover. It’s not clear if this will need to be realised on a contractual basis or whether the market will shift more naturally towards green practices — thereby fulfilling client expectations organically. Arranging Green Leases with tenants is a potential avenue towards creating more sustainable buildings, i.e., explaining how occupiers should use the building in order to minimise operational energy as part of the lease agreement. It is also entirely possible that as people become more aware of the climate crisis, tenants will use buildings in a more consciously green way, thereby negating the need for a contract that stipulates the terms of use. It remains to be seen but will have to be monitored and assessed continuously.

 The culture of accountability and collaborative approach created by the new wave of building accreditations is what will deliver lasting change in the industry. The incremental, intentional, collaborative progress they engender will ultimately drive the industry towards a more sustainable future.

 With greater accountability and a more end-to-end approach, we’re on the right path as an industry

There is a question mark over how best to proceed in terms of building efficiently for the longer term, and as of yet we don’t have all the answers. What matters is that by using the many accreditations available as a road map, we are on the right path as an industry — intentionally making the design and operation of our buildings more productive, green and inclusive, consciously building a better future.

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