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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