New Green Building Construction Standard Set to Hit US Market in 2019

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Since the dawn of green buildings, these projects have always been synonymous with LEED certification.  The process of obtaining that LEED certification has not always been an easy one for contractors; there is a ton of paperwork and documentation that needs to take place in order to prove all LEED credits have been rightfully earned.  A new construction standard, called BREEAM, is hoping to disrupt the United States’ green building certification world with its impending New Construction Standard Release in 2019.

BREEAM, which stands for Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method, has previously been used in over 560,000 certified buildings across 77 countries.  The company’s standard for existing buildings, called In-Use, launched in America in 2016, but they look to expand their program to New Construction beginning in early 2019.

With the help of HOK, a global design, architecture, engineering and planning firm, BRE (the company behind BREEAM) will begin piloting their New Construction Standard starting this summer, with full release to the public scheduled for January. This US version will be adapted to the American market.

Like LEED, points are earned for meeting certain criteria in the design and building phase.  Earn enough points and the certification is earned.  For reference, you can check out how the UK version of BREEAM New Construction works by clicking here.  

The most glaring difference between BREEAM and LEED is that, in order to be fully certified, BREEAM requires a licensed assessor to perform an on-site visit and inspection. It will be interesting to see if BREEAM can become as ubiquitous as LEED in the coming years, but keeping up on the standard could help your company land some business in the near future.

Full story: HOK Partners with BRE to Launch BREEAM New Construction Standard in USA | Business Wire

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