In recent years we have seen the development of a number of increasingly popular certification schemes related to sustainable building construction. Among the most relevant are the following:
–BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is an environmental assessment and certification system for buildings developed in the UK. It is used to assess the sustainability of a building in areas such as energy efficiency, water management, occupant health and well-being, waste management and biodiversity. Buildings can be given a Pass, Good, Very Good, Excellent or Outstanding rating based on their performance in these areas.
–LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an environmental assessment and certification system for buildings developed in the United States. Like BREEAM, LEED assesses a building’s sustainability in areas such as energy efficiency, water management, occupant health and well-being, and waste management. Buildings can be rated “Certified”, “Silver”, “Gold” or “Platinum”, depending on their performance in these environmental areas.
–VERDE is an environmental assessment and certification system developed by the Mexican Construction Institute. It is designed specifically for buildings constructed in Latin America, and takes into account environmental factors specific to the region, such as water resource management, climate change and resilience. Buildings can obtain a “Level I”, “Level II” or “Level III” rating according to their performance on these types of factors.
In summary, BREEAM, LEED and GREEN are sustainable building standards that provide a framework for the assessment and certification of the environmental performance of buildings. Although they are designed for different regions of the world, they all have as their ultimate goal the improvement of energy efficiency, water and waste management, care for biodiversity and the health and well-being of their occupants.
By Juan Guardiola Cutillas, Senior Architect in the Architecture Department of Amusement Logic
