Buildings and their construction are responsible for approximately 30% of fossil fuel consumption and they produce a high percentage of residues. For this reason there are a number of environmental assessment methods for buildings.
The assessment methods are tools that permit us to measure the environmental impact of existent buildings and future constructions. The aim of these methods is to:
- Reduce buildings’ impact on the environment.
- Implement a renown ecologic label.
- Carry out a public comparative between buildings.
- Establish criteria and standards that are more exhaustive than those of the existing legislation.
- Encourage the technological innovations in the construction market.
- Promote the demand for environmental friendly buildings.
- Empower the organisations with the capacity to demonstrate their improvements in corporate social responsibility.
Environmental assessment methods for buildings
There are several methods of which the most important are:
- LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an American method that evaluates the facility’s environmental impact, the water consumption, the energy efficiency, the choice of the materials used, the interior environmental quality and the innovation. The building typology includes, but is not limited to, offices, institutional buildings, retail and services establishments, hotels and residential buildings. It’s the most spread method world-wise speaking. The different evaluation labels are Silver, Gold and Platinum.
- BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment) is a British method that evaluates the energy and water use, the internal environment (health and well-being), pollution, transport, materials, waste, ecology and management processes. It’s the oldest method. The different evaluation labels are Pass, Good, Very Good, and Excellent.
In Top Management we have an Environment Department with personnel who are qualified to act as BREEAM, LEED and also HQE assessors.
