Setting the standard

As businesses strive to be more efficient from the outside of their building in, there’s no one better to learn from than two of the biggest names in the industry, BREAAM and WELL.

BREEAM

The world’s most established method of assessing, rating and certifying the sustainability of buildings, BREEAM (The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) has developed into a family of schemes which cover a building’s entire lifecycle. Evaluating a building from initial plans through to operation, the scheme focuses on assessing all existing non-domestic building types against nine environmental categories:

• Energy
• Land use and ecology
• Water
• Health and wellbeing
• Pollution
• Transport
• Materials
• Waste
• Management

WELL

The International WELL Building Institute is the leading global movement to transform our buildings and communities in a way that helps people thrive. Launched in October 2014, the WELL Building Standard sets the pace for buildings, interior spaces and communities seeking to implement, validate and measure features that support and advance wellness. WELL’s comprehensive, holistic standard consists of features that address 10 concepts:

• Air
• Water
• Nourishment
• Light
• Movement
• Thermal comfort
• Sound
• Materials
• Mind
• Community

With both standards so highly regarded, the question is, why wouldn’t you want to comply? Aside from potential cost savings and reduction of waste, organisations may be pleasantly surprised by the social benefits too. Attracting talent can be tricky for many sectors, so being certified by BREEAM, WELL or both may be a key recruitment aid. A workplace that prioritises the comfort of employees along with environmental initiatives can reap the rewards of a better public image.