The development of sustainability assessment tools for buildings undergoing rehabilitation is essential to this. Some of these tools can be used in many countries. However, this is not the case with BREEAM. BREEAM is divided into technical manuals for different types of buildings and works, either nationally or internationally. For the case of international rehabilitation works BREEAM has specifically developed its manual BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit-Out.\u00a0 According to the information provided by BREEAM Spain, it is expected that by 2025 there will be a version of BREEAM RFOI in Spanish and adapted to the Spanish regulations.\u00a0 Let\u2019s now look at its characteristics.<\/p>\n
What is BREEAM RFOI?<\/h4>\n
BREEAM RFOI is a specific assessment framework for buildings rehabilitation of those already built buildings, be they of any type (residential, office, industrial…). This would enable them to better assess their sustainability characteristics by offering them the opportunity to be more environmentally friendly and energy efficient.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThe BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit-out program offers an opportunity to address the sustainability requirements of the most demanding tenants, who not only want a certified building but also specific confirmation that their flats in the building are fully BREEAM compliant.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Hans van de Sanden, Sweco group.<\/span><\/p>\n
Benefits of applying the BREEAM RFOI program in your building.<\/h4>\n
The BREEAM RFOI programme offers a wide range of benefits for buildings, adapting to different types of construction and allowing comparisons between projects in an efficient way. This programme is particularly valuable for historic buildings by providing specific criteria that facilitate their conservation, while helping to reduce operating costs and those associated with demolition and reconstruction. In addition, BREEAM RFOI minimizes the use of natural resources, improving occupant comfort and consequently increasing productivity. It also plays a crucial role in reducing the performance gap between existing and new buildings, All this with an international application that raises awareness of sustainable design and promotes the adoption of more responsible practices in building construction and rehabilitation. We must not forget that healthy, comfortable and safe working environments contribute to increased occupant satisfaction, leading to lower staff turnover and increased productivity.<\/p>\n
As an advantage to highlight that we tell customers, is the ability of BREEAM RFOI to adapt to the scope of certification through flexible routes, which allow you to go by each route independently or mixing 2, 3 or 4 if we want. Each route has a specific weighted score, as the weight of each requirement varies depending on the scope of the work we are considering. Here we can see some of the parts:<\/p>\n
\n
- Part 1. Fabric and Structure<\/em><\/li>\n
- Part 2. Core Services<\/em><\/li>\n
- Part 3. Local Services<\/em><\/li>\n
- Part 4. Internal Design<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Case study: Landquart Commercial Office remodeling in Switzerland.<\/h4>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\nLandquart commercial office in Swiss<\/p><\/div>\n
The Landquart Fashion Outlet shopping center,<\/a> owned by Via Outlets, committed to renovating its offices in 2023 in order to be able to monitor its degree of sustainability. The evaluation obtained a very good BREEAM rating of 56.80% for the Landquart office building. The building demonstrated compliance with many of the BREEAM requirements:<\/span><\/p>\n
\n
- Sustainable construction management as well as efficient facilities commissioning.<\/li>\n
- Las oficinas incluyen escritorios autom\u00e1ticos \u201csit-stand\u201d, salas silenciosas personalizadas y sala de personal para descansos o reuniones informales, adem\u00e1s de m\u00f3dulos independientes para videollamadas o videollamadas privadas.<\/li>\n
- Advanced monitoring of all energy and water consumption systems, which is connected to a centralized management system. This allows the building manager to have a real-time reading of the operation of the installations and the consumption reduction options.
\nOffices include automatic “sit-stand” desks, custom quiet rooms and staff room for breaks or informal meetings, plus standalone modules for video calls or private video calls.<\/li>\n- Installation of efficient water consumption equipment with low flow taps.<\/li>\n
- The main contractor stablish a sustainable material sourcing protocol plan that favors the purchase and installation of products of proximity, recycled, with environmental product declaration, and with certificates of environmental management type ISO 14001.<\/li>\n
- Efficient management of construction waste based on a construction waste management plan that identifies the real possibilities for use and circular economy of materials in the construction site, both in demolition and construction processes.<\/li>\n
- Incorporation of a suitable ecology specialist who has validated a vegetation plan to introduct on the terraces shrub species adapted to the local climate. This improves the experience of the outdoor spaces and maintain a policy of native greening throughout the site.<\/li>\n
- Consider flood emergency plans to protect the building. This includes pre-studies and methods as flooding barriers. The building is also protected from lightning by a perimeter system that connects all metal elements such as metal trims and chutes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\nRehabilitation as a path to a sustainable future.<\/span><\/h4>\n
By opting for the rehabilitation and updating of existing buildings, we ensure that sustainability is not an achievable objective only for newly built buildings, thanks to tools such as BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit-Out, existing buildings can be transformed into more efficient spaces , ecological and aligned with current challenges in terms of sustainability, also improving the quality of life of its attendees. At ZEROCEM<\/a>, we have worked with several such projects before, and we are committed to this vision, helping to shape a more responsible and long-lasting built environment.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/pre>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/pre>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/zerocem.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Captura-de-pantalla-552.png\")