Client Name: Five-star luxury hotel with 267 rooms
Type of Project: BREEAM International In-Use: Commercial Version 6
Location: The Strand, London, WC2R 0EZ
BREEAM International In-Use: Commercial Version 6
The five-star luxury hotel on the River Thames, in the heart of London in the City of Westminster. They have been at the forefront of the luxury hotel scene for over 130 years and set new standards for luxury and comfort.
Sustain Quality were appointed to carry out a BREEAM In-Use Part 1 Asset Performance and Part 2 Management Performance assessment to assess, encourage, and reward environmental, social, and economic sustainability of the asset’s performance and management.
Our role was to assist the client in understanding their commitment to fully comply with the BREEAM credit criteria to achieve a ‘Good’ rating in Part 1 and a ‘Very Good’ rating in Part 2. This was done through continuous communication, guidance, and assessment of evidence.
Scope of Works
The project included work to align renovations with BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) standards and ongoing support for participation in our sustainability measurement and management platform.
Tools for Task Implementation
The BREEAM In-use categories are used to assess performance, benchmark and certify in two parts: Part 1, Asset Performance and Part 2, Management Performance. Both parts were used to assess 267 5-star luxury hotel.
Within each of the categories, credits were targeted, and scores were achieved through robust evidence.
Challenges for Task Implementation
Challenges in gathering documentation arose from limited access to complete information and multiple teams and departments’ involvement.
Solutions
We collaborated closely with the building management team and engineers, providing technical guidance and consulting services to ensure they understood the specific requirements.
Additionally, we implemented the use of progress trackers to monitor advancements and keep the team motivated and engaged, ensuring project deadlines stayed on track.
Highlights
In Part 1 of the assessment, the five-star luxury hotel performed commendably with user comfort control, achieving 4 out of 4 credits, ensuring asset users have control of temperature and ventilation in occupied spaces.
The highest score percentages were achieved in the Energy and Transport issues with practices including:
– Providing appropriate public transport, helping to reduce pollution and congestion, featuring 2 bus stops 2 underground stations and 1 train station within 500 metres of the building.
– Enabling safe access to nearby amenities, with 4 amenities within 500 metres of the building, including outdoor space, a fitness and sports facility, an ATM, and a grocery retailer, reducing transport-related impact
– Reducing energy use and carbon emissions through efficient external lighting.
– Providing zoned temperature controls, reducing unnecessary energy consumption.
In Part 2 of the assessment, the 267 5-star luxury hotel performed commendably with maintenance policies and procedures, achieving 11 out of 11 credits, recognising and encouraging best building maintenance practices.
The highest score percentages were achieved in the Resources and Water issues with practices including:
– High procurement of more sustainable products and services
– Reducing resource consumption and facilitating the reuse, repurposing and recycling of waste resources from the asset.
– Ensuring building users and building management understand set water efficiency improvement targets.
– Promoting reduced utility-supplied water consumption through encouraging strategies that focus on water efficiency and reduction of wastage.
Key Achievements
By having good environmental, social and governance (ESG) management strategies and practices, five-star luxury hotel achieved a BREEAM International In-Use: Commercial Version 6 ‘Good’ certification in Part 1 and a ‘Very Good’ certification in Part 2.
Benefits of BREEAM In-Use Certification for Clients
BREEAM In-Use certification helps to identify areas for improvements, optimising building performance and management practices, resulting in enhanced efficiency, lower operational costs and carbon emissions, supporting a route to net zero.
It supports disclosures and reporting requirements and differentiates the building, supporting their economic and social value.
Additionally, BREAM supports disclosures and reporting requirements by aligning with EU and UK taxonomies, mapping the BREEAM schemes with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), providing independent third-party assurance on asset performance and sustainability, a method for obtaining green finance and measuring success, and contributing to ESG.
Location
The Strand, London, WC2R 0EZ