Client Name: IQ Building
Type of Project: BREEAM International In-Use: Commercial Version 6
Location: 15 Justice Mill Lane Aberdeen, AB11 6EQ
Scope of BREEAM International In-Use: Commercial Version 6
The IQ Building is a prestigious multi-tenanted Grade A office building with a gross internal floor area of 13,776 m2 located in the heart of Aberdeen city centre, on the south side of Justice Mill Lane. It benefits from its proximity to Union Street, which offers various local amenities and excellent transport links. Completed in 2011, the IQ Building comprises a modern six-story building configured around a spacious four-story atrium with a double-height entrance hall.
Sustain Quality were appointed to carry out a BREEAM In-Use Assessment for the IQ Building, with the aim of BREEAM to assess, encourage and reward environmental, social and economic sustainability of the building.
Our role was to assist the client in understanding their commitment to fully comply with the BREEAM credit criteria to achieve a ‘Very Good’ rating. This was done through continuous communication, guidance, and assessment of evidence submitted by building management.
Tools for Task Implementation
The BREEAM In-use categories are used to assess performance, benchmark and certify in two parts. Part 2, Management Performance was used to assess IQ Building.
Within each of the categories, credits were targeted, and scores were achieved through robust evidence.
Challenges for Task Implementation
The requirements in V6 of the BREEAM In-Use manual are more rigorous compared to the previous version, which required adjustments in the building management’s processes and practices to ensure adherence to the new version.
Collecting evidence proved to be challenging due to limited access and incomplete information. Stakeholder engagement issued further complicated the process, affecting data collection and analysis.
Solutions
We collaborated closely with the building management team, 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
IQ Building performed commendably in maintenance procedures, achieving 6 out 6 credits, ensuring effective maintenance of building elements and services, including policies, procedures and setting periodic schedules.
The highest score percentages were achieved in Management, Water, and Energy. The practices include:
Management
– Provision of a Building User Guide enabling users to understand and operate the building efficiently.
– Meetings with building users are carried out regularly to promote awareness and gather feedback.
– Environmental policy that identifies and sets targets for improvement.
– Sustainable refurbishment guide outlining procedures and strategies for adapting the asset to future demands.
Water
– Water usage is monitored through invoices, meetings, and monthly analysis.
– Sustainable refurbishment guide outlining adaptation strategies.
– Water strategy, including replacing water appliances and fittings with low water use equivalents during refurbishment and a proactive maintenance strategy and logs for installed water systems.
Energy
– Sublet areas fully equipped with submeters
– Energy consumption is monitored monthly
– Ventilation and other small power sources, such as lighting in transitional areas, are equipped with sub-meters.
– Targets in place and reviewed regularly (at least annually) to reduce carbon emissions.
Key Achievements
By having good environmental, social and governance (ESG) management strategies and practices, the IQ Building achieved a BREEAM International In-Use: Commercial Version 6 ‘Very Good’ certification.
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
15 Justice Mill Lane Aberdeen, AB11 6EQ