BREEAM USA  

San Francisco,  CA 
United States
http://www.breeam.com/usa
  • Booth: 315

Sustainable, resilient, healthy, productive buildings.

Overview

Created in 1990 by BRE (the Building Research Establishment), BREEAM was the first green building certification program and today is recognized as the world’s leading sustainability assessment method with over 2.3 million assets registered in 93 countries and 600,000+ certifications issued.  BRE currently offers two programs in the United States, In-Use and New Construction.

BREEAM In-Use is a rigorous, cost-effective and globally recognized online benchmarking and certification program for building sustainability performance. The standard integrates environmental performance (energy water and waste) with human health and well-being and resilience to protect the asset''s future valueBREEAM is developed using peer-reviewed building science.

BREEAM In-Use allows the independent assessment of the physical asset''s performance and building management, delivering valuable business information through benchmarking to improve performance and providing an option to certify the performance for global recognition of achievement.

Brands:BREEAM, CEEQUAL, LPCB, SABRE


  Press Releases

  • BOSTON--()--Leading real estate investment management firm TA Realty (‘TA’) announced today the successful certification of nine industrial assets under BREEAM’s In-Use certification standard in 2021. This achievement further demonstrates TA’s growing commitment to improve the sustainable performance of these traditionally complex industrial assets, and the firm currently plans to continue completing BREEAM certifications across its core industrial portfolio.

    The developments that have achieved BREEAM certification include nine assets which were constructed between 2016 and 2019, comprising nearly 6.7 million square feet of real estate across six states including Georgia, California, Florida, Illinois, Texas, and Washington. Notably, almost half of the assets received a perfect score in the Pollution category, while the overall highest rated categories across the portfolio of certified developments were Health & Wellbeing, Resources, and Resilience.

    “While most of the real estate industry has begun to seriously consider pathways to improved ESG performance, the industrial sector has historically lagged in the deployment of sustainable solutions, largely due to the limitations of a triple net approach,” noted Anne Peck, Vice President and Head of ESG+R at TA Realty. “For most players in the sector, solar power has been one of the only feasible options for improving sustainable performance without sacrificing financial success; with the guidance of BREEAM and its various resources, we’ve been able to achieve sustainable performance upgrades while maintaining our fiduciary duty to stakeholders and retaining a strong return on investment.”

    BREEAM, the leading science-based sustainability assessment developed by BRE Group (‘BRE’), was chosen by TA Realty based largely on the standard’s unique compatibility as the only certification program that offers independent pathways for certifying the physical performance and operational management of industrial assets. This provides the industrial sector with a means of evaluating the performance of assets. Beyond this alignment, TA partnered with BRE based on the extensive resources offered by the assessment platform throughout the certification process. Specifically, the firm was eager to tap into the on-site support and education BRE provides to the property management teams at each development — valuable context for the in-depth certification process and ongoing improvements that these teams will be required to maintain. By taking advantage of the top-tier client support offered by BRE and the expert insights from Longevity Partners (‘Longevity’) — the third-party assessor on this project — TA’s property managers have gained a better understanding of asset-specific opportunities for improved ESG performance.

    One significant benefit of using BREEAM is the platform’s holistic approach to asset performance, which looks closely at factors that extend beyond environmental impact, such as resilience and health and wellbeing of occupants/tenants.

    “We’re thrilled to work with TA Realty to demonstrate the possibilities for continued sustainable improvement within the industrial market,” said Breana Wheeler, US Director of Operations at BRE. “At a time where real estate firms can feel heavily pressured to deploy ESG initiatives quickly to be seen as taking action, TA has taken a more deliberate and intentional approach to ensure thoughtful, significant improvement at each of the assets included in this project. We look forward to seeing how the measured benefits of this meaningful sustainable strategy influences other leaders in the sector as we continue to work with TA on further certification.”

    The assets’ certification process was led by an independent third-party assessor at Longevity, who played a critical role in supporting TA’s achievement of sustainability goals at each of the nine assets and completing the third-party verification of each building's sustainable quality and ESG performance.

    “Longevity Partners is honored to be the certification partner of choice for TA Realty’s portfolio-wide certification across the US," said Sarah Welton, Business Growth Director at Longevity Partners. “We understand the value of certification in creating a global, comparable and data-driven benchmark for real estate sustainability and we are uniquely positioned to help our clients execute their ESG strategy, future proof their assets and ultimately, safeguard their business’ long-term returns.”

    About TA Realty

    TA Realty is among the largest and most experienced providers of real estate investment management services to U.S. and non-U.S. institutional investors. Since its inception in 1982, TA Realty has managed more than $35 billion of real estate assets through core, core-plus and value-add strategies and customized separate/advisory accounts. TA Realty’s investment philosophy focuses on creating diversified real estate portfolios that aim to generate strong cash flow, receive intensive asset management and seek to achieve long-term value creation. For nearly four decades, TA Realty has maintained this philosophy through multiple real estate and economic cycles, a strength recognized by pension funds, endowments, foundations and high net worth individuals. For more information, please visit www.tarealty.com.

    About BRE & BREEAM

    BRE delivers innovative and rigorous products, services, standards and qualifications which are used around the globe to make buildings better for people and for the environment. For a century we have provided government and industry with cutting edge research and testing to make buildings safer and more sustainable. Learn more at www.bregroup.com.

    BREEAM is the world’s leading science-based suite of validation and certification systems for sustainable built environment. Since 1990, its third-party certified standards have helped improve asset performance at every stage, from design through construction, to use and refurbishment. Millions of buildings across the world are registered to work towards BREEAM’s holistic approach to achieve ESG, health and Net Zero goals. It is owned by BRE - a profit-for-purpose organization with over 100 years of building science and research background. Learn more at www.breeam.com/usa.

    About Longevity Partners

    Operating in over 40 countries, across four continents and for more than 100 institutional investors across all asset classes, Longevity Partners provides all services required to future-proof property investment portfolios. From carbon foot-printing to climate risk and ESG strategy development and implementation, our experts provide all the tools to respond to ESG performance requirements from pension funds and asset owners. Longevity works hand-in-hand with real estate owners to position their assets for the demands of tomorrow, while improving the well-being of users and net operating income today. For further information, please visit https://www.longevity-partners.com/.

  • BOSTON--()--Iron Mountain (NYSE: IRM), a global leader in innovative storage, data center infrastructure, asset lifecycle management and information management services, today announced the BREEAM design certification of its Phoenix, AZ (AZP-2) data center — the first data center in North America to receive this top tier certification for building to a standard considered the highest for sustainable construction.

    Iron Mountain is taking the lead on demonstrating the steps facility owners can take to ensure that their data centers are both efficient and resilient. Design for the AZP-2 facility has been certified under BREEAM’s New Construction standard, a globally recognized green building certification for new developments, and achieved BREEAM Excellent.

    “By intentionally designing and constructing data centers to optimize performance, we help to ensure a sustainable, interconnected future,” said Chris Pennington, Director of Energy & Sustainability for Iron Mountain. “BREEAM certification demonstrates a comprehensive approach to achieve results — from site selection and materials to energy use and the well-being of future occupants — and we look forward to continued partnerships with sustainability experts like BREEAM and Longevity Partners to demonstrate leadership for ESG performance and green buildings in the data center industry.”

    Throughout the design stage for the project, Iron Mountain implemented notable measures to significantly improve the performance of AZP-2, including producing detailed energy use simulations and models, refining the building material selection, and reducing water consumption by more than 50% to reduce the costs and carbon emissions of future tenants. Today, Iron Mountain has long term renewable energy contracts which already offset more than 100% of our data center energy requirements and we have committed to achieve 100% renewable energy use 100% of the time by 2040. Moreover, today’s announcement places Iron Mountain firmly on the path announced last year that all new construction of multi-tenant data centers will be BREEAM certified by 2025.

    “The construction pipeline for data centers in the U.S. has continued to grow in recent years with no signs of slowing down any time soon, so it’s great to see an industry leader like Iron Mountain take charge in implementing a higher sustainability standard throughout its design and development processes,” said Breana Wheeler, Director of U.S. Operations at BRE. “As the national portfolio of data centers continues to expand, we look forward to adding value to owners and operators by providing a holistic, transparent assessment method that produces more valuable assets.”

    The design certification of AZP-2 was supported by the project’s third-party assessor team at the leading multi-disciplinary energy and sustainability consultancy, Longevity Partners. “At Longevity, we pride ourselves on supporting real estate professionals navigate the most difficult ESG scenarios within the built world, and we’re proud to have supported Iron Mountain’s immense success in certifying this complex data center asset,” said Etienne Cadestin, CEO of Longevity Partners. “We look forward to continuing to expand our relationship and guide the Iron Mountain team as they pursue additional certifications across their portfolio.”

    About Iron Mountain Incorporated
    Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE: IRM) is a global leader in innovative storage, data center infrastructure, asset lifecycle management and information management services. Founded in 1951 and trusted by more than 225,000 customers worldwide, Iron Mountain helps customers CLIMB HIGHER™ to transform their businesses. Through a range of services including digital transformation, data centers, secure records storage, information management, asset lifecycle management, secure destruction, and art storage and logistics, Iron Mountain helps businesses bring light to their dark data, enabling customers to unlock value and intelligence from their stored digital and physical assets at speed and with security, while helping them meet their environmental goals. To learn more about Iron Mountain, please visit: www.IronMountain.com and follow @IronMountain on Twitter and LinkedIn.

    About BRE & BREEAM
    BRE delivers innovative and rigorous products, services, standards and qualifications which are used around the globe to make buildings better for people and for the environment. For a century we have provided government and industry with cutting edge research and testing to make buildings safer and more sustainable. Learn more at www.bregroup.com.

    BREEAM is the world’s leading science-based suite of validation and certification systems for a sustainable built environment. Since 1990, its third-party certified standards have helped improve asset performance at every stage, from design through construction, to use and refurbishment. Millions of buildings across the world are registered to work towards BREEAM’s holistic approach to achieve ESG, health and Net Zero goals. It is owned by BRE - a profit-for-purpose organization with over 100 years of building science and research background. Learn more at www.breeam.com/usa.

    About Longevity Partners
    Longevity Partners is a multi-disciplinary energy and sustainability consultancy, founded in 2015 to support businesses in the transition to a low carbon economy worldwide. We provide strategic guidance, compliance support and innovative solutions to property investors, developers and occupiers. We enable them to achieve their energy and resource efficiency targets, reduce their environmental impact, future-proof their businesses and unlock their full commercial potential.

  • TRACY, Calif.--()--BREEAM, the globally recognized leading sustainability assessment method developed by BRE Global (‘BRE’), has announced that Mountain Technology Center —MetLife Investment Management’s 513,000-square-foot development featuring five state-of-the-art manufacturing warehouses in Tracy, California — is the first development in the U.S. to earn BREEAM International New Construction (‘INC’) certification. This certification, several years in the making, kicked off in June 2018 when MetLife Investment Management chose BREEAM specifically for its holistic approach to sustainability assessment and its global reputation for credibility and rigor.

    BREEAM’s INC certification is awarded to new developments, with the rating confirming the as-built performance of a building after construction is complete — referred to as the Post-Construction Stage. BREEAM also offers an interim rating at the end of the Design Stage for an asset, which assesses the expected and intended performance based on the completed design.

    “As the commercial real estate industry continues to pursue more quantitative efforts toward achieving meaningful ESG goals, investors and owners are looking for a science-based solution with an established international reputation to deliver better buildings and transparently communicate performance to stakeholders,” said Breana Wheeler, US Director of Operations at BRE. “MetLife Investment Management recognizes the benefit of BREEAM’s holistic sustainability assessment approach, just as we at BREEAM are thrilled to be working with such a powerful industry voice to further promote a commitment to ESG goals and performance transparency across multiple sectors. We look forward to continuing to work with MetLife Investment Management, creating a positive influence in the market that serves as a model for emulation, and we expect to see more INC certifications nationally in the near future.”

    Pursuit of this certification began late in the design stage, providing a unique opportunity for MetLife Investment Management to understand and evaluate how sustainability can be incorporated into the standard design process. It also emphasized the importance of considering sustainability explicitly from the beginning of the design and development process to deliver an asset that meets the increasingly elevated ESG goals in the commercial real estate industry. In the Industrial sector, there are significant challenges associated with developing facilities to meet high sustainability performance goals when there doesn’t appear to be a specific, measurable premium achieved by doing so.

    By choosing BREEAM, MetLife Investment Management is establishing itself as a clear leader that is setting the precedent for sustainability initiatives across the industrial sector. MetLife Investment Management’s eagerness to assess the performance of their development against such a rigorous global standard demonstrates its willingness to hold itself accountable as the commercial real estate industry begins to take a stand against greenwashing, and it highlights the organization’s commitment to developing assets poised to deliver long-term value to stakeholders.

    "As real estate professionals are increasingly tasked with the development of more sustainable and ESG-friendly buildings, there is immense value in benchmarking the sustainable progress of an asset throughout each stage of development,” said Jim Landau, Head of Environmental, Social & Governance at MetLife Investment Management. “Undertaking this project has allowed us to collect quality data and has provided us with an opportunity to measure sustainable performance progress against ESG goals and commitments — a critical component of delivering meaningful improvements.”

    Components of Mountain Technology Center’s commendable rating include receiving full credit for efficient external lighting, including fixtures using photosensors and motion detectors to reduce power and light pollution, and providing benefits which encourage the building’s users to travel via low carbon options, including 10% of parking being allocated to carpooling spaces or “Clean Air” vehicle spaces. Mountain Technology Center also scores notably well in reducing water usage, utilizing a drip irrigation system and smart controllers that facilitate water savings at an estimated 74% below the amounts allowed under California ordinances.

    The assessment was conducted by Socotec and led by John Amatruda, Principal and licensed BREEAM Assessor.

    “One feature of this asset that supported a high rating was the strong resiliency and protection against damage — a performance measure that is fairly unique to the BREEAM assessment method, but significantly important as it pertains to a building’s sustainability,” said Mr. Amatruda. “When quantifying Mountain Technology Center’s resiliency performance, factors that came into consideration included the durable envelope materials, protection of loading docks and external entryways, and ample separation of the parking from the building envelope.”

    While this is the first U.S. development to receive the INC certification, BREEAM has awarded over 600,000 certificates in 93 countries since BREEAM was first launched in 1990.

    For more information on BREEAM and its New Construction certification, please visit: https://www.breeam.com/usa-new-construction/.

    About BRE & BREEAM

    BRE is a world leading, multi-disciplinary, building science center with a mission to improve buildings and infrastructure, through cutting-edge research and knowledge generation. BRE maintains a range of products, services, standards and qualifications that are used around the world to bring about positive change in the built environment. Learn more at www.bregroup.com.

    BREEAM is the world’s leading science-based suite of validation and certification systems for sustainable built environment. Since 1990, its third-party certified standards have helped improve asset performance at every stage, from design through construction, to use and refurbishment. Millions of buildings across the world are registered to work towards BREEAM’s holistic approach to achieve ESG, health and Net Zero goals. It is owned by BRE - a profit-for-purpose organization with over 100 years of building science and research background.