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Insight
Home Insights Certifications shaping sustainable fit outs
With two thirds of UK occupiers now willing to pay a premium for sustainable office space (JLL), sustainability certifications are shaping more and more fit out decisions. Standards like BREEAM, LEED, WELL, NABERS and SKArating are creating healthier, lower carbon, higher performing workplaces. Here’s what each one means and how it influences the fit out process
BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is the UK’s leading environmental certification for buildings and is widely recognised across the property industry.
The BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit Out standard provides a structured way to assess the sustainability of Cat A and Cat B projects. It evaluates performance across nine categories: energy, water, materials, waste, pollution, transport, health and wellbeing, land use and ecology and management. BREEAM assessments cover early design decisions, through to construction, post completion and aftercare. BREEAM includes requirements for everyone involved in a project, making it a complete and holistic process. Ratings range from Pass to Outstanding and help organisations demonstrate credible environmental performance aligned with UK environmental expectations.
Reed Smith awarded BREEAM Excellent
SKA is an environmental assessment method designed specifically for office, retail and higher education fit outs. It focuses on the practical choices made during a fit out project and how these decisions influence the overall environmental impact of the space.
SKA assesses a project against a set of good practice measures that cover energy and carbon, materials, pollution, resource management, water and project delivery. SKA has standards for higher education, retail and a newly updated standard for offices.
Unlike whole building certifications, SKA focuses on what a fit out can directly control, such as responsibly sourced materials, reduced site waste and efficient lighting, rather than the impact of the base build. Projects are rated Bronze, Silver or Gold based on the measures achieved. It offers a clear, flexible and cost effective way to improve sustainability outcomes.
Durham Business School achieved a SKA HE Gold rating
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a global sustainability certification, commonly used by multinational organisations seeking consistent environmental standards across different countries.
A programme developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it provides a framework for designing, constructing and operating sustainable buildings. It assesses projects for sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources and indoor environmental quality. Certification levels span from Certified to Platinum and provide an internationally recognised benchmark for environmentally responsible fit outs.
Capital Group received a LEED Gold rating
WELL, developed by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), is a global building standard focused on how the built environment supports the health and wellbeing of the people who use it.
Rather than measuring operational carbon or resource efficiency, WELL looks at the human experience inside a space and how design, specification and management practices can actively improve it. The WELL Building Standard is structured around ten concepts: air, water, nourishment, light, movement, thermal comfort, sound, materials, mind and community.
Achieving certification signals a commitment to creating healthier, more supportive workplaces that enhance comfort, reduce stress and improve overall productivity.
Rabobank awarded a WELL Certification
NABERS is a performance based rating system that measures the actual operational efficiency of buildings, rather than predicted performance at design stage. Originally developed in Australia, it has been adopted in the UK to provide a clear and reliable way of understanding how buildings truly perform once they are occupied and to try and reduce the performance gap of buildings.
NABERS UK focuses on energy use and rates buildings on a scale of one to six stars based on real consumption data, only certifying them after a full year of occupation. The scheme encourages continuous improvement and gives owners and occupiers a transparent benchmark for comparing performance across their property portfolios.
Landsec's workplace awaiting a NABERS certification
Fitwel is a global building certification system that focuses on creating healthier, more equitable environments for the people who use them. Developed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the General Services Administration, it provides a practical, evidence based framework for improving the wellbeing of occupants through design and operational strategies.
Fitwel evaluates projects across a series of categories that influence physical, mental and social health. These include indoor environmental quality, access to healthy food, opportunities for physical activity, connectivity to outdoor spaces, wayfinding, safety and community wellbeing. Each strategy carries a points value and buildings are awarded a one, two or three star rating depending on their score.
For fit out projects, Fitwel is valued for its flexibility and straightforward documentation process, making it accessible for organisations that want to demonstrate a commitment to occupant health without undertaking a more intensive certification.
Canada Life, a Fitwel certified workplace
INSIGHTS