Sustainability assessments

We consistently work at the forefront of sustainable construction and building technology

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Speller Metcalfe is at the forefront of construction for our work within sustainability, with a dedicated environmental team who work across the Group to advise and support on some of the UK’s most innovative schemes.

Through early engagement, we work collaboratively with our clients to help them achieve best practice, which is informed by a number of national and global standards.

BREEAM

BREEAM is sustainability assessment method that is employed all over the world to specify and measure the sustainable performance of a building across a range of categories (such as biodiversity and energy) to evaluate a building’s specification, design, construction and use.

By implementing a BREEAM project, this will ultimately lead to reduced life cycle costs and increases in asset value, building user experience and health and risk mitigation.

Speller Metcalfe holds the achievement for the highest rated BREEAM building in the world.

SKA rating

Previously managed by RICS, SKA rating is an environmental assessment methodology and benchmarking tool for fit-outs.

By working to SKA guidance, we are able to carry out an informal self-assessment of the environmental performance of the fit-out, which can then be commissioned and quality-assured by an accredited SKA assessor, and benchmarked against other SKA rated industry projects.

Passivhaus

The Passivhaus standard delivers proven strategies for creating net-zero-ready buildings – both new and existing – that no only contribute to decarbonisation but  promote occupant health and well-being while using minimal energy for heating and cooling.

Speller Metcalfe has not only delivered a number of Passivhaus projects, but has several experts who are Certified Passive House Tradespersons, demonstrating and evidencing their ability to deliver Passivhaus schemes from design stage through to realisation.

Soft Landings

Soft Landings aims to solve the performance gap between design aspirations and operational performance at all stages of a project (inception, design, construction, handover and occupation), with a particular focus on post-completion as the client takes over responsibility for the running of their building.

The approved design process provides a step-by-step guide from the contractor for the client / project team, demonstrating building systems and processes that will help to avoid future pitfalls and ensure a building is being run at its optimum performance.

Whole life costing

Life Cycle Analysis (also known as Whole Life Costing) is a technique to establish the total cost of constructing and running a building through its entire lifespan – from acquisition to refurbishment and even its eventual demolition.

It can also be used to ascertain the most cost effective design for a building, which may include selecting the most suitable building materials and systems, taking into account occupier comfort levels including health and well being, assessing the building’s durability and minimising future maintenance problems (e.g. accessing and replacing various components).