Southwest Environmental Limited

Examples of Projects Using BREEAM

Project 1 - Deer's Wood Primary School (Now Kings Forest)

The old Deer's Wood School in south Gloucestershire was demolished and rebuilt the target BREEAM rating was Very Good.

South Gloucestershire Council

South Gloucestershire Council requires that all new council buildings achieve as minimum a Very Good BREEAM rating. The design, engineering and landscape architecture was all carried out in house by the Council in house.

The finished project achieved a score of 59.9%. It scored highly in Water Saving (72%) and in pollution (72%).

Environmental Features included sedum roofs (right), to increase bio-diversity and provide additional thermal insulation.

BREEAM Features

It also included integral blinds (left) to control solar gain during the summer months. Solar gain is the heating that occurs from sun shining through a window and in to a well insulated space. This is great in the winter, but in the summer can cause over heating.

High Levels of natural daylight were also encouraged, this helps with concentration and keep energy bills down, and associated carbon foot prints of energy use.

Image: Tomwsulcer [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons

Project 2 - Frenchay Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit

Again in south Gloucestershire this project was required to meet a "very good" BREEAM standard.

The building design made good use of natural light and used water saving and energy efficient fittings to ensure its meeting of the intended BREEAM standards. BREEAM Green Guide. Solar Thermal Panels were specified to partially cater for the buildings energy demands, as it was envisaged large volumes of hot water would be required, and as solar thermal panels are more efficient than photo voltaic, it was considered best that this option should be exploited to meet 10% of the buildings energy requirements.

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Technical Article: Understanding BREEAM Methodologies

BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) serves as the leading science-based suite of validation and certification systems for a sustainable built environment. At Southwest Environmental Limited (SWEL), we utilize these methodologies to provide a robust framework for assessing environmental performance throughout the lifecycle of a project.

Application of the BREEAM Framework

The core of BREEAM methodology lies in its ability to quantify the environmental impact of development across various categories. Our technical articles and consultancy services focus on the following key areas:

• Ecological Enhancement: Implementing Preliminary Ecological Appraisals (PEA) and BNG methodologies to satisfy BREEAM credits for ecology and biodiversity.
• Material Lifecycle Assessment: Utilizing Whole Life Carbon Assessments (WLCA) to determine the embodied energy of building materials in line with BREEAM Mat 01 requirements.
• Site Management Protocols: Developing Site Waste Management Plans (SWMP) and construction environmental management strategies.

Technical Rigor and Certification Support

Adhering to BREEAM methodologies requires precise data collection and reporting to ensure that developments meet the intended performance levels. Our role involves providing the technical evidence base—such as Lighting Assessments or SuDS Strategies—necessary for successful certification.

Consultancy Experience and Standards

With a 15-year track record and over 900 projects completed, SWEL offers the professional accreditation (IES/IAQM/BIAC) required to navigate complex BREEAM methodologies. Led by Will Thorpe, we provide technical authority to developers and planners, ensuring that sustainability objectives are met through verifiable and transparent assessment methods.