Sustainable Biophilic Design And green building Certifications In The UK
Humans were always meant to coexist with nature. But over time, our lives, including the corporate spaces where we spend most of our lives, have become devoid of natural elements. All too often, the result is trying to work in spaces that feel uninspiring and can even harm our health.
Over the years, several environmental certifications and standards have been developed to improve the standard of our buildings, while also working to support wider sustainability objectives. In the UK, applicable programmes include BREEAM, Fitwel, NABERS UK, Passivhaus and WELL.
Biophilia translates to “love of life” and is a key aspect of the various global green building certifications.
While each certification is different, they commonly require consideration of a building’s energy use, water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and resource management. In addition, the environment itself contributes to the health and well-being of building occupants. Therefore, the use of greenery can be integral to meeting many of the requirements.
Here is an overview of the various UK environmental certifications that exist. Plus, how the Planteria team can help you achieve them for your next corporate building project.
P.S. Don’t see your green building or environmental certification listed below? If you are involved in developing or designing a corporate space in the UK, we may still be able to help you. Please contact us here at Planteria to discuss your requirements with us.
BREEAM stands for Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology. As a globally recognised scheme, BREEAM measures multiple aspects of a building to determine its overall environmental performance.
Key areas of the BREEAM assessment include carbon emissions, biodiversity protection and circular economy principles. Another criteria includes health and social impact, which looks to ensure that buildings have adequate air quality, ventilation and visual comfort.
With BREEAM being one of the best-known green building certifications internationally as well as in the UK, the entire Planteria team is well versed in the required standards your building may need to achieve. Therefore, we can ensure your project meets the very highest criteria within the solutions we provide.
Fitwel certification is based on the idea of promoting human health within the built environment. It comprises over 50 evidence-based and operational strategies to enhance health and wellbeing within our buildings.
Getting certified for Fitwell can look different depending on whether the building is classed as a new construction or a redevelopment. However, what Fitwel certification demonstrates is that the building is committed to improving the lives of not only those who use the building but also the surrounding communities.
At Planteria, we are very in tune with enhancing wellness in the workplace, including through the use of biophilia. Ask our experts about reducing stress and improving wellbeing in corporate spaces, including to achieve Fitwell certification in the UK.
Originally an Australian green building certification, NABERS UK is now overseen by the CIBSE. NABERS UK offers two types of green building certifications relating to designing for performance along with the energy efficiency of offices. For any corporate building looking to demonstrate its commitment to sustainability or achieve net zero, NABERS UK is a relevant certification to consider.
Various plants have been shown to improve energy efficiency within a building by providing natural insulation. If you are striving to achieve NABERS UK certification, our plant experts can curate the plants chosen with energy efficiency and designing for performance in mind.
The Net Zero Carbon Building Standard provides a set of guidance to achieve net zero buildings. It is a relatively new set of standards, which relate to how buildings can be designed or retrofitted to improve energy efficiency. The use of plants can enhance any green building measures in several ways.
As it happens, Planteria has also worked on projects directly relating to the green energy industry. Therefore, we have an intrinsic understanding of the need to provide greener solutions across all aspects of sustainability.
Passivhaus Certification (also known as Passive House Certification) covers a strict set of standards for building energy performance. While voluntary, a building classed as ultra energy efficient can have many advantages, which is why the Passivhaus standards are held in such high regard.
While achieving energy efficiency is a core focus of Passivhaus, there is also a need for occupant comfort and environmental sustainability. As we’ve established, plants can be used to enhance any efforts to improve energy efficiency, but most of all can offer a wealth of benefits to improve the built environment.
Plants can also be used to complement any Passivhaus project on a more holistic level. For instance, making your WFH space a more inspirational place to work.
The WELL Building Standard was developed by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI). It provides a way of measuring and certifying how the built environment impacts human health and wellbeing. The key criteria which are assessed as part of the WELL Building Standing include air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort, mind and innovation.
At Planteria, one of our core specialisms is improving the air quality of corporate spaces through the use of plants. With air quality being one of the main areas of assessment to obtain the WELL Building Standard, our team can ensure your building excels in this category. In addition, we can look at all other ways we can support your WELL application through our vast range of services.
