What is BREEAM

BREEAM is the leading assessment method used to determine how sustainable and energy efficient buildings are which are measured across nine categories.

Created to bring a cost-effective way to ensure sustainable value to a development, it rewards efforts to engage in sustainability through concept to completion, whilst monitoring how the building performs in reality.

BREEAM rated developments are considered more sustainable environments which improve the well-being of the people who use them and help to protect natural resources, which in turn, make more appealing property investments and increase value.

The scheme is designed to encourage and support people who own or use the buildings to accomplish their sustainability targets, contributing to the infrastructure and society around them.

What are the nine categories for BREEAM?

BREEAM encompasses a broad range of the key sustainability issues into nine areas:
1. Energy – encourages the specification and design for energy efficient buildings.
2. Waste – encourages the management and re-use of construction and operational waste.
3. Water – encourages sustainable water usage.
4. Materials – encourages the steps taken to reduce the impact of construction materials through design, construction, maintenance and repair.
5. Health and Wellbeing – encourages the comfort and health of those occupying or visitors to the building and area.
6. Transport – encourages better access to sustainable means of transport for building users.
7. Pollution – encourages the prevention and control of pollution in the building and area surrounding.
8. Land use and ecology – encourages sustainable land use, habitat protection and biodiversity to the site’s land.
9. Management – encourages sustainable management practices are set and followed through to the operation of the building.

How can Hush help you in your quest for sustainability?

Hush recognise the need for responsibility to our customers, suppliers and staff members in the quest for sustainable development and aim to improve the environmental impact from our actions.

In order to do this, we will:

• Meet or improve upon relevant regulatory, legislative and environmental codes of practice.
• Consider the environmental effect during our decision-making processes.
• Develop our relationships with suppliers and customers to promote a responsible attitude towards the environment.
• Educate our staff members to enable activities to be carried out in an environmentally friendly manner.
• Purchase timber and sheet materials from recognised and certificated sustainable sources only.
• Support the use of recycled fibres in soft coverings and resilient layers.
• Promote recycling of waste and the re-use of packaging materials.
• Co-operate with the community, HM government and any regulatory body or interested party with the shared vision of being a good and trusted neighbour.

Hush Acoustics are actively committed through new initiatives with organisations such as the Department of Trade and Industry to develop innovative recycled materials for use within our manufacturing base.

We fully recognise and support the health and well-being of people and actively promote the benefits of acoustic insulation within buildings. Unwanted noise and high frequencies have proven to have detrimental effects on a person’s health, and we will continue to raise awareness of this and how our products can help towards a healthier environment.

This is inclusive of the effects poor sound insulation and reverberation noise can have within an educational setting and our efforts to ensure that these cases are resolved.

For more information on BREEAM Assessments and general enquiries about this initiative, contact the us here or send a quick message.