Boosting BREEAM Scores with Rockfon: A Step-by-Step Guide

Summary

This article provides a comprehensive guide to achieving BREEAM certification, focusing on the strategic use of Rockfon solutions. It outlines the process, highlights key BREEAM categories, and explains how Rockfon products can contribute to a higher rating. By following these steps and considering Rockfon’s offerings, building projects can significantly enhance their sustainability performance and achieve BREEAM certification.

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Main Story

Okay, so navigating BREEAM, yeah it can feel like a real uphill battle at times. But, honestly, with the right approach and, crucially, the right tools, getting a high rating? Totally doable. Let me walk you through some key steps to boost that BREEAM score, focusing on how you can strategically use Rockfon solutions.

First up, and this is non-negotiable in my book:

Step 1: Get Yourself a Licensed BREEAM Assessor.

Seriously, find a good one. Their expertise, it’s like the secret sauce to this whole process. They’ll guide you through everything, from the initial registration right to the final assessment. Starting early with their input just makes the process so much smoother. You want to bake sustainability in from the very beginning. It’s not something you just add at the end, you know?

Step 2: BREEAM Categories, Get to Know Them.

There’s ten of them, so, it’s a bit of a list. We’re talking Management, Health and Wellbeing, Energy, Transport, Water, Materials, Waste, Land Use and Ecology, Pollution, and Innovation. Each one is there to check specific aspects of how sustainable a building is. You’ll need to have a good grip on what each one entails.

Step 3: Rockfon, Where They Really Shine.

Rockfon, you know, with their acoustic ceiling systems, they can actually have a pretty big impact on several BREEAM categories. So, lets dig into how that actually happens:

• Health and Wellbeing (Hea): Now, this is where Rockfon really comes into its own. Their acoustic solutions are just fantastic at boosting indoor air quality, specifically in sound absorbtion. Think quieter, healthier spaces. Less noise pollution is a big plus, which directly contributes to Hea 05 (acoustic performance). It just feels better in there. I’ve worked on projects where the difference with acoustic solutions like Rockfon’s is noticeable from the moment you walk in.

• Materials (Mat): The cool thing about Rockfon is that they make their products from stone wool. It’s durable and recyclable – a real win-win. It lines up perfectly with Mat 01 (Life Cycle Impacts) and Mat 03 (Responsible Sourcing). And you know, the fact that Rockfon ceilings can last, what, 50 years? It makes perfect sense from a material efficiency viewpoint too (Mat 06). No need for constant replacements, which is just a smart approach.

• Waste (Wst): Rockfon really seems to care about sustainability, and their commitment to circularity is impressive. Their products are fully recyclable. That’s a big tick for Wst 01 (Construction Waste Management). It aligns perfectly with the waste reduction principles throughout a building’s life cycle. And further to that, because the systems are so adaptable, its pretty great for Wst 06 (Functional Adaptability) too. You can make future mods, no massive waste generation.

Step 4: Design, Construction – Make it Smart.

You need to really work closely with your BREEAM assessor, and the design team. It’s all about optimizing your design, construction practices. Basically, use the right Rockfon product in the right area. That maximises the impact on the BREEAM categories where it counts.

Step 5: Document Everything

This is critical, no joke. You have to have clear documentation proving you’ve met all the BREEAM requirements. This is where you work with your assessor to showcase all the sustainable aspects of the project, all that work, all the Rockfon. Show how it all contributes to specific credits.

Step 6: Go for Gold, Err, ‘Outstanding’ Rating

Aim high, right? While getting any BREEAM certification is something to be proud of, going for ‘Outstanding’ means real commitment. If you use innovative strategies and take full advantage of the Rockfon solutions and what it brings to the table, you’ll be in a good position to strive for the highest level.

By following these simple steps and using the sustainable features of Rockfon solutions, your project will not only reach the required BREEAM levels, but also add to a greener built environment. It will also enhance the wellbeing of people who use those spaces, and reduce the overall environmental impact.

It’s worth saying, you know, that monitoring and maintenance is important to keep the performance levels across the building’s lifetime. And just as a heads up, it’s January 29, 2025, right now; and, this information is correct as it stands, but may be updated at a later date by BREEAM. Just something to keep in mind.