Producing food within buildings contributes
to greater nutritional self-sufficiency and is a
component of ecodesign.
Building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) The
design and integration of photovoltaic technology
into the building envelope, typically replacing
conventional building materials. The integration
may be in: i) vertical façades, replacing view
glass, spandrel glass or other façade materials;
ii) semitransparent skylight systems; iii) roofing
systems, replacing traditional roofing materials;
iv) shading eyebrows over windows; or v) other
building envelope systems. See also:
Photovoltaic
(PV) andassociatedentries;Appendix 4:
Photovoltaics
Building mass, passive mode Ecodesign
approach using the thermal mass of building
materials to absorb heat and then release the
heat back into the built form’s internal space
during periods when the building is not actively
gaining heat from the Sun or other source. See
also:
Passive mode design; Trombe wall
Building Research Establishment Environmental
Assessment Method (BREEAM) Environmental
assessment method created in 1990 for build-
ings in the UK. It established standards for sus-
tainable development and measures achievement
of those standards, and has been adopted for-
mally by the British government as the benchmark
to measure the environmental performance of
buildings. BREEAM provides guidance on mini-
mizing the adverse effects of buildings on the
global and local environment. It aims to reduce
energy usage both in the construction and
management of a building, as well as to promote
a healthy, comfortable indoor environment for
end-users. BREEAM assesses the performance of
a building in the following areas:
Management—overall management policy,
commissioning site management, and con-
tractors and procedures issues.
Energy use—operational energy and CO
2
issues; energy-efficient heating and cooling,
and controlled metering.
Health and wellbeing—indoor and external
issues affecting users’ health and wellbeing.
Examples include fresh air provision and
ventilation, lighting and lighting control, pro-
vision of local temperatures, and eliminating
risk of Legionnaires’ disease.
Pollution—air and water pollution issues.
Examples include refrigerant recovery, spe-
cification of HCFC- and CFC-free materials
in construction, and low-emission boilers.
Transport—transport-related CO
2
and location-
related factors. Examples include provision
of secure facilities for cyclists, coordination
with local public transport systems, and
consideration of national public transport
systems.
Land use—use of brownfield rather than green-
field sites; treatment/capping of contaminated
land.
Ecology—conservation of ecological values
and enhancement of the site. Where possi-
ble, use of sites of low ecological value. Use
of environmental and ecological assessments
to advise on improvements to the site, such
as habitat creation within the site.
Materials—consideration of the environ-
mental implications of building materials,
including life-cycle impacts. Examples include
specification of timber from renewable and
managed sources, provision of storage for
recycling, and specifi cation of asbestos-free
materials.
Water—consumption and water efficiency.
Examples include installation of low-water-
content WCs, installation of water systems
with leak detection, water metering, gray
water recycling.
See also:
Comprehensive Assessment System
for Building Environmental Efficiency (CASBEE);
Green building rating systems; Green Globes;
Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) 43