What a BREEAM Rating Means

BREEAM ratings appear across marketing for student accommodation and other UK developments, yet the rating itself is rarely explained beyond a single word. This guide sets out what a BREEAM rating measures, how the underlying score is calculated, and where each band sits on the scale, from the lowest classification through to Outstanding, the highest.

The BREEAM Standard

BREEAM stands for the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method. The Building Research Establishment (BRE) launched the scheme in 1990 to reduce the environmental impact of building development. BRE applies BREEAM across new construction, refurbishment and in-use assessments, so both newly built and existing buildings can be certified.

A developer cannot award itself a BREEAM rating. Instead, licensed BREEAM Assessors assess each project, and BRE Global Ltd then checks that assessment through an independent quality audit. BRE Global Ltd is a certification body accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service. Because of this third-party audit, a BREEAM rating carries more weight than a developer simply describing a building as sustainable in its own marketing material.

How a BREEAM Rating Is Calculated

A BREEAM assessment scores a building across several categories, including management, health and wellbeing, energy, transport, water, materials, waste, land use and ecology, and pollution. Additional credits are also available for performance beyond standard requirements. Each category carries its own weighting, and the credits achieved convert into an overall percentage score, which then determines which of six bands a building falls into:

• Unclassified: below 30%
• Pass: 30% or above
• Good: 45% or above
• Very Good: 55% or above
• Excellent: 70% or above
• Outstanding: 85% or above

Outstanding is the highest of these six bands, requiring a score of 85% or above. Reaching this level also involves additional requirements beyond the percentage score itself, including demonstrating how the building performs once it is in use. Excellent, at 70% or above, is the second-highest band, ahead of Very Good, Good and Pass. BRE describes Excellent-rated buildings as sitting among the top 10% of comparable new non-domestic buildings in the UK, a comparison that reflects BRE’s own characterisation of the standard rather than a separately audited statistic.

The certification process follows a set sequence. First, a licensed assessor is appointed, and the project is registered. Next, the assessor assesses the building’s design and construction. An independent quality assurance check then follows, before BRE issues the certificate.

The Environmental Requirements

A BREEAM rating reflects measurable environmental performance, not simply a design intention. Each category targets a specific area of impact, and a higher band means more credits achieved across them.

Energy credits reward measures that cut energy consumption and reduce carbon emissions, such as efficient heating, lighting and building services. Water credits target reduced water consumption through efficient fixtures and water management systems. Materials credits assess the environmental impact of construction products across their full lifecycle, so responsibly sourced materials score higher than conventional alternatives.

Waste credits cover both construction and operational waste, requiring management plans, minimisation and recycling rather than landfill disposal. Land use and ecology credits protect, and where possible enhance, the biodiversity of a site before and after development. Pollution credits limit a building’s impact on air, water, noise and light pollution in the surrounding area.

Health and wellbeing credits, meanwhile, address factors that affect residents directly, including indoor air quality, natural daylight and ventilation.

Reaching Excellent or Outstanding means meeting a broad range of these measures, not one or two headline features, with Outstanding requiring credits across the widest range of categories.

What the Rating Means for Residents

For a prospective resident, a BREEAM rating offers reassurance that these environmental standards have been independently checked, rather than simply promised by the developer. The higher the band, from Pass through to Outstanding, the more of these measures a building has met.

None of this is visible from a photograph or a floor plan, which is one reason the certification exists. So, when comparing two otherwise similar developments, a prospective resident can use a BREEAM rating as a point of reference, since the claims behind it have been through an external assessment rather than simply taken on trust.

Our Approach

Many Prestige Student Living developments are targeting a high-level BREEAM rating as part of their design and construction process. This reflects decisions made from the early design stages onward, covering materials, energy systems and anticipated building performance once residents move in. To browse our full range, simply visit our locations page.