The Building Research Establishment, a UK-based center for building science, announced plans to Americanize its BREEAM New Construction standard for the U.S. market. BRE expects to release the standard in January 2019.

HOK, a global design, architecture, engineering and planning firm, is providing BRE with input and advice on the adaptation of the BREEAM New Construction standard for the American market. HOK will begin piloting the BREEAM New Construction standard for the U.S. with new and existing clients starting summer of 2018.

BRE first introduced BREEAM In-Use for existing buildings to the U.S. market in 2016 to provide a science-based sustainable certification and improvement solution not covered by existing green building programs. Market enthusiasm for the BREEAM standard encouraged BRE to expand the program in America.

BREEAM differs from other leading green building rating systems as a true third-party verification for certification. BRE uses independent licensed BREEAM assessors to conduct an onsite visit to verify the design and construction is up to BREEAM standards before certification is awarded.

“We have established BREEAM In-Use for existing buildings in America and with the support of HOK we are extending this into BREEAM New Construction,” said Barry Giles, CEO of BRE America. “We’re excited to be working with HOK in this expanded capacity as BRE is at the forefront of advancing the built environment and always looking to partner with forward thinking organizations to help build a better world together.”

BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) was developed in 1990 by BRE, a leading multidisciplinary building science organization. With more than two million registered projects and over 560,000 certified buildings in 77 countries, it has more certifications than any other green building rating system.

“As a firm, we’re really excited about the potential opportunities to explore using BREEAM New Construction for complex projects such as laboratories, sports projects and airports in the U.S.,” said Anica Landreneau, director of sustainable design at HOK. “We know first-hand from our experience working with BREEAM in Europe that it provides a new approach for greater sustainability and is backed by the latest research in building science."