More and more companies and individuals are opting for the economic, environmental and social benefits of sustainable construction, a decision that can earn them international awards. Each year BREEAM^® organises the BREEAM^® Awards in celebration of excellence in the application of this internationally recognised measure of sustainability. With over 40 shortlisted projects from around the world, BREEAM^® hosted this year’s gala Awards ceremony in London on March 7, coinciding with Ecobuild, the leading fair in the sustainable construction sector.

One of the winners at the BREEAM^® Awards 2017 is a Spanish building, Building AA3 at the European Union’s EUIPO Intellectual Property Office in Alicante, which received the Your BREEAM accolade, which is decided by the general public. The building obtained the highest category of the BREEAM^® sustainable construction certificate in its Design Phase – Exceptional – and is currently in the process of obtaining the permanent certificate in the Post-Construction Phase.

BREEAM^® – Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology – is the pioneering method of evaluation and certification of sustainable building, and the most technically advanced in the world, and has issued more than 541,000 certificates in 77 countries. ITeC has been officially recognised BREEAM^® as a training body since 2011.

Each building is assigned a score on a five-level scale after being evaluated in 10 sustainability categories. These sustainability criteria are embodied in concrete benefits for all of the parties involved: greater profitability for the firms that construct, operate and maintain the building, a smaller impact on the environment, and improvements in comfort and health for the people who live in, work in or use the property.