Looking to improve green building program standards, HOK and BREEAM USA have signed a one-year partnership agreement that will accelerate the use of the BREEAM In-Use standard in the United States. 

BREEAM USA 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. The method enables property investors, owners, managers and occupants to drive sustainable improvements through operational efficiencies and effective building management. 

“We recognize HOK as a market leader and are excited to be collaborating with them to bring new and affordable solutions to their extensive USA real estate clients looking to achieve lower carbon emissions and other sustainability targets,” says Barry Giles, CEO of BREEAM USA. “HOK has demonstrated that they are experts at solving the challenges of the built environment and we’re thrilled that they appreciate the potential of BREEAM to deliver valuable results for their clients.” 

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 550,000 certified buildings in 70 countries, it has more certifications than any other green rating system. Based on scientific research funded by BRE, the BREEAM In-Use standard is available to every commercial existing building no matter the size, age or condition. 

“We are delighted to partner with BREEAM USA to provide our clients and staff with access to BRE’s research and tools,” says Anica Landreneau, director of sustainable design at HOK. “As a firm, we look forward to implementing another rigorous green building certification program for our projects in the U.S. market.” 

For the past two decades, HOK has leveraged BREEAM certification to improve the performance of projects in the U.K. In 2017, the Francis Crick Institute, a 980,000-sq.-ft laboratory and biomedical research facility that recently opened in London, received an “Excellent” BREEAM rating.