INTERIORS 81


The point of WCs in BREEAM


David Davis of MEP engineer G&H says that with BREEAM remaining a well-used method for assessing sustainability goals, choosing the right product choices for earning points needs to be a prority, and why toilets are a key component.


A


chieving higher levels of BREEAM rating can prove to be challenging and expensive, but additional points can often be earned by specifying water effi cient toilet systems, which can signifi cantly contribute to a building’s overall sustainability performance. The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method, better known as BREEAM, is now a key go-to framework that provides a sustainability assessment for building and infrastructure in new builds, refurbishments, and fi t-outs. The certifi cation allows for a consistent and comparable view across the entire built environment lifecycle, with ratings ranging from ‘Acceptable’ through to ‘Outstanding.’ Embedding this framework in the build process over the past 35 years has been


ADF SEPTEMBER 2025


highly effective, ensuring that architects seek additional BREEAM points where possible to improve building ratings. Achieving an ‘Acceptable’ status is relatively easy to obtain, but striving for ‘Outstanding’ requires a change in habits and can be expensive. The BREEAM Wat 01 calculation considers ‘Water Consumption,’ focusing on reducing the demand for potable (drinking) water through the provision of effi cient sanitary fi ttings, rainwater collection, and water recycling schemes. BREEAM Wat 01 Water Consumption credits are based on percentage improvement over baseline building water consumption. A 12.5% improvement earns one credit, and the range increases up to six credits for a 65% improvement. For toilets specifi cally, refer


BREEAM encourages sustainable water use in the operation of a building over its lifetime


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