M1.

1
Accountability and substantiation of building
Notes of working group for further elaboration
I. Location choice (M.1.1.) - Considerations for the choice of location and the choice for renovation or new construction
have been made at an earlier stage, often in the feasibility phase, prior to the design brief and in many cases even
before choosing to pursue BREEAM certification. It must therefore be made possible to introduce considerations
of choice of location in the course of the design process with retroactive effect as evidence. This can be done in the
form of a new declaration with reference to “older” notes, minutes, calculations, etc. that can be attached to the
declaration as an attachment.
Remark: The disadvantage of this criterion is possible that one can’t get any credits if the relevant considerations
have not been made at an early stage.
II. Criterion 2 (M1.1.1) NB. Renovation does not necessarily have to be the most environmentally friendly option. This is
almost always the case when it comes to the amount of material and its associated environmental impact, but
perhaps not (always) when it comes to, for example, energy consumption (renovation often has a restrictive effect).
On the other hand, as it is now described, a choice for new construction can also be justified, including from the
point of view of energy performance. That must then be demonstrated.
III. Minimising construction volume (M.1.2.) - The aforementioned aspects can (partly) conflict with other criteria, such as
future value, flexibility and so on. The point is that the best optimisations and considerations are made when taking
into account those qualities / necessary measures. That has to be shown and argued. A higher floor height results in
more volume to be built, but this can be justified if this increases flexibility and future value.
IV. Minimising Building Volume (M.1.2.) - Optimisation Programme of Rooms and (sketch) design results in less use of
materials (less volume to be built). This can / must not be at the expense of requirements and wishes of building
users. Consultation during the Definition Phase and / or the Preliminary Design Phase should involve stakeholders,
which should result in a verification that the starting points meet the requirements and wishes of the stakeholders.
V. Criterion 7 (M1.1.3) - There is still no reference here, as with MPG. What is the “normal” volume of an average building
(and that also varies considerably per type of building ...). Perhaps making a volume calculation is good enough for a
point in itself. It may be asked to show that leaner constructions / solutions are considered (in the form of a research
report (from the architect / constructor / contractor)

Dutch Green Building Council BREEAM-NL Concept Credit proposal