Architects unite against move to scrap Breeam for schools

Architects have slammed education secretary Michael Gove over plans to scrap or streamline environmental assessments for new school buildings.

In a pre-emptive move a number of prominent education architects co-signed a letter to Gove urging him to keep Breeam assessments, following similar pleas from the UK Green Building Council, RIBA and Design Council Cabe.

The letter, sent on behalf of cross-industry group The Edge, said: “While many of us are seeking improvements to the Breeam system it remains the only broad measure of sustainability including energy consumption used across the industry and is highly effective at delivering high performing buildings at little additional cost.”

It is feared that Breeam could be scrapped or streamlined when the Department for Education publishes its response to the James Review of investment in education in the next few weeks.

Speaking to BD, Robin Nicholson, partner at Edward Cullinan Architects and former chair of the Zero Carbon Schools Task Force, warned against removing the sustainability assessments without introducing a replacement system.

“Gove likes cancelling things without necessarily thinking about the impact,” he said. “The irony is that the Department for Business Innovation & Skills is busy exporting Breeam around the world and yet one of the prime spending departments is considering cancelling it.”

The prospect of a scaled-down Breeam or a replacement rating system has drawn mixed responses from the sector. James Pickard of Pickard Associates said: “It doesn’t need replacing. What is the motivation? Breeam is well known in the industry; replacing it would be counterproductive.”

Michael Oliff, head of education at Scott Brownrigg, suggested that systems such as the Green Building Index in Malaysia could provide an alternative model. However, he advised that revisions to the existing system would be preferable option. “It depends on the BRE’s reaction to this process,” he said. “If it is prepared to engage and radically reform the system then that should be the way forward.”

The RIBA said that while it accepted that Breeam could be improved, it opposed scrapping the requirement.