BRE announces BREEAM Awards 2026 winners

BRE has revealed this year’s BREEAM Awards winners, recognising sustainable innovation across historic landmarks, complex residential buildings and major urban developments.

For more than 30 years, BREEAM has been the world’s leading sustainability assessment method for buildings, infrastructure and masterplanning, with more than three million registered assets across 108 countries.

More than 350 entries were submitted this year. The finalists reflected a growing focus on how assets perform in practice, respond to climate risks and benefit the people and communities that use them.

Eight new categories reflected these evolving priorities, including climate resilience, digital sustainability, social value and sustainable cities.

Lambeth Palace recognised for landmark refurbishment

Lambeth Palace, the Grade I listed London landmark dating from the 12th century, won the Refurbishment and Fit Out Excellence Award. Its most extensive refurbishment in 70 years improved the building’s EPC rating from G to A and reduced modelled primary energy use by 77%.
The project installed three air-source heat pumps and 160 double-glazed windows, and recycled more than 39 tonnes of timber. A digital twin modelled heat loss across the historic campus, helping the team introduce low-carbon systems while protecting its historic character.

Other award highlights

• Vesteda, Netherlands — In-Use Performance Award: The residential property company used portfolio-wide comparison data to identify underperforming assets across around 28,000 homes, reducing total energy intensity from 101.9 to 90.1 kWh/m² between 2022 and 2025.

• Quatuor, Belgium — New Construction Project of the Year: Each of the four towers in this 60,000 m² mixed-use complex achieved BREEAM Outstanding, contributing to an overall score of 92.8%. The development combines geothermal seasonal energy storage with a 417 m³ rainwater buffer that diverts 63% of rainfall from the public sewer.

• Iron Mountain Data Centers — Portfolio ESG Impact Award: Twelve data centres across ten sites have achieved BREEAM certification, with a further ten across eight sites progressing towards certification after the company adopted BREEAM for new colocation developments.

• Birmingham, United Kingdom — Sustainable City Award: Birmingham City Council has used the Birmingham Development Plan to embed sustainability standards in development. The city now has 87 buildings rated BREEAM Excellent or above, including five rated Outstanding, while planning policy has required non-residential developments over 1,000 m² to target BREEAM Excellent since 2017.

Creating places where people can thrive

Ian Shapiro, CEO of BRE, said: 

“The places we create today will shape people’s lives for decades to come. That matters more than ever as communities respond to a changing climate, growing populations and increasing urbanisation.

“At BRE, our purpose is to help create a world where everyone, everywhere, in every building can thrive — and BREEAM is one of the ways we help turn that ambition into practical action. The projects recognised this year show what is possible when people make thoughtful, long-term decisions about the places we all depend on, and we are proud to celebrate that through the BREEAM Awards.”

The full list of 2026 BREEAM Award winners is:

• New Construction Project of the Year: Quatuor, Brussels, Belgium
• Infrastructure Project of the Year: The Upgrade of Majorstuen Station, Oslo, NCC Infrastructure Norway
• Refurbishment and Fit Out Excellence: Lambeth Palace, London, United Kingdom
• In-Use Performance: Vesteda Investment Management B.V., Netherlands
• Portfolio ESG Impact: Iron Mountain Data Centers
• Lifecycle Impact Commitment: Paradise SE11, London
• Climate Resilience Excellence: Wonderwoods, Utrecht
• Responsible Occupier Award: GSK HQ – Project Emerald, London
• Sustainable City Award: Birmingham, United Kingdom
• Multi-Certification Leadership - People's Choice: Aviva Investors Portfolio
• Small Project, Big Impact - People's Choice: CERC Boldesti-Scaeni, Romania
• Future Sustainability Advocate: Ghena Zakhour, Rider Levett Bucknall, United Kingdom
• Communities and Social Value Leadership: CERC Boldesti-Scaeni, Romania
• Digital Sustainability Innovation: Sustainabot
• Sustainability Champion: Pantelis Levantis, Ecoveritas, Greece
• Assessor Organisation of the Year: Bopro, Belgium

Find out more about each of the finalists.