BREEAM amplifies its presence in the U.S. by expanding capabilities

As corporations and developers work to meet ESG and sustainability goals, they are increasingly looking to BREEAM to establish a baseline for the status of current buildings, as well as to benchmark goals for current and prospective developments.

To advance this important work, BREEAM has launched a new credential for consultants called Advisory Professional: Operations. This accreditation focuses on understanding and improving operational performance in buildings and portfolios over the long term and sits alongside the Advisory Professional: Design and Site credential — which focuses on the design and construction phases of new builds, renovations and tenant fit outs. Additionally, the network of licensed BREEAM Assessors continues to expand. Assessors evaluate and verify building performance against the BREEAM standards, awarding an official rating of the asset and providing the outside verification that makes BREEAM a true third-party certification program.

We’re thrilled to announce the latest professionals to have joined the BREEAM network to offer competent BREEAM consulting and assessment services:

Assessor – John Amatruda, Socotec

SOCOTEC provides TIC (Testing, Inspection, and Certification) consulting services to optimize the integrity and sustainability of critical assets within the construction and infrastructure industries. Leveraging specialized consultants and subject matter experts nationally and internationally, SOCOTEC solves projects’ most complex problems from conception to project execution. The firm’s breadth of holistic service offerings fall under six core service lines: Building Envelope, Energy & Sustainability, Code & Planning, Dispute Resolution, Project Advisory, and Specialty Engineering.

SOCOTEC has been a long-time Assessor organization under BREEAM’s International New Construction (INC) program. Recently the firm decided to grow its practice and expand into In-Use certification, and we’re excited to announce that John Amatruda is SOCOTEC’s first professional to become licensed as an Assessor with BREEAM USA In-Use. John has worked on several BREEAM New Construction projects outside of the United States and is the Assessor on BREEAM’s first U.S.-based INC project.

“We decided to pursue a BREEAM In-Use license because the program is robust in scope yet flexible in application. It has a nice “bracketing” approach to the credits that lets you gauge a project’s performance in relation to both a high and low benchmark — this gives direction for continual improvements. The program also provides a consistent measuring stick that’s well-suited to assessing a whole portfolio of buildings. We think there are various ways we can apply the system to different clients and projects, particularly those engaged in ESG policies and GRESB reporting.”

BREEAM AP – Brian Jackson, Macro

Macro provides capital project management and strategic advisory services across a roster of real estate focused projects. Combining global experience, resources, and a passion for detailed project and program management, the firm has been a trusted development partner for nearly 30 years, covering every project element from strategic planning through occupancy.
While the firm’s global team has a number of credentialed BREEAM professionals abroad, Brian Jackson is the first professional from the U.S team to be credentialed under BREEAM’s AP program.

“The pandemic has given me — like it has for many — a different perspective on what’s important, and its global impacts have made me much more focused on our future,” shared Mr. Jackson. “Thinking more about ESG, sustainability, and how our actions will have far-reaching consequences in the world, I want to build the foundation for a healthier, safer, more equitable future. And by bridging the gap between the environmental, social, and economic impacts, BREEAM standards allow for meaningful sustainable development and a more efficient use of resources, driving the change I want to see in this industry.”

BREEAM AP – Jeff MacDonald, LORD Green Strategies

LORD Green Strategies provides a range of sustainability-focused services, including strategy management, monitoring, and reporting. Mychele Lord, Founder of LORD Green Strategies, was a pioneer in bringing environmental social governance to commercial real estate — and after many years in the real estate industry, she and the entire team now use their expertise to guide investors in creating sustainable strategies in the built environment.
LORD Green Strategies has been a BREEAM Assessor organization for 4 years and has helped certify over 60 million square feet of real estate across green building rating systems, including the highest scoring industrial assets in the U.S. to-date. As the firm continues its work driving ESG goals in the real estate sector, we’re thrilled to announce Jeff MacDonald has become the first BREEAM AP at the firm. Jeff will leverage this credential to support the rapidly expanding demand for BREEAM activity across LORD Green’s portfolio. This achievement adds to a long list of sustainability successes accomplished by LORD Green Strategies, which includes completing the first BREEAM In-Use certified building in the state of Texas and certifying the highest scoring industrial assets in the United States to-date.

“BREEAM In-Use provides the foundation to recognize how an existing asset is performing and investigates every environmental aspect to create a cohesive green building rating system,” says Mr. MacDonald. “The BREEAM AP Operations education and examination has helped me maximize our client’s asset’s scoring potential while identifying areas of improvement. LORD Green Strategies plans to utilize BREEAM with a long-term goal in mind of promoting ESG practices and continuously improving sustainability performance at the building level.”

All U.S.-based BREEAM professionals are listed in our searchable database and are provided with tools, resources and regular communications that ensure they are fully up-to-date on the latest with the applicable BREEAM programs. They undergo training delivered directly by BRE and must pass a rigorous exam to demonstrate their competency in their chosen BREEAM program.

Interested in joining our fast growing network of BREEAM professionals?

Check out our Guide to BREEAM Professionals and review how Advisory Professionals (APs) and Assessors serve distinct and essential roles in the BREEAM certification process.
You can find out more about the training options available at the BRE Academy website.