BREEAM UK New Construction: Residential
Home Quality Mark (HQM) has been rebranded to BREEAM UK New Construction: Residential (UKNCR)
The updated standard, which operates across the UK, offers a trusted, science-based, holistic assessment of a home's sustainability, resilience, and quality, assuring homeowners, developers, and investors that properties meet top environmental and wellbeing standards and regulatory requirements through integrated sustainability.
About BREEAM New Construction: Residential
BREEAM UK New Construction: Residential takes a whole-life performance approach to home sustainability, supporting better outcomes from design through to construction and long-term operation. The scheme assesses homes against three key sustainability indicators, covering environmental, social, and economic performance.
- Environmental: Reduces carbon emissions, enhances resource efficiency, protects biodiversity, and promotes circular design principles.
- Social: Supports occupant health, wellbeing, and quality of life. Focusing on indoor air quality, daylight, thermal comfort, noise, and access to green spaces.
- Economic: Encourages efficient use of materials, future-ready infrastructure, and homes that are resilient, cost-effective to run, and adaptable over time.
This integrated approach ensures every certified home delivers long-term value—for people, the planet, and the wider housing market.
BREEAM UK New Construction: Residential is widely used across the housing sector, supporting:
- Investors & lenders: Aligning developments with ESG principles and financial incentives.
- Developers & builders: Demonstrating leadership in delivering sustainable housing.
- Homeowners & tenants: Providing confidence in a home’s sustainability performance.
- Government & policy makers: Supporting national and local net zero and sustainability goals.
By choosing BREEAM UK New Construction: Residential, stakeholders are investing in better homes for people, communities, and the planet.
BREEAM UK New Construction: Residential only recognises performance beyond minimum regulations, offering additional benefits:
- Green Finance Access: Certification offers opportunities for green mortages and investment incentives.
- Future-Proofing Homes: Ensures homes are built for climate resilience and long-term sustainability
- Market Advantage: Provides a competitive edge for developers and investors looking to demonstrate sustainability leadership.
Homes are rated on a scale from pass to outstanding, helping buyers and investors easily understand a property's sustainability credentials.
BREEAM UK New Construction: Residential provides homes with a clear rating system, assessing sustainability across multiple factors, including:
- Energy efficiency: Measures carbon emissions, fabric efficiency, and renewable energy use.
- Water conservation: Evaluates water-efficient fittings and recycling systems.
- Material impact: Assesses responsible sourcing and lifecycle considerations.
- Comfort and security: Reviews air quality, lighting, noise control, and home safety.
- Resilience and community: Encourages homes that integrate well with local infrastructure and natural ecosystems now, and into the future.
Why choose BREEAM UKNCR?
Choosing BREEAM UKNCR means creating homes that support healthier living while offering developers and investors a recognised, future-proof sustainability standard.
- Global recognition: Gain credibility and market trust with the leading international sustainability brand.
- Holistic approach: Go beyond basic compliance, embedding lifecycle assessment, embodied carbon reduction, and advanced daylight standards.
Futureproofing: Meet and exceed current sustainability and ESG benchmarks, ensuring compliance today and resilience tomorrow.
Asset-proofing: Align projects with green finance criteria and increase long-term asset value.
How certification works
Projects are assessed independently at two key stages by licensed BREEAM UKNCR assessors:
- Design stage: Ensures sustainability is embedded from the start.
- Post-Construction stage: Verifies that the completed building meets the high-performance criteria established at design.
Projects are rated from Pass to Outstanding, ensuring transparency and accountability in environmental performance and qualit
Resources
Access the latest UKNCR technical manual, pre-assessment tools, and supporting materials. Our resources help developers, consultants, and stakeholders understand requirements, track ESG data, and apply best practices across residential projects.
Case studies
Explore certified projects that showcase sustainable, high-performance homes. See how developers and investors are using the framework to deliver future-ready, socially responsible housing at every scale.
Training
Certification requires assessment by an independent, licensed BREEAM Assessor. Develop the skills and expertise you need through tailored training courses delivered by BRE Academy.