Assessment and certification
The CERAA is supporting you in the optimisation of your architectural projects helping you integrate the sustainable construction standards or to obtain a sustainability certification.
Today, there are tools to assess sustainable construction and renovation, commonly known as “assessment methods”, which vouch for the energy and/or environmental performances of the building or the project.
This type of assessment, which can lead to a certification, involves a substantial amount of work which requires specialised knowledge of the different sustainable building themes, as well as the assessment criteria and rules and regulations of the chosen certification. Indeed, there are a number of different certifications: BREEAM, Passive House, HQE, Valideo, Ref-B, etc.
Some professionals of the construction sector choose a comprehensive approach for their project, which includes the follow-up of the project and its assessment at various stages of project and stages of completion, as well as the final certification. Others opt for a sustainable approach, but without the aim of obtaining a certificate and thus choose the assessment.
This type of assessment, which can lead to a certification, involves a substantial amount of work which requires specialised knowledge of the different sustainable building themes, as well as the assessment criteria and rules and regulations of the chosen certification. Indeed, there are a number of different certifications: BREEAM, Passive House, HQE, Valideo, Ref-B, etc.
Some professionals of the construction sector choose a comprehensive approach for their project, which includes the follow-up of the project and its assessment at various stages of project and stages of completion, as well as the final certification. Others opt for a sustainable approach, but without the aim of obtaining a certificate and thus choose the assessment.
We can support you in those two processes throughout your project, from its creation to its completion, either to guide you in the optimisation of your project or to help you put together, as a certified assessor, your assessment and application file in preparation for a BREEAM certification.
Our assets as certifiers
- There are several BREEAM certified assessors among our employees.
- We’ve acquired an in-depth knowledge of the various assessment systems in use in neighbouring countries thanks to our work and research.
- We’re responsible for the “Environment Specialist” hub at the “Sustainable Building Facilitator” Office in Brussels.
- We have extensive experience in supporting contracting authorities and clients in a specific architectural project and we are familiar with the constraints particular to the assessment and certification process.
2 emblematic achievements
Brussels Environment – Belgian Assessment Method for Sustainable Buildings (Ref-B)
Thanks to an inter-regional and federal collaboration, we’ve directed the creation of a frame of reference for the recognition of sustainable office or housing buildings. The CERAA defined the structure and part of the contents of this tool, which will be available as a free version and can lead to a Ref-B certification, which is recognised at national level.
Flemish Region – Optimisation of “Duurzaamheidsmeter Wijken”
The CERAA took part in the testing, assessment and optimisation of the tool for the certification of sustainable neighbourhoods, developed by the Flemish Region.