Refurbishment and Fit-Out Technical Standard

The BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit Out (RFO) standard enables real estate investors, developers and building owners to assess and mitigate sustainability-related impacts during the design and works of a refurbishment or fit out project.  Through the assessment and certification process, the standard recognises and reflects the performance of the building once improvements have been made to the external envelope, structure, core services, local services or interior design of a building.

The standard can be used to assess the refurbishment and fit-out of most types and uses of existing buildings, including homes (note: in the UK there are separate standalone technical standards for non-domestic and domestic projects).  The standard includes specific assessment criteria for heritage buildings that take into account the constraints on these types of projects.

For building types that do not fall within the scope of this technical standard, we recommend you take a look at our Bespoke Process.

Register to download the Refurbishment & Fit-Out Technical Manuals for free

What difference does BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit-Out make?

The BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit-Out standards benefits investors, owners, landlords and occupiers by:

  • Retaining, improving and future proofing existing building assets instead of demolishing and rebuilding
  • Increases asset value by attracting clientele looking for improved standards of living or working conditions that enhances occupiers health, wellbeing, productivity & satisfaction
  • Improves overall building performance, which in turn reduces overall operational costs
  • Offers a route to demonstrate corporate social responsibility and sustainable business leadership
  • Provides certification and assurance from third party licensed assessors, that the building’s environmental performance has been met
  • Broader benefits of applying BREEAM can be located here

How does it work?

The assessment criteria and process focus on the scope of the refurbishment and/or fit-out from concept design through to the completed works of the building or unit. Once an Assessor has been appointed, and early appointment is recommended, they will undertake a number of site visits. These visits typically occur at least once during the design stage and once just after the building has been refurbished or fitted out. The assessor requires evidence to support the design and refurbishment work decisions for the performance claimed, agreed during the design of the project, and checks they have been fully implemented so that the benefits of the schemes application can be realised.

The BRE Global version of BREEAM International RFO is adaptable for all countries except those where there is a locally operated scheme by one of our partner scheme operators. Please view the Technical Standards Tool to find out which new construction standard is applicable within your country.

Where is it being used?

The BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit-Out standard is currently being used across Europe and there are certified assessments in the UK, France, Italy and Poland.

 

BREEAM Refurbishment Brochures

BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit-Out Brochure

Sustainable refurbishment of domestic buildings

Sustainable refurbishment of heritage buildings

Client Testimonials

Constantly looking to push boundaries on what we can achieve in the sustainability arena, we believe that improving existing assets, where we have the opportunity to do so, is pivotal to reducing the impact that the built environment has on our fragile eco-system. This can only be achieved by working with forward thinking third parties who demonstrate skills and understanding in this area.

Debbie Hobbs, Head of Sustainability at Legal & General Property

Case Studies

Continue the journey

Want to find out more about BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit-Out or become a licensed BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit-Out Assessor? Visit our training page for further details. Or if your want to start an assessment of your project, visit our listings page and find a licensed BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit-Out Assessor in your location.

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Comparison of BREEAM Domestic Refurbishment 2012 with EcoHomes 2006

Low carbon domestic refurbishment