BREEAM-NL for a school building: which scheme applies?
You can have a school building assessed under BREEAM-NL. There is no separate school scheme, but education is a use function within non-residential buildings, with its own requirements. The New construction and renovation guideline for non-residential buildings v6.1.1 lists higher education and primary and secondary education separately. A new school or a major refurbishment therefore falls under the New construction and renovation scheme. An existing school that you manage falls under the In-Use scheme. Which guideline applies to your project is set out in IN111 from the Dutch Green Building Council (DGBC) . The requirements themselves are in the guideline .
Do not assume that a foreign school scheme applies. According to IN111, foreign BREEAM variants (BREEAM International) cannot be used for the Dutch market. Use the Dutch guideline.
Which scheme fits your school?
The choice follows the same logic as for other non-residential buildings. The difference lies in what you can still influence in the building.
| Situation | Scheme | Why |
|---|---|---|
| New school in development | New construction and renovation | Design choices can still be influenced, such as climate, daylight and materials |
| School building undergoing a major refurbishment | New construction and renovation | With a major renovation, the building is essentially new |
| Existing school that is managed | In-Use, non-residential | The assessment looks at the construction, management and use of the existing building |
| School board with several locations | In-Use, per location | Each location receives its own assessment |
What is special about a school?
The New construction non-residential guideline v6.1.1 contains requirements that apply specifically to education. Five examples:
| Topic | What the guideline requires for education |
|---|---|
| Daylight (HEA 01) | Daylight according to NEN 17037 and NPR 4057. For teaching spaces, 60% of the floor area must meet the requirement for one credit and 80% for two credits |
| Lighting (HEA 02) | In classrooms and lecture halls, the stage, walkway and audience areas can be controlled separately. The teacher can easily operate the lighting by hand |
| Thermal comfort (HEA 05) | The minimum requirement for education is the Frisse Scholen Programme of Requirements 2021 (Healthy Schools programme), class B or A |
| Climate zone | For education, each room where lessons are given is one zone |
| Acoustics | The starting point is at least class B of the Frisse Scholen Programme of Requirements 2021 |
Class C of Frisse Scholen is the basic level, class B the higher level and class A the highest. A new school that only achieves class C does not meet this minimum requirement for thermal comfort.
Example: a primary school with 8 classrooms. In each classroom, the teacher must be able to operate the lighting by hand, and the classroom must be controllable as its own climate zone.
The general points also still apply. The usage profile of a school differs from that of an office: a school is full during certain hours and days. Ask the Expert how the usage profile is taken into account in the assessment. Mobility also plays a role, such as bicycle storage and accessibility by bus.
Questions to ask in advance
Before you start a process, a short consultation helps. Below are the questions to ask DGBC or an experienced Expert. This prevents you from starting with the wrong scheme.
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Which use function applies to my building? | Determines which guideline and which requirements apply |
| Is it new construction, a major renovation or an existing building? | Determines the scheme |
| What is the gross floor area (GFA)? | Determines the DGBC rates |
| Is a bespoke route (Bespoke) needed? | For projects that do not fit the guideline |
If your project does not fit any guideline, IN111 provides a bespoke route (Bespoke). This is a separate process, so ask DGBC about it early.
What goes into the file for a school?
An assessor evaluates a school on the same evidence as any other building. The difference lies in the data you must be able to provide. This list helps you build the file early.
| Component | What you provide | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Building data | GFA, number of classrooms, use function | Choosing a use function without checking the application document |
| Installations | Ventilation plan, specifications and maintenance reports | Keeping only the quotation instead of the completed report |
| Indoor climate | Measurement or calculation reports for classrooms | Taking measurements on a quiet day, while the school is actually full (a practical mistake, not one from the guideline) |
| Energy | Consumption over a full year | Using half a year of data and presenting it as an annual figure |
| Management (existing school) | Maintenance plan, logbook and occupancy data | Writing a plan that is not carried out in practice |
Steps for a school project
Determine the phase
New construction, major renovation or existing building. That determines the scheme.
Check the use function
Does the function match the guideline? This is the most underestimated step.
Ask about costs
Read costs and timeline for the DGBC rates. The rates depend on the GFA and the type of process.
Bring in an Expert
An Expert knows the schemes and can work out the questions above for you. See the role of the Expert.
Common mistakes
- Assuming that a separate school scheme exists. Education is a use function within the New construction and renovation or In-Use scheme. An incorrect registration costs time and money.
- Aiming for class C of Frisse Scholen. For thermal comfort, BREEAM-NL requires class B or A.
- Not including the existing use. For an existing school, the use belongs to management. Without usage data, a high level is difficult to achieve.
- Starting too late. Bringing in an Expert only after the design leaves design opportunities unused. See the step-by-step plan.
Frequently asked question: does BREEAM-NL also apply to a municipal school?
The scheme depends on the building, not on the owner. A municipal school follows the same choice as a school run by a school board or foundation. The client does matter, however, because the client often sets the target level. More about the target groups is on the page who BREEAM-NL is for.
Sources
- DGBC - BREEAM-NL (manager, schemes and use functions)
- BREEAM-NL guideline (requirements per scheme)
- IN111 - Scope of BREEAM-NL schemes v4.0 (guideline per project)
- BREEAM-NL New Construction and Renovation Non-residential v6.1.1, English version (HEA 01, 02, 05, table 2.5)
- BREEAM-NL (official site and documents)