BREEAM Post Occupancy Evaluation

At HollenPlus, our BREEAM Post Occupancy Evaluation service is designated to ensure your asset delivers on its design potential after handover. While securing a top design-stage rating is a major milestone, a building’s true value lies in its real-world performance.

HollenPlus provides rigorous, data-driven post-occupancy assessments that evaluate actual energy consumption, indoor environmental quality, and occupant satisfaction. By combining technical auditing with user feedback, our specialists help asset managers, developers and facilities teams satisfy BREEAM certification criteria, eliminate operational waste and protect long-term asset value.

Key Purpose and Objectives

The primary purpose of a BREEAM Post-Occupancy Evaluation is to deliver verifiable operational insights, ensuring your asset achieves its targeted sustainability goals while optimising ongoing performance.

  • Closing the Performance Gap: Identify and resolve disparities between predicted design energy models (e.g., CIBSE TM54) and actual operational utility consumption.

  • Securing BREEAM Certification Credits: Satisfy mandatory and targeted Aftercare/Post-Occupancy Evaluation credits under BREEAM New Construction, Refurbishment & Fit-Out, and In-Use standards.

  • Enhancing Occupant Wellbeing & Productivity: Gather direct user feedback and monitor indoor environmental quality (IAQ, thermal comfort, acoustics, lighting) to maximise occupant satisfaction and retention.

  • Optimising Operational & BMS Efficiency: Fine-tune Building Management Systems (BMS), heating/cooling schedules, and seasonal controls to eliminate waste and cut operational carbon.

  • De-Risking Asset Value & MEES Compliance: Protect long-term asset yield and Net Operating Income (NOI) by establishing clear, data-driven pathways for continuous building optimisation.

Bridge the Performance Gap & Optimise In-Use Assets

Achieving a top design-stage BREEAM rating is only half the battle. A Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) with HollenPlus assesses how your building performs once occupied, validating actual operational energy, indoor environmental quality, and user satisfaction against original design intentions.

Whether required to satisfy mandatory credits under BREEAM New Construction (Stage 6/7), BREEAM In-Use, or wider corporate Net Zero strategies, our Post Occupancy Evaluation services provide actionable data to eliminate the "performance gap," lower operating costs, and protect long-term asset value.

Aligning Post Occupancy Evaluation with BREEAM Version 7 (V7)

Under BREEAM Version 7, there is a stronger shift toward verified operational outcomes rather than purely predicted performance. Conducting a robust Post Occupancy Evaluation plays a central role in meeting V7 in-use criteria:

  • In-Use Energy & Carbon Verification: Comparing real-world utility consumption against predicted CIBSE TM54 or NABERS UK energy models.

  • Occupant Health & Wellbeing: Measuring indoor air quality (IAQ), acoustic comfort, thermal performance, and lighting levels under real operational conditions.

  • Continuous Asset Optimisation: Identifying operational inefficiencies early to ensure ongoing MEES compliance and safeguard long-term Net Operating Income (NOI).

HollenPlus ensures your Post Occupancy Evaluation process seamlessly aligns with V7 standards, converting operational data into clear, high-value asset improvements.

What is Included in our Post Occupancy Evaluation Service?

At HollenPlus, our accredited team delivers a structured, multi-faceted evaluation tailored to BREEAM compliance and building performance optimisation:

  • Occupant Feedback & Satisfaction Surveys: Structured surveys evaluating occupant thermal comfort, acoustic quality, daylighting, air quality, and usability.

  • Utility Data Analysis & Sub-Meter Review: Reconciliation of actual energy, gas, and water usage against design-stage predictions to pinpoint energy waste and equipment faults.

  • Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Monitoring: On-site measurement of CO₂ levels, airborne particulates, temperature, humidity, and lux levels to verify occupant wellbeing.

  • Building Management System (BMS) Fine-Tuning Review: Collaboration with facilities management (FM) teams to optimise seasonal controls, heating/cooling schedules, and ventilation rates.

  • BREEAM Post Occupancy Evaluation Evidence Report: A comprehensive, audit-ready compliance report for BREEAM accreditation, complete with a prioritised action plan for asset managers.

BREEAM Schemes & Standards Covered

HollenPlus tailors Post-Occupancy Evaluations across all key frameworks and industry standards:

  • BREEAM New Construction: Satisfying Aftercare / Post Occupancy Evaluation credit requirements at RIBA Stage 6/7 (Handover & In-Use).

  • BREEAM In-Use: Supporting ongoing operational certification and baseline benchmarking for existing portfolios.

  • BREEAM Refurbishment & Fit-Out (RFO): Post-fitout performance reviews to confirm tenant wellbeing and energy efficiency goals.

  • Soft Landings & BS 8536 Alignment: Integrating Post Occupancy Evaluation into broader Soft Landings frameworks to ensure smooth operational handover.

How Post Occupancy Evaluation Fits into Your Building Lifecycle

Integrating Post Occupancy Evaluation with HollenPlus ensures structured monitoring across the critical post-handover period:

  1. Seasonal Review 1 (1–3 Months Post-Handover): Initial occupant onboarding, BMS fine-tuning, and early operational troubleshooting.

  2. Seasonal Review 2 (12 Months Post-Handover): Full annual energy/water data collection, comprehensive occupant survey execution, and environmental monitoring.

  3. Performance Gap Analysis (12–18 Months): Comparing real-world performance against design models and issuing the BREEAM Post Occupancy Evaluation Report.

  4. Action & Optimisation (Year 2+): Implementing low-CAPEX operational tweaks to optimise energy use and boost tenant satisfaction.

Ready to Validate Your Building’s Real-World Performance with HollenPlus?

Whether fulfilling BREEAM credit requirements or seeking to optimise energy consumption across your commercial portfolio, the HollenPlus team brings technical rigor, clarity and actionable insights to your asset.

Contact the HollenPlus team today to schedule your Post Occupancy Evaluation.

contact@hollenplus.com

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Speak to a Partner today to discuss a Post Occupancy Evaluation…

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