22 / 210
BEAM P
LUS
I
NTERIORS
C
OMMERCIAL
, R
ETAIL
A
ND
I
NSTITUTIONAL
F
RAMEWORK
Copyright © BEAM Society Limited. All rights reserved. Page 21
iii.
enables developers, building owners and occupiers to respond
to end user demands for better quality buildings and interiors
spaces that have less impact on the environment;
Applicants Decide
The BEAM Plus label signifies levels of quality in respect of safety,
health and comfort, which are important considerations for building
users, and levels of performance in respect of environmental and social
dimensions, which are of importance to society as a whole. The
Applicant ultimately decides whether obtaining a BEAM Plus certificate
is a worthwhile endeavour, but completion of a BEAM Plus assessment
provides assurances as to the qualities of a building, not as a subjective
promise, but as a measured reality.
1.6.3 BEAM
A
CHIEVEMENTS
Since its introduction in 1996, BEAM (formerly HK-BEAM) has
undertaken the leading role raising awareness in Hong Kong on the
contribution of better buildings to sustainable development.
BEAM has also helped encourage the integration of environmental
measures into the planning, design, construction and management of
buildings of all types, both in Hong Kong and mainland China.
Indeed, on per capita basis, BEAM is one of the most widely used
voluntary green building labelling schemes of its kind in the world.
Building Types Certified
The take up of assessments under BEAM has historically comprised the
planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance and
management of high-rise developments, including:
i.
commercial office towers, corporate HQ buildings, data centres,
technology complexes, transport and logistics facilities;
ii.
private and public residential estates, university hostels and
Government quarters;
iii.
shopping malls, hotels, tourism, sports, leisure and recreational
facilities;
iv.
municipal buildings, Government offices, uniformed services,
hospital, health and rehabilitation facilities;
v.
secondary school, international school, university and
community college buildings.
Adoption by Government and Industry
Different versions of the BEAM Plus rating system and its predecessors
have long been used as a reference for Applicants, both in the private
and public sectors, during the design, construction and management of
their buildings. Most notably, BEAM requirements have been
incorporated into Applicant briefs, specifications, and design
requirements, in addition to procedures for building operation,
maintenance and management.
Numerous large-scale Applicants commit to obtaining certification of
their new buildings and progressively introducing certification to their
existing property portfolios.
More recently, BEAM Plus was endorsed by the HKGBC as Hong
Kong’s green building rating system and, since April 2011, has been
adopted as a pre-requisite by Hong Kong Government for granting a
gross floor area concession for green and amenity features in certain
new building developments.
1.6.4 B
ASIS OF
C
REDITS
The terms sustainable and green when applied to buildings are often
used interchangeably, although sustainability suggests a much broader