BREEAM Indoor Air Quality Testing in Central London: Case Study
Why this Central London Office Required BREEAM Indoor Air Quality Testing
33 King William Street is an eleven-storey commercial office building in the heart of central London. In 2023, a major new occupant was preparing to move in — bringing 1,200 team members with them — and was committed to retaining their BREEAM accreditation and demonstrating that commitment to a sustainable, healthy workplace in their new home.
ARM Environments was contracted to conduct BREEAM indoor air quality testing to the Refurbishment and Fit-Out (RFO) 2014 specification — a rigorous assessment that requires measurable evidence of healthy indoor air quality before a building can be certified. For a business of this scale, achieving BREEAM RFO certification wasn't just about ticking a box; it was a statement about how seriously they take the environment their people work in every day.
Key challenges:
- Client required BREEAM RFO 2014 certification for a 'Excellent' rating
- Testing was scheduled mid-fit-out, with furniture and equipment still being moved in
- A large-scale, high-profile operation across an eleven-storey building in central London
What Our BREEAM Air Quality Testing Found
We arrived to carry out the initial indoor air quality testing while the fit-out was still actively underway — furniture, equipment, and materials were still being brought into the building. Before we had even begun sampling, occupants on site mentioned noticing a distinct 'new car smell' throughout the building. That's a meaningful early signal: the characteristic smell of a freshly fitted-out space is caused by elevated Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOCs) off-gassing from new materials, adhesives, furnishings, and finishes.
Our suspicion was confirmed by the results. Initial TVOC concentrations measured at 786.3 µg/m³ — more than double the BREEAM RFO 2014 limit of 300 µg/m³. The building was a significant way from being in a position to pass.
The cause was clear: the simultaneous introduction of large volumes of new materials into an enclosed building, combined with an active fit-out, had created a concentrated off-gassing environment. The pollutant load was temporarily far above what would be expected under normal occupancy conditions — but that didn't make it any less of a problem for the certification timeline.
Our Approach: Remediation Advice and a Successful Retest
Rather than simply issuing a fail and leaving the client to work it out, we advised them in detail on the steps needed to reduce TVOC concentrations back below the BREEAM threshold — including ventilation flush-out procedures and recommendations around timing the retest relative to fit-out completion.
A few weeks later, we returned to conduct the second BREEAM air quality test. With the fit-out complete and the recommended flush-out procedures carried out, TVOC concentrations had dropped to 271 µg/m³ — below the 300 µg/m³ threshold. The client passed!
Results: BREEAM RFO Certification and a Lesson in Timing
The client achieved the BREEAM RFO 2014 certification they were seeking, with the indoor air quality results providing documented evidence of their commitment to occupant health and their ESG goals — a meaningful statement for an organisation bringing 1,200 people into a new building.
But the case study carries an important practical lesson beyond the outcome itself. Because the initial testing was conducted mid-fit-out, the client encountered TVOC levels that reflected a temporary and abnormal condition rather than the building's true baseline. That initial fail required a return visit, a repeat test, and additional weeks of elapsed time — all of which added cost and delay to a project that was already under pressure.
The lesson is straightforward: for new-builds, renovations, and fit-outs, the timing of BREEAM IAQ testing matters enormously. Engaging an IAQ specialist early — ideally before fit-out begins — allows for a proper testing plan, adequate flush-out periods, and a realistic certification timeline that doesn't rely on everything going right first time.
"A whole five precious credits are available in the latest version of BREEAM's Hea 02 section for Indoor Air Quality. But they're often ignored. Either seen as risky, or because the delivery team don't know who to work with. But that's a mistake. These credits do more than tick boxes. They directly affect the comfort, health and productivity of future occupants."
Adam Taylor, CEO
BREEAM Indoor Air Quality Testing in London
Planning a fit-out, refurbishment, or new-build and need BREEAM indoor air quality testing in London or across the UK? ARM Environments provides BREEAM IAQ testing and BREEAM IAQ planning to help you achieve certification without costly delays. Contact us to discuss your project.
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