An environmental labelling method designed to rate and compare the environmental performance of fit-out projects initially for office buildings in the UK.
Developed by industry for industry, Ska Rating is designed to encourage good practice in fit out work and has been developed collaboratively by consultants, contractors and occupiers.
The fit out sector is currently underserved with specific benchmarks and labelling although it is a substantial part of the construction industry. Ska Rating is intended to fill this gap. The UK construction industry spent £64.5bn in the years 2003-06; of this £6.9bn was attributed to the fit-out sector. This represents 10% of the construction sector budget. Source: Office for National Statistics
The current economic climate is extending real-estate life-expectancy. Occupiers are now more likely to refurbish their existing offices than seek new ones but while there are proven methods for labelling the environmental performance of whole buildings, fit out has remained a sustainability blind spot. Ska Rating aims to rate only the environmental performance related to the scope of fit-out projects.
The RICS Global Property Sustainability Survey, Q2 2009 revealed sustainability remaining high on the agenda despite the worsening economic climate. Around 40 percent of respondents believed that sustainability is a more important issue for their clients now than it was this time last year, whilst 50% felt it was just as important. Under a tenth of those responding felt that it was less of an issue for their clients. In the UK, 33 percent of property professionals questioned saw sustainability as important, whilst only 17% viewed it as unimportant. Energy supply/efficiency was cited as the most important issue, by 28 percent of respondents.
In 2005 Skansen, an interior construction company commissioned a research project with RICS and AECOM to establish whether it was possible to measure either the environmental impact of fit out on the environment, or measure or codify good environmental practice on fit out projects. The findings were compelling and during 2008-09 a collaborative team of development partners led by RICS have evolved the concepts into the fully working Ska Rating.
With its distinctive, in depth focus on fit-out Ska complements other labelling methods. Ska Rating labels 100% of the environmental performance related to the scope of fit-out projects, rather than being a whole building assessment. It can be used in conjunction with or alongside other labels.
EPCs (Energy Performance Certificates) and DEC (Display Energy Certificates) label how energy efficient a building is. Ska Rating focuses 100% on fit out and does consider energy but among a holistic range of sustainability considerations including Waste, Water, Pollution, Transport, Materials and Wellbeing as well as Energy & CO2 where Ska Rating informs you about the impact your fit out will have on energy efficiency.
Ska Rating will help occupiers, landlords, developers, consultants, fit out contractors and the supply chain. See the section on benefits for more detail.
It has been a principle from the outset that Ska Rating should be free to use. It is designed to be accessible even for the smallest organization. All the information about the rating method, criteria and guidance is available free on the web. Use of the online assessment tool is also free for those who want to self-assess.
Those wanting a quality-assured certificate to formally substantiate their performance will need to commission a formal assessment from a Ska
For businesses seeking the credibility of a professional certificate an assessor can be engaged to rate and certify the project an accredited Ska Rating assessor. Individual accredited assessors are free to set their own assessment fees corresponding to the time required to gather information and complete the assessment record. It is likely that many clients of the formal assessment process will also want additional support and guidance depending on the scope, scale and duration of the fit-out. The fees will include the cost of producing and lodging a Ska Rating certificate with the RICS.
Not yet. The office sector is a starting point and Ska Rating may well be adapted in future to cover other types of buildings.
The principles of Ska Rating can apply to any fit out project but the guidance has been developed in the context of the UK regulatory framework. To contact RICS about adapting Ska Rating for use in a different country market please email ska@rics.org
When the rating system started life as a research project initiated and sponsored by Skansen it quickly gathered the working title 'SKA' based on the first three letters of Skansen's name. We thought about lots of other names but over time the name stuck. We think it's quite catchy and memorable.