„Building certificates“



BREEAM

The BRE Environmental Assessment Method, or BREEAM for short, was introduced in 1990 as one of the very first sustainability certificates in the United Kingdom and today remains the most widespread and recognised method of certification in the UK. The responsible organisation, BRE Global Limited (part of the BRE Group) is an independent certification body in the UK that offers certification of products and services in the fields of fire protection, security and sustainability to the international market.

Rating system
In conjunction with the British government and 24 trade associations from the building product sector, BRE has developed a methodology for a standardised approach to life cycle assessment for all types of building products. The overall environmental impact of a certain product or process is measured using ‚ecopoints‘. The total number of ecopoints awarded is derived from the sub-totals of the individual impact categories and is calculated by multiplying the normalised impact with its percentage weighting. The yearly environmental impact of an average British citizen is used here as the reference value and equates to 100 Ecopoints. The greater the ecopoints, the greater the environmental impact.

Armstrong and BREEAM
It is principally our ‚natural flooring‘ linoleum that scores highly in the BREEAM rating system, but – depending on each specific building project – our vinyl can also prove beneficial for BREEAM certification. For more detailed information, please contact us on green_dialogue@ armstrong.com

DLW Linoleum
DLW Linoleum Colorette PUR, Granette PUR, Marmorette LPX and PUR, Marmorette Acoustic and Uni Walton have all obtained BRE certification for the environmental profiles of building products. Following evaluation, all DLW linoleum coverings that were tested were awarded the highest ‚A+‘ score according to the „Green Guide to Specification“.

 

LEED certificate
LEE D stands for „Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design“ and certification is awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council. Introduced in the USA in 2000, LEED certification has rapidly developed into an international standard that enjoys an outstanding global reputation.

Rating system
The system looks at the principles of energy-saving and ecological building and is used to classify buildings as „Green Buildings“. For this, the environmental impact of a building throughout its entire life cycle is evaluated. This not only takes account of factors such as energy efficiency, use of natural light and use of environmentally friendly building materials that are available at a regional level, but also of transport routes or the integration of the building into the public transport network. The U.S. Green Building Council has compiled a list of specifications, each corresponding to a set number of points, to assist architects and civil engineers during the planning phase. Once a set minimum number of points is reached, ratings are awarded at ‚Certified‘, ‚Silver‘, ‚Gold‘ or, as the highest level, ‚Platinum‘ levels. In 2009, LEED v2.2. that was previously in force was replaced by LEED v3. The current system has a maximum of 110 potential points that can be earned.

Armstrong and LEED
LEED certificates are only awarded for buildings and not building materials. Accordingly, floor coverings too cannot obtain their own LEED certification. They can, however, contribute to the fulfilment of requirements in various LEED categories (‚credits‘).

Armstrong has had its floor coverings rated in terms of LEED. Their possible contribution to the individual credits in the categories of ‚New construction and schools‘, ‚Commercial interiors‘ and ‚Existing buildings‘ is shown in the following table. Further information – including information on our vinyl floor coverings – can be obtained from our Technical Service: green_dialogue@armstrong.com

 

DGNB certificate

The DGNB certification system was launched by the German Sustainable Building Council (Deutschen Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen) in cooperation with the German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development. It is a powerful instrument that can be used to plan and evaluate sustainable buildings. In order to ensure that a comprehensive perspective on quality is consequently gained, all relevant fields concerning sustainable building are covered.

Rating system
The evaluation encompasses around 60 criteria from the fields of ecology, economy, socio-cultural and functional aspects, techniques, processes and the location, depending on the usage profile. In the case of outstanding compliance with the requirements of these fields, the building receives DGNB certification in the Gold, Silver or Bronze category. In addition to the standard DGNB certificate for completed buildings, the DGNB also offers the DGNB pre-certificate for the evaluation of building projects in the planning and construction phase.

Armstrong and DGNB
Armstrong supports the German Sustainable Building Council not only as a member but also as an active partner. Thanks to their outstanding life cycle assessments, all of our products can contribute to a building obtaining DGNB certification. Various different criteria apply depending on the product and building. We would be glad to answer your questions on the suitability of our floor coverings for your sustainable building projects – simply e-mail us at green_dialogue@armstrong.com.

DLW Linoleum
As a floor covering made predominantly of natural, swiftly renewable raw materials, linoleum also scores highly with regard to DGNB certification. Additional aspects considered include regional, environmentally friendly production in Germany, long service life and low emissions.

DLW Fibrebonded
Our impressive fibrebonded floor coverings are manufactured in an eco-friendly manner in accordance with EN ISO 14001 and are characterised by low emissions, high sound absorption and – depending on the covering – recycled elements in the rear layer.

DLW Vinyl
Our vinyl floor coverings too can be considered for sustainable building applications with DGNB certification, thanks to their high durability and environmentally friendly production method. They can also be fully recycled.