Delivering BREEAM Excellent on a complex City of London refurbishment
Project: Peterborough Court, London
Project Type: Major commercial refurbishment
Address: 133 Fleet Street, London, EC4A 2BB
BREEAM Scheme: BREEAM UK Refurbishment and Fit Out 2014
BREEAM Rating: Excellent – 72.4%
Melin Role: BREEAM Assessment & Consultancy
Certification: Final
Project Overview
Peterborough Court is a major refurbishment of a prominent City of London office building, transforming the existing property into a contemporary, sustainability-focused workspace.
The completed development provides approximately 76,919 sq ft of office accommodation, alongside a range of high-quality amenities designed around occupant wellbeing and modern working requirements.
The refurbishment includes an all-electric building strategy, new centralised plant, five high-efficiency air source heat pumps, extensive end-of-trip facilities, a 100-seat auditorium, gym and enhanced communal spaces.
With sustainability and occupant wellbeing central to the development, achieving a strong BREEAM rating was an important component of the overall project strategy.
A Challenging BREEAM Takeover
Melin Consultants were appointed part-way through the project to take over responsibility for the BREEAM assessment.
By this stage, the BREEAM process had already been initiated by another consultant, meaning Melin inherited an assessment with established strategies, decisions and evidence requirements already in place.
Taking over an assessment at this stage can present significant challenges. Design decisions may already have been made, opportunities to secure credits may have passed, and the incoming assessor must quickly establish what has been achieved, what remains outstanding and whether the existing approach will ultimately satisfy the requirements of the BREEAM methodology.
For a project of this scale and profile, maintaining momentum while ensuring the assessment remained technically robust was particularly important.
Melin’s Approach
Melin undertook a detailed review of the existing BREEAM assessment and project information before establishing a clear route through to final certification.
Our team worked closely with the client, design team, contractors and wider project consultants to understand the inherited assessment, identify outstanding requirements and address areas where further evidence or technical input was required.
Rather than simply continuing with the assessment as inherited, Melin applied its own technical expertise to identify potential compliance issues and develop practical solutions within the constraints of an existing refurbishment project.
This included:
- Reviewing the inherited BREEAM assessment and credit strategy.
- Identifying outstanding evidence and compliance requirements.
- Assessing the implications of design and construction decisions already made.
- Working with the wider project team to resolve outstanding BREEAM issues.
- Coordinating and reviewing evidence throughout the completion of the works.
- Providing practical technical advice to maximise compliance opportunities.
- Managing the assessment through to final certification.
Overcoming Inherited Challenges
One of the key challenges was that Melin was joining the project after the BREEAM process had already commenced.
This required a detailed understanding of both the project’s history and the technical requirements of the assessment, while working within decisions and constraints that had already been established.
Melin’s experience across BREEAM, building performance and energy-related assessments provided the technical foundation needed to navigate these challenges.
Through proactive communication, detailed assessment review and close coordination with the project team, the outstanding issues were progressively resolved and the assessment was brought into a position suitable for final certification.
A Successful BREEAM Outcome
Despite the challenges associated with taking over an established assessment, Melin successfully guided Peterborough Court through to final BREEAM certification.
The project achieved a BREEAM Excellent rating with a final score of 72.4%, demonstrating a strong level of environmental performance across the refurbishment.
The final certification was awarded in April 2026 under the BREEAM UK Refurbishment and Fit Out 2014 scheme.
Supporting Sustainable Refurbishment
Peterborough Court demonstrates the importance of experienced BREEAM consultancy on complex refurbishment projects.
Existing buildings often present considerably greater constraints than new-build developments, with opportunities influenced by existing construction, services, structural limitations and decisions made earlier in the project.
Where a BREEAM assessment has already commenced, bringing in a specialist consultant can also require the ability to quickly understand an inherited strategy, identify potential risks and develop a practical route through to certification.
Melin was proud to provide that specialist input at Peterborough Court, helping the project team overcome the challenges associated with an inherited BREEAM assessment and successfully deliver a BREEAM Excellent outcome on this prestigious City of London refurbishment.
Melin Energy Consultants – Building Physics Specialists
Our team provides BREEAM consultancy and assessment services alongside SAP, SBEM, energy modelling, thermal modelling, overheating assessments, air tightness testing and wider building performance services.