The Building Research Establishment (BRE), the leading international building science center behind BREEAM, today announced the launch of BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit Out Commercial Version 7 (BREEAM RFO V7), an updated framework comprised of two sustainability standards designed to help stakeholders improve the performance, resilience and long-term value of existing commercial buildings.

These standards come at a pivotal time for the real estate industry, with 80% of the buildings expected to be standing in 2050 already in existence today. At the same time, adaptive reuse and repositioning are gaining momentum across U.S. markets as owners look to address underperforming assets, respond to changing demand and extend the lifecycle of existing buildings. In 2025, more than 23 million square feet of U.S. office space was slated for conversion or demolition, exceeding the amount of new office space under construction.

“Much of the built environment that will shape the U.S. real estate market in the decades ahead already exists. The opportunity now is to make sure those buildings can continue to perform, serve their communities and hold their value as expectations and conditions change,” said Breana Wheeler, U.S. Director of Operations at BRE. “BREEAM RFO V7 gives owners, occupiers and project teams a practical, science-driven framework for making informed decisions about existing buildings, from major renovations to tenant improvements. It helps turn work that might otherwise be viewed as routine capital expenditure into an opportunity to strengthen performance, manage risk and extend a building’s useful life.”

The two standards include:

  • BREEAM Refurbishment Commercial Version V7 (BREEAM RF V7): Designed for projects involving changes to a building’s fabric, structure, core building systems or operational performance. The standard can accommodate projects addressing one or more of these areas, including projects that incorporate interior design.

  • BREEAM Fit Out Commercial Version 7 (BREEAM FT V7): Designed for tenant-led or interior-focused projects where the wider building structure and core systems are not being significantly altered. This standard focuses on interior design, with the option to incorporate local services where they form part of the project scope.

The standards use a four-part modular structure covering building envelope and structure, core services, local services and interior design. This enables assessments to align with the project’s scope of work while reflecting the different responsibilities of owners and occupiers and the varying replacement cycles of building systems and interior elements.

Both new standards place greater emphasis on energy performance, whole-life carbon, responsible material selection and circularity, encouraging project teams to make more efficient use of existing building elements and resources. Additionally, they support more accurate predictions of energy use, with BREEAM RF V7 specifically helping buildings manage energy demand and respond to changing grid conditions.

BREEAM RFO V7 also strengthens the role of resilience and risk management in existing buildings, introducing a five-part resilience framework covering hazard screening, climate risk assessment, resilience planning, protection from operational and malicious risks and contribution to local resilience. This focus supports a proactive and risk-based approach to climate adaptation, operational continuity and long-term asset performance, and it reflects the growing financial and operational consequences of climate-related events for property owners. Natural disasters in the U.S. caused an estimated $260 billion in economic losses in 2025, including $127 billion in insured losses, underscoring the urgent need for owners to factor resilience into long-term asset and risk management.

“Every successful refurbishment is an opportunity to get more value and longevity from the buildings we already have,” continued Wheeler. “By investing thoughtfully in existing assets, we can support stronger portfolios today while helping create a more resilient real estate market for the future.”

The launch simultaneously marks an important early milestone for BREEAM RFO V7, with three leading assessor organizations now licensed to deliver assessments under the new standards in North America. CBRE, Cushman & Wakefield and SOCOTEC are helping bring BREEAM RFO V7 to owners and project teams undertaking renovation and fit out projects across the market.

BREEAM RFO 7 builds on the recent launch of BREEAM New Construction Version 7 (BREEAM NC V7), extending the updated BREEAM Version 7 framework to another critical stage of the building lifecycle. The launch marks an important step in BREEAM’s continued evolution to address the realities of today’s commercial real estate market, where the future of the built environment will depend not only on what gets built, but on how effectively existing buildings are renewed and adapted.

Find out more about BREEAM RFO V7 here.

About Building Research Establishment (BRE)

BRE is a world-leading, multi-disciplinary, building science center with a mission to improve buildings and infrastructure, through cutting-edge research and knowledge generation. BRE maintains a range of products, services, standards and qualifications that are used around the world to bring about positive change in the built environment. Learn more at www.bregroup.com.

About BREEAM

Developed by BRE, BREEAM is the world’s leading sustainability assessment methodology for master planning projects, infrastructure and buildings. Its science- and data-led standards use independent, third-party certification to assess environmental, social and economic sustainability performance across the built environment lifecycle – from new construction and operation to refurbishment. BREEAM helps organizations deliver measurable sustainability outcomes, strengthen asset resilience, support people’s wellbeing, protect natural resources and create long-term value. Learn more at www.breeam.com.

Media gallery

About The Author
Business Wire