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With sustainability now a core priority in the UK’s built environment, SKA Rating is becoming an essential tool for responsible commercial fit-outs. Sustainability considerations are increasingly crucial for both landlords and tenants, not only due to heightened environmental awareness but also due to regulatory shifts and market demand.
Prioritising a sustainable approach in your commercial fit-out has clear environmental and economic advantages, including reduced construction and operational costs, increased asset value, and higher occupancy rates. A sustainable build also strengthens a company’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy—a critical factor as stakeholders and investors continue to prioritise organisations that champion environmental responsibility.
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What is the SKA rating?
The SKA rating is a Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) environmental assessment method, benchmark and standard for non-domestic fit outs. It helps landlords and tenants assess fit out projects against a set of sustainability good practice criteria known as good practice measures (GPM). The SKA rating is one of the many accreditation schemes established to help businesses prioritise sustainability in a quantifiable way.
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How does the SKA rating work?
The SKA rating was developed in light of industry feedback that previously available tools for assessing buildings weren’t always suitable for fit out projects. So, a team of designers, contractors, occupiers, agents and consultants were involved in the creation of a new assessment: the SKA rating.
The SKA guide documents over 100 GPM that the project team can implement – some measures have a higher sustainability impact than others, and are ranked accordingly. To ensure teams target an appropriate range of measures, each project must achieve a certain number of the highest-ranked GPM in order to be scored. These measures are referred to as gateway measures and are the key to achieving certification.
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The Guide to Green Building Rating Schemes
To learn more about rating schemes for sustainability and occupant wellbeing – including step-by-step breakdowns of the assessment processes – download our free guide.
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The SKA assessment criteria
The GPM that make up the SKA assessment criteria cover 8 different categories:
- Energy
- CO2
- Waste
- Water
- Pollution
- Transport
- Materials
- Wellbeing
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How to achieve a SKA rating
The SKA certification process has 4 steps. The following breakdown explains each step in detail.
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1. Scope
The SKA assessor begins by reviewing the scope of relevant assessment criteria, deciding which apply to the project and creating a custom scorecard.
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2. Design stage assessment
The assessor works with the project team during the design stage, ensuring the implementation of as many ‘in-scope’ measures as possible. At the end of this period, a design stage assessment is issued in order to provide an indicative rating for the project.
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3. Handover assessment
Throughout the construction stage, the assessor works with the project team to collect evidence demonstrating specified measures have been delivered. The final assessment is submitted after handover.
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4. Certification
Once the handover assessment is submitted, the assessor is able to download the certification. From this moment, the project is certified and certification can be displayed.
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SKA rating and BREEAM comparison
A BREEAM assessment is another tool for certifying the environmental qualities of a construction project. Depending upon an organisation’s sustainability objectives, a SKA rating or a BREEAM assessment may be better suited to their project. The following comparison between the two is designed to give businesses a rough idea of which accreditation scheme they’d like to pursue.
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BREEAM
Characteristics of a BREEAM assessment:
- Thorough assessment that impacts most parts of a construction project
- Has a wide range of scores, from Unrated to Excellent
- The world’s oldest green rating scheme for buildings
- Applies to all construction projects
- Used globally with global recognition
- Certification fees are based on project size and scope
- BREEAM rating of Pass or Good can usually be achieved without additional cost
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SKA rating
Characteristics of a SKA rating assessment:
- Has flexible scoping
- Three scores that are easy to understand and recognise (Bronze, Silver and Gold)
- Is a formal quality-assured scheme
- Applicable to retail spaces and office fit outs
- Only used in the UK
- Has a set fee for certification
- A SKA Silver rating (and sometimes Gold) can often be achieved without additional costs
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SKA rating with Oktra
We work directly with consultants to make sure our clients’ projects achieve all desired certifications. For every project with a sustainability objective, a consultant will work with the project team to align the design with all necessary scoring criteria.
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“Sustainability is such a broad term and can mean so many different things. The SKA rating offers a simple and easy-to-follow framework that not only describes and defines what a sustainable office looks like, but outlines the most important elements to focus on. Following the Ska guidelines ensures that the project can achieve a certain level of sustainability in an objective way.”
Oktra
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Interested in learning more about obtaining a SKA rating? Contact us below or take a look at some of our SKA-rated projects.
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London SW1 | Other
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London EC1 | Gaming
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Contact us
Speak to a member of our sustainability team today
020 7553 9500
info@oktra.co.uk
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SKA-rated projects
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Find out more
London EC1 | Other
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Find out more
London W1A | Creative Industries
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Find out more
London EC2 | Financial
