HQM ONE is BRE’s new benchmarking standard for sustainability and quality in housing.

It is set to play a crucial role in reducing the carbon footprint of homes as the UK moves towards zero-carbon.

Located in Central Square, Legal & General’s 500,000 sq ft development is set to include a 14-bay bus station and a 12-storey office space alongside the 318 HQM-certified buy-to-rent apartments, once construction is completed at the end of 2022.

The HQM ONE assessment is a two-stage process. The initial design stage makes sure that opportunities to improve the performance of the homes are identified before construction.

This could include improvements to energy and water efficiency, better integration with local transport options or tackling indoor air pollution.

The second stage, which is when the final certification is granted, assures whether those opportunities have been put into practice during construction.

Gillian Charlesworth, Chief Executive of BRE Group said: “Making buildings fit for the future is central to the work we do at BRE and it is fantastic that an exciting new project like the Cardiff Interchange, which will provide homes for hundreds of people, has become the first building to achieve an HQM ONE certification at design stage.”