Shanghai International Shipping Service Center’s (SISSC) development on the Huangpu River in Shanghai aims to set a new standard in China for green, low carbon, smart and highly efficient buildings. The development has pioneered the use of BREEAM1, the world’s leading design and assessment method for sustainable buildings, in the Chinese market in order to achieve these aspirations. The development includes the first building in China to achieve BREEAM certification at both design and post construction stages. This office building, known as Building 17, is formed of twin towers comprising 13 floors (including 3 floors underground) and has a total floor area of approximately 25,000 m2 (Figure 1 and Figure 2). It achieved a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ (three stars) rating at the design stage assessment, and an ‘Excellent’ (four stars) rating at the post construction stage assessment. This case study paper provides an overview of how BREEAM was used to increase the sustainability benefits and value of Building 17.