PRINCIPAL DESIGNER FOR BUILDING REGULATIONS
Ensuring Compliance and Safety from Design to Completion
Acting as Principal Designer for Building Regulations (PD-BR) at INform Surveying, we ensure that projects not only meet regulatory standards but also prioritise safety, functionality, and long-term viability.
Regardless of whether it is new construction, refurbishments, or alterations, our expertise as property consultants, chartered building surveyors, and project managers allows us to navigate the complexities of Building Regulations, ensuring each project is fully compliant and successfully delivered.
With the introduction of the Building Safety Act in October 2023, new roles have been mandated for all construction schemes requiring Building Control approval. In this blog, we explore the Principal Designer’s role and its purpose in achieving Building Regulation compliance. We also highlight how a well-documented case study can demonstrate the value of expert oversight throughout the design and construction process.
- Complementary services:
-
+ PD – CDM
-
+ Contract Admin
-
+ Project Management
-
+ Measured Surveys
-
+ Party Wall
-
+ Neighbourly Matters
-
+ Schedule of Condition
-
+ Landlord & Tenant Alterations
-
+ RCA
KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR EFFECTIVE BUILDING REGULATION COMPLIANCE
01 Comprehensive Design Review :
As Principal Designers, we manage and oversee the design process to ensure compliance with safety, energy usage, and accessibility. We ensure that other designers are skilled in their roles and that design elements integrate seamlessly across the project team. This early scrutiny assists in identifying and resolving potential compliance issues, thereby avoiding costly changes later in the process.
02 Understanding and Applying Regulations :
Building regulations are extensive and continually evolving. Our expertise enables us to interpret and apply them accurately, ensuring that projects comply with both current standards and anticipated future requirements.
03 Coordination with Regulatory Authorities :
Navigating Building Control approval is crucial for compliance. We liaise with local authorities and regulatory bodies, ensuring that all required approvals are obtained efficiently, minimising delays and keeping the project on schedule.
04 Addressing Structural, Fire, and Energy Efficiency Standards:
Compliance with structural integrity, fire safety, and energy efficiency is fundamental to every project. As Principal Designers, we ensure that designs meet these key criteria by liaising with qualified Fire Engineers, structural engineers and MEP engineers, safeguarding immediate safety and long-term sustainability.
05 Ongoing Compliance Monitoring :
Compliance is not a ‘one-time’ task. We conduct regular reviews and assessments throughout the project to ensure that any design changes comply with Building Regulations, maintaining the project’s legal validity and facilitating smooth progress.
WHY PRINCIPLE DESIGNER FOR BUILDING REGULATIONS IS ESSENTIAL
The Principal Designer role has introduced a defined set of duties to ensure that all elements of a construction project comply with the relevant Building Regulations. Compliance is not just a legal requirement—it is fundamental to delivering a safe, sustainable, and efficient project.
Regulatory Compliance from the Start
As Principal Designers, we plan, manage, and monitor the design stage to ensure that the project complies with Building Regulations from the outset. This entails adherence to fire safety, structural integrity, energy efficiency, and accessibility standards.
Ensuring Safety and Functionality
Beyond legal compliance, Building Regulations exist to ensure that buildings are safe, functional, and suitable for their intended use. Our role is to manage the design process, integrating these key considerations seamlessly to deliver projects that satisfy both regulatory and practical requirements.
Mitigating Risk
Non-compliance may lead to injunctions, financial penalties, project delays, and significant safety hazards. As Principal Designers, we take a proactive approach to identifying and mitigating risks, ensuring that every aspect of the design and construction process is compliant and risk-free.
Collaboration with the Project Team
Our role as Principal Designer involves collaborating closely with architects, contractors, and engineers to ensure that all parties are aligned on Building Regulation compliance. This collaborative approach guarantees that every stage of the project, from design to completion, meets the required standards.
Sustainable and Future-Proof Design
Building Regulations are evolving, with an increasing focus on sustainability and energy efficiency. By staying informed on regulatory updates, we ensure that the designs not only meet current standards but are also future-proofed, helping clients meet sustainability goals and reduce long-term costs.
Our founders are always available for advice or support—feel free to reach out directly.
To learn more about our journey and values, visit our About Us page. Together, we’ve built a consultancy dedicated to placing clients first, delivering not just solutions, but clarity, precision, and long-term success.
CASE STUDY: MAJOR HOSPITALITY OPERATOR
INform Surveying were contacted by a major hospitality operator, in the public house and restaurant industry, and asked to provide a scope of service for undertaking the new Principal Designer (PD) role as it relates to Building Regulations. We provided a unique client-focused fee proposal that concentrated on the delivery of the PD role and on compliance and safety standards such as fire and structure for an upcoming refurbishment scheme in Nottingham.
INform Surveying were instructed to undertake the role of Principal Designer to oversee the refurbishment of an existing pub into a new restaurant and hotel facility with improved specification and quality standards. Our involvement enabled the co-ordination of design and ensured all stakeholders considered fire safety, accessibility standards, energy efficiency and structural integrity matters. The end goal was to ensure a fully compliant facility at project completion.
As part of our role, we undertook a comprehensive design review, in accordance with a registered building control approver who facilitated a ‘plans check’ of the design. The review identified a number of key regulatory compliance issues that had to be addressed, such as fire compartmentation, fire glazing and means of escape routes, to name a few. We collaborated closely with the lead architect and client to ensure compliance matters were addressed throughout the project and ultimately ensure regulatory approval was obtained.
As part of the design and construction phase, several challenges arose that posed regulatory challenges. One compliance matter involved issues around a fire escape route from the hotel accommodation on the first and second floors. Through problem-solving with the Architect, the project was able to address compliance issues through the improvement of external fire escape stairs and fire safety glazing on escape routes.
Overall, the project successfully provided a high quality hotel and restaurant facility for staff and customers alike. Our involvement ensured fire safety and building regulations compliance were managed efficiently and addressed where required. The scheme successfully obtained the final certificate of approval from the local building control body.
CONTACT US
If you’d like to arrange a meeting or learn more about what we do, please email us or give us a call.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Our Office
102-103 Hague, Park Hill,
South Street, Sheffield S2 5AS
What 3 words: placed.backed.agenda
Open Office Hours
Mon-Fri : 9:00am - 5:30pm
Get in Touch
+44(0)114 321 9919
