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Patrick Inglis, president of ACA, describes the new safety information regime post- Building Safety Act, and why architects are best placed to take on the Principal Designer role, while being mindful of the risks.
T
he Phase 2 report on the Grenfell tragedy was fi nally published in September 2024, more than seven
years after the disaster. While the report brought the enquiry to a close, the fall out from the severe systematic failings revealed by the investigation will continue to impact the construction industry for many years to come. In particular, the enactment of the Building Safety Act is having a major effect on construction. The Act is intended to force signifi cant changes in the way that buildings are designed, constructed and maintained, and clarify who takes responsibility for them being safe to build
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and use. The idea is centred on a “golden thread” throughout the lifetime of a building so that information on compliance is compiled, stored, and passed on. One of the most signifi cant changes for architects is the new Principal Designer role, which is intended to ensure that the designs for buildings comply with the Building Regulations. A new regime for higher risk buildings (HRBs) also came into effect. The legislation also creates additional roles for Principal Contractors and clients, and imposes new duties on designers in general. Almost all construction projects involving an architect will now require a ‘Building Regulations Principal Designer’ or ‘BR PD’.
This role provides a unique opportunity for architects to take more control over the design of projects and to charge additional fees. However, it also will increase risk, and potentially have far reaching consequences for procurement routes like Design & Build.
The Principal Designer role Under the new regulations, the client for any construction project requiring Building Regulations approval must appoint a BR PD. The duties of the Principal Designer are to plan, manage and oversee design work during the design stage and to co-ordinate design work to ensure that the designs, if built, would comply with the Building
ADF JANUARY 2025
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