Join Keegans at Housing 2024 Manchester

MDT working recognises the complex nature of higher-risk building work and the range of disciplines required. MDT members will be brought together to assess each application, whether initial building control approval, change control or completion certificate. The MDT will also be involved throughout the construction phase for inspections, interventions and assessments of further information. The inspection schedule will be agreed upon by the MDT, who will provide a lead contact for applicants throughout the process. The MDT will assess the completion certificate application alongside the ‘as built’ information submitted, including change control details. A completion certificate will only be issued where there is sufficient evidence that what was built meets the functional requirements of building regulations as agreed.

The UK Government has identified the retrofit of buildings as a key lever in their low carbon strategy to achieve 68% carbon reduction by 2030. All affordable homes will be required to achieve a minimum EPC of C by 2030. All ECO funded refurbishment projects are required to achieve full compliance with PAS 2035:2019 from July 2021 with a 20% funding uplift for projects that comply before the deadline.

PAS 2035:2019 (Specification for the Energy Retrofit of Domestic Buildings) is revolutionising the refurbishment of buildings. Over the last 30 years energy efficiency programmes have focussed on single measures (i.e.: cavity wall insulation or window replacement, etc.) but all future programmes now require a holistic solution designed to suit the specific building type.

To comply with PAS 2035, a qualified Retrofit Coordinator must be employed to provide a 'Whole House Retrofit' solution.

Retrofitting existing buildings will allow individuals and businesses to save money and be more sustainable. It will let people across the UK live in warmer and healthier homes. Crucially, it will help our industry, and the country as a whole, decarbonise.

Building Surveyors are responsible for assessing the quality of buildings, from houses to public and commercial properties. They examine the condition of buildings and advise on ways to improve them. 

The building surveyor role requires you to wear many hats. These include safety analyst in the form of carrying out structural and internal inspections to make sure a building is safe. You’ll also need to be a quality controller to ensure a building is fit for human habitation, as well as understanding energy standards and the history and heritage of older buildings. 

The cost consultant provides estimates and advice regarding the cost of construction works. The cost consultant's role might include: Helping determine the client's requirements and undertaking feasibility studies. Benchmarking requirements against similar projects. Assessing and comparing options.

The employer's agent administers the project on behalf of the client and acts as the lead consultant for the delivery of the project. The employer's agent fulfils the functions of the project manager and cost manager; they may appoint additional consultants to discharge certain roles. The role of the employer’s agent starts before the contract is awarded and continues through the construction phase to the post-completion defect rectification period.

A clerk of works inspects the workmanship, quality and safety of work on construction sites and reports back to senior managers and clients. They conduct regular site inspections and check that building plans are being followed correctly, ensuring that work is being carried out to the correct specifications and legal, safety and environmental standards.

The Principal Designer's role involves close cooperation with the client and the principal contractor, and coordinating the work of others in the project team to ensure that significant and foreseeable risks are managed throughout the design process. Principal designers must: plan, manage, monitor and coordinate health and safety in the pre-construction phase. In doing so they must take into account relevant information (such as an existing health and safety file) that might affect design work carried out both before and after the construction phase has started.