How we provide the Principal Designer role.
The Grenfell Fire Disaster and subsequent public enquiries has led to a plethora of new legislation and regulations that target a change in the way the construction industry works. This addresses cultural and practical issues faced by the industry and product manufacturers.
The procedures around Building Regulations have been tightened up and a new role created of Principal Designer. So what does the Principal Designer do?
The Principal Designer plans, manages and monitors the design process to ensure the design meets the requirements of the Building Regulations.
At Buju our staff can demonstrate the competence needed to fulfil this role as a consequence of our experience, knowledge and recent training undertaken. Our staff exhibit the behaviours needed to fulfil the role proactively. We adopt an attitude of personal responsibility whilst undertaking principal designer services.
Clients are obligated to appoint a Principal Designer to each project. That Principal Designer should be a designer in control over the design. By the end of the construction period the Client has to make a declaration confirming that to the best of the client’s knowledge the work complies with all applicable requirements of the building regulations.
At Buju we provide the guidance and advice necessary to enable clients make this declaration in confidence.
Our duties to plan, manage and monitor the design process means that we communicate and coordinate with each designer including designers appointed by the Contractor; we make sure each party cooperates with each other to reach the point where the overall design can meet the requirements of the building regulations; we liaise with the Principal Contractor and share information to ensure that the Principal Contractor can fulfil his duties and obligations. If the Contractor comments on the design, we listen and take appropriate action. When changes occur to the design, we acknowledge this and address the requirements of the Building Regulations to ensure compliance is maintained.
Example
On a recent domestic project, Jeff guided the client from the beginning of the project explaining the client’s role and duties and explaining the role of Principal Designer. He coordinated the structural engineer’s designs with his architectural designs. When the Contractor was being appointed Jeff sought to understand the Contractor’s knowledge and understanding of the regulations and supported the Contractor improve his understanding of the procedures. During the Construction period he liaised with the contractor to ensure that the Registered Building Inspector visited site at the right time, formally notified the Building Inspector regarding the start date for the work and requested the contractor took date and location stamped progress photographs of work that would be covered up. Jeff visited the site at a similar frequency to the Building Inspector to be able to liaise with the Contractor and his electrician and heating engineer to ensure that their design information could be coordinated and incorporated into the design information. At the end of the project the final inspection by the Building Inspector was managed so that his final queries and comments could be addressed expeditiously, to avoid the expiry date of the Initial Notice being reached. The declarations were signed by the Principal Designer, Principal Contractor and Client enabling the Final Certificate to be received by the client.