The first wave of EWS1 forms are now approaching their 5-year expiry. This raises a critical question: what should renewal involve?

Water ingress, tenant complaints, rising maintenance costs and ageing façade materials are often early indicators of wider building envelope issues. A condition survey provides an objective assessment of the external envelope at a point in time, helping building owners and asset managers understand how the façade is performing. It helps to identify where defects are developing and what actions may be required to reduce risk and plan future expenditure through proportional planned preventative maintenance (PPM), lifecycle planning and refurbishment decision-making. Wintech has delivered façade condition surveys for over four decades. This continuity of experience supports consistent diagnosis of common failure mechanisms, understanding of material ageing and façade behaviour, and the distinction between cosmetic issues and defects with potential safety, durability or compliance implications.

A Building Safety Case is not simply a compliance exercise. It is a clear, evidence-based explanation of the specific fire and structural risks within a higher-risk residential building (HRB), demonstrating how those risks are being managed today and how they will continue to be controlled in the future.

Façade glazing is a critical component of modern building envelopes, combining aesthetic appeal with structural performance. However, it also presents unique safety and operational challenges that go beyond standard design considerations.

Gateway 3 marks a critical phase, ensuring that new higher-risk residential buildings are safe, fully compliant, and ready for occupation.

The commercial real estate landscape is undergoing a profound transformation. Driven by tightening regulations and growing market demand, sustainable buildings particularly low-carbon, net-zero developments are becoming increasingly sought after.

In the UK, the architectural landscape is defined by the intricate designs and structures of our buildings. Yet, achieving these often stunning façades now requires navigating a complex network of new regulatory and design challenges.

Amidst the focus on architectural design and functionality, one crucial aspect often overlooked is the maintenance of façade access equipment.

Some types of breakage leave telltale clues, which can determine the cause of failure. One such case is that of nickel sulphide (NiS) inclusions.

While claiming to bridge a gap in fire safety standards, it presents a paradigm shift in the design of residential buildings, potentially surpassing guidelines.