The Challenges of the Built-Up Wall

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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. Wintech’s Managing Director, Paul Savidge, shares his insight into the step change required to meet the stringent demands of the current Building Regulations and the Building Safety Act (2022) requirements for high rise buildings.

Traditionally, the construction of building façades has relied heavily on a network of specialist subcontractors, each contributing detailed design input under the architect as lead designer. However, under the Building Safety Act (2022), the industry is required to shift towards a more consolidated approach, driven by the need for enhanced safety and accountability, particularly for high-risk buildings.

High value, high-rise construction projects often utilise unitised façades, where a single façade contractor assumes sole responsibility, resulting in streamlined design and construction processes. Yet, the procurement strategies employed by main contractors, aimed at cost management, often involve engaging various specialist subcontractors separately for different façade elements. This fragmented approach poses challenges in coordination, allocation of design responsibilities and addressing interface issues, such as water ingress, air leakage and thermal performance.

Challenges in the Façade Industry

The façade plays a critical role in our construction projects, often seen as the highest risk element and accounting for 15% to 30% of total build costs while being the most susceptible to failure. This high-risk, high value combination led to the volatile nature of our façade industry and leads to experienced professionals leaving, resulting in a loss of expertise and knowledge. Latent defects insurers report that a staggering 80% of building failures are façade-related, underscoring the urgency for robust solutions.

In response to the Hackitt Inquiry, The Building Safety Act 2022 was introduced with a purpose of increasing competence and accountability within the construction industry, and now with the end of its transition period in April 2024, all high-risk buildings (HRBs) must have an earlier coordinated and detailed building design to be put forward at Gateway 2, prior to the commencement of any site construction.

The Government’s expectation is that the supply chain should provide all the detailed design prior to commencement on site using recognisably competent designers. Whilst this may be practical under a Pre-Construction Services Agreement (PCSA) where a single envelope contractor has been engaged, the more traditional procurement route of engaging multiple specialist sub-contractors is likely to hinder achieving early-stage detailed designs, due to performance requirements and coordination challenges if a single specialist designer responsible for the façade is not employed.

A Single Point of Design Responsibility

To address these evolving demands, a paradigm shift towards a single point of responsibility for building design and engineering is imperative. Although this presents a significant challenge for the industry, it is crucial for ensuring the safety and efficiency of our buildings.

The necessity for a collaborative approach among clients, architects, façade designers, contractors, and subcontractors is now indisputable. The conventional practice of deferring design decisions until later stages of the project lifecycle will not only incur financial costs but also risks significant delays.

With over four decades of design heritage, Wintech has been at the forefront of providing comprehensive façade engineering solutions. Their commitment to a single point of design responsibility, creating safe and efficient buildings, aligns with the evolving needs of the construction industry. To enhance this commitment, Wintech now provides a unified design approach inclusive of façades, fire, mechanical & electrical and structural design consultancy.

– Paul Savidge

BEng, MSc, CEng, FSFE, MCIBSE, MCIArb

Managing Director

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