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John Burke Associates
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Building Safety Act 2022

Higher Risk Buildings

As we edge past the six-month transition period for Higher Risk Buildings (HRBs), a recent study by NBS sheds light on a significant industry challenge. It reveals that half of the professionals are still in the dark about their responsibilities under the Building Safety Act 2022. This lack of clarity poses a considerable risk to the industry’s ability to adapt and comply with new regulations.

A Call for Better Understanding

The findings are a wake-up call. Only a fifth of those surveyed feel ‘very clear’ on their duties concerning Higher Risk Buildings (HRBs). Such uncertainty underlines the urgent need for enhanced awareness and education. Russell Haworth, CEO of Byggfakta Group, echoes this sentiment. He recalls Dame Judith Hackitt’s firm message on the inevitability of regulatory change. The industry must grasp the intricacies of the Building Safety Act to uplift building safety standards.

The Golden Thread of Building Information

Another pressing issue is the management of the Golden Thread of Information. Less than half of the respondents understand how to maintain essential safety-related building information. A mere 10% have a concrete strategy in place. This gap in understanding and planning is alarming. Dr Stephen Hamil stresses the importance of a continuous, accessible flow of information to uphold safety throughout a building’s lifecycle.

The Role of Robust Specifications

Specifications play a pivotal role in ensuring safety from the design phase. They are crucial for demonstrating compliance with Building Regulations. The Building Safety Act, as Hamil points out, offers a chance for the industry to assert control over design and construction processes. Effective specification writing is fundamental to preventing substandard construction.

Moving Forward with Consistency

If you require assistance with your respective duties contact John Burke Associates today. We provide expertise and support to ensure clients comply with their statutory obligations. Furthermore, we believe in delivering a collaborative service and ultimately gaining the client’s trust and commitment. Therefore, our clerks of works division undertake a systematic and vigilant inspection of construction works in progress. This includes workmanship, materials and compliance to standards.

John Burke Associates
In Featured

Peter Wilson Award 2022

Peter Wilson Award

We are proud to announce that our father and son team David and Dale Hayward are the recipients of the prestigious Peter Wilson Award 2022. They have been given this award for their work on the grade 1 listed Indigo Hotel in Bath. This was a large, complex, and challenging project which both David and Dale displayed great passion towards throughout.

More About David & Dale

Both David and Dale work in our Clerk of Works division at John Burke Associates. David was appointed as Head Clerk of Works, mentoring his son Dale as Assistant Clerk of Works. Dale worked on this project whilst completing a BSc (Hons) Construction Management Degree. They enjoyed working as a team, especially when they discovered the original Architects were also father and son.

The Project

The project was to enlarge the Indigo Hotel at South Parade in Bath to include connecting buildings within Pierrepoint Street and Duke Street. The development was to provide a total of 166 rooms with associated facilities. This involved the restoration, renovation, conversions, alterations, and extensions of the six-storey building.

The History

The buildings are Grade 1, Grade 2* and Grade 2 listed and form part of an architectural set-piece c1743 to 1749. As mentioned earlier, the original architects were also a father and son team, John Wood the Elder and John Wood the Younger. The properties are constructed on stone vaults and the ownership of the property have a boundary in the centre of a main road. This is because the vaults extend below the highways.

Clerk of Works

As Clerk of Works, their main involvement was recording, photographing, and sketching the original historical features. This is so that such features can be removed for the stabilization and builders works and replaced afterwards. Such features included historical panelling, lime plaster, original coving, stairs, windows, and doors.

Site Inspection

The building inspection was an enjoyable task, as many of the items of the original building had a variety of characteristics. Often the characteristics are the biggest requirement to reflect the age of the building. As such, only the safety aspect took precedence over this. The client’s requirements included out of plumb, bows, curves in walls and open texture of lime wall finish to maintain the charm of the building. There aren’t any British Standards to cover much of the work carried out, but the workmanship of the craftsmen brought out much of the character. The Conservation Office and Architect gave David and Dale guidance on a variable range of acceptable standards of finish for their daily inspections.

The Award

The Peter Wilson Memorial Award was introduced in 2013 and is awarded by the ICWCI to celebrate remarkable achievements. Here at John Burke Associates we are proud of our team and celebrate their achievements. Back in 2019 our colleague Jon Tucker was also the recipient of the award for his outstanding work on the major refurbishment to the Principal Hotel (formally The Russell hotel) London.

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