Four Walls Consultants have been working with AECOM over the last three years helping to provide strategic and technical support to DLUHC in its development of the changes to Part L (conservation of fuel and power) and Part F (ventilation) of the Building Regulations and the introduction of Part O (overheating). The changes will significantly improve the energy efficiency of the buildings and are an important step on the pathway towards the government’s Future Homes and Buildings Standards.
Ian Mawditt at Fourwalls is the technical lead for the changes in Part F, and for the building fabric and airtightness aspects of Part L. He was also tasked with drafting guidance that will help to reduce the performance gap, including developing the new style compliance guide for SAP (known as the BREL), and the Build Quality Guidance (now included in Section 4).
Ian says: “The new performance standards set out in the new Approved Documents will help to ensure that buildings will become more efficient through better standards of fabric and services efficiencies, whilst ensuring they are satisfactorily ventilated. The changes will be quite profound for the construction industry and will mark a significant step-up in helping to address the performance gap. The changes for Part L are interim, paving the way toward the 2025 Future Homes and Buildings Standards and the journey toward net-zero.
“We are proud of our achievements in this round of changes. In particular, setting triggers for ventilation standards in existing homes when they are being retrofitted. This, long overdue, guidance will help to ensure that the levels of ventilation in homes will not be compromised as they become more energy-efficient on the journey to net-zero.”
