91ÌÒÉ«

Description

Developing the initial list of materials, systems and performance requirements. This includes agreeing who is responsible for producing and approving each part of the specification and establishing which elements are critical for quality and durability.

Identification and development of key design packages required to define the project typically includes: 

• Interior look and feel
• Furniture procurement strategy
• Specialist lighting strategy
• Branding and wayfinding (what and where)
• Facade and building envelope
• Finishes and material palettes
• Critical specifications and performance requirements 

A shared checklist used by the Project Manager, Architect and Design Champion will confirm that key design, quality and operational requirements are addressed during Stage 2 and carried forward into later stages. 

Repeated Subsequent RIBA Stages

Stage 3

Ensuring coordination activities are clearly marker within the project programme. This helps demonstrate progress, identify upcoming coordination deadlines and highlight areas where additional review time resources may be required. 

Stage 4

Systematically monitoring the status of every design packages (architecture, MEP, structure, interiors, landscape, specialist disciplines) to ensure they are progressing to final pre-construction completeness. This includes tracking approvals, outstanding actions, coordination items and late-stage risks. Verifying that each design package contains all necessary drawings, schedules, specifications, details and performance requirements needed for construction.

Ensures that no missing information or inconsistencies could cause errors or delays on site. Updating the central design tracker to record progress, outstanding issues, dependencies and required information. The tracker ensures transparency, identifies blockers early and provides a single source of truth for the project team during the transition to construction. 

Description

Reviewing design information before it is submitted to planning. Ensuring planning drawings, reports and visuals reflect the design intent, masterplan requirements, sustainability strategy and 91ÌÒÉ« standards. 

Ensuring the concept design supports the 4C's:

• Capacity: Create teaching, learning, study and research environments to allow 91ÌÒÉ« to remain a world leading university.
• Carbon: Drive towards net zero carbon with energy efficient and climate resilient design and sustainable construction practices. 
• Critical: Protecting core operations by minimising the risk of failure of critical infrastructure.
• Culture: Modernise key campus spaces to reflect 91ÌÒÉ«'s values and a world-class student experience. 

Description 

Utilising the approved project specific Exchange Information Requirements (EIR) issued, the (PIM) Project Information Manager for Consultant or Contractor depending on the stage will develop a Pre-Contract BIM Execution Plan (BEP), if still in procurement, or a Post-Contract BEP if appointed. This should include but is not limited to:

Provide the details of individuals undertaking the Project Information Management role/function.

Proposed information delivery strategy. This should contain:

• The approach to meeting the EIR.
• The prospective lead appointed party should consider and work through each information requirement and respond to the level of information needed, acceptance critera and delivery dates set by the appointing party in accordance with ISO 19650-2 clause 5.2.1.
• Objectives and goals to produce collaborative information. 
• Organisational structure and commercial relationships of the delivery team. 
• The split of the delivery team into task teams. 

The proposed federation strategy to be adopted by the delivery team.

The delivery team's high-level responsibility matrix. This matrix will list all appropriate elements within the information model and stipulate a responsible party and the deliverable required for each element. 

Proposed additions/amendments to the project's information production methods and procedures (if there are any). 

Please take note of Section 22 of the project specific EIR with specific reference to the updating of Client Master Models if required. 

Collaboration Strategy: You have the capability to work within a CDE. Please define the system being used. 

Quality Control Strategy: Explain the QA checks involved to comply with the EIR requirements. 

Proposed additions/amendments to the project's Exchange Information Requirements (if there are any). 

• Proposed schedule of software, hardware and IT infrastructure. Please identify software versions, hardware and IT to be used by the delivery team. This is important to enable collaboration and interaction between the task teams, delivery teams and the appointing party. (The overall native software deliverable to 91ÌÒÉ« is .RVT - Autodesk Revit. Please identify if you are using an alternative native software at the beginning of this project. Please provide clarity on how you will be achieving this deliverable).

The BIM documentation including BEP, Task Information Delivery Plan (TIDPs), and Master Information Delivery Plan (MIDP) are the nsubmitted to 91ÌÒÉ«'s Building Information Manager for review and acceptance, confirming that the project team understands and can meet the EIR. 

Engagement

• Project Manager to ensure the BIM documentation is continually developed by the PIM/Appointed Party. 
• The BIM documentation is to be issued by the PIM to the Building Information Team (cadcompliance@imperial.ac.uk) for review. Any subsequent amendments or revisions must be reviewed, returned and approved prior to use. 

Forms & Links

Refer to project specific Exchange Information Requirements (EIR) document for guidance. 

Approvals & Compliance Review

The Building Information Team will review BIM documentation and comment/approve when changes occur.

Reapeated Subsequent RIBA Stages

The BIM Execution Plan (BEP) must be continually reviewed and updated throughout all relevant RIBA Stages to reflect current project requirements, responsibilities and information deliverables. Repeated in Stage 1 during the design team appointment and Stage 4-5 during the contractor appointment. 

Description

A BIM kick-off meeting is required to align the client's (appointing party) expectations with the design team's (appointed party) deliverables. This meeting ensures all team members clearly understand the project scope, deliverables, and BIM expectations. During the meeting, BIM roles and responsibilities will be defined, including the Project Information Manager (PIM), BIM Managers, BIM Coordinators and discipline leads. 

The team will also agree and document project standards, including (but not limited to): 

• BIM roles and responsibilities 
• Existing Information/Surveys
• Approved software versions 
• File formats and exchange protocols (e.g. IFC, Revit)
• CDE
• Model coordination procedures, such as shared coordinates and the frequency of data exchange and model federation
• Issue tracking

This meeting can confirm any pre-appointment BEP and the development of the project specific BIM execution plan (BEP), establishing how the project will be managed, modelled, coordinated and how information will be shared throughout its lifecycle.

Engagement

A BIM kick-off meeting should occur at the beginning of the design or construction phase, after the contract is finalised. The Project Manager (PM), appointed party, and Building Information Manager (or a member of the Building Information Team) must attend the BIM kick-off meeting. A representative from each discipline within the appointed party's team should also be present. 

Repeated Subsequent RIBA Stages

A BIM kick-off meeting should occur at the beginning of the design or construction phase, after an appointment is finalised. 

Description

All construction and refurbishment projects require a main contractor to undertake the project. The Design Team, alongside the Quantity Surveyor will have produced design information and supporting cost plan information, this information is utilised to form the basis of the tender enquiries to the main contractors. The accuracy/quality of the design information and cost plan information is linked to the RIBA stage in which you commence procurement of the main contractor. 

The Quantity Surveyor alongside the Project Team prepares the tender documents to enable the tender to be issued, the Category Manager will lead on the tendering/procurement process. The Procurement Plan for the project will determine the procurement and contracting strategy to procure the main contractor. There is a suite of tools and templates linked below that all Project Managers and Quantity Surveyors should refer to, prior to commencing the main contractor procurement process. 

Engagement 

• Category Manager (Abad Zalal - a.zalal@imperial.ac.uk) to review and approve enquiry/tender documents, lead/support procurement process and contracting strategy implementation. 
• End User as Client to support the procurement process.
• Responsible Director of Department to support the procurement process and contracting strategy.
• Project Manager / Employer's Agent / Quantity Surveyor inc. Project Team to support the procurement process.
• Space Management Team (cad.compliance@imperial.ac.uk) to support the procurement process according to their requirements.
• Records & Archives Officer (Alyson Brewer - a.brewer@imperial.ac.uk) to support the procurement process according to their requirements. 
• Sustainability Programme Manager to support the implementation of sustainability criteria into the tender process.

Forms & Links 

• Procurement Router and Contract Selection Matrix:
• Contractor Procurement Checklist:
• ITT documents for contractor services:
• PCSA Scope of Services
• 91ÌÒÉ« Standards for Enquiries:
• Tender List Template:
• Delay Damages Calculator:
• Supply Chain Database:

Approvals & Compliance Review 

Category Manager to review main contractor enquiry/tender documents and to support the procurement process. 

Repeated Subsequent RIBA Stages 

The main contractor procurement will happen in the following stages: 

Note: This is subject to some flucturation depending on the programme and sequencing needs of the particular project e.g. HRB refurbishment project, which may involve a D&B 2-stage process to happen at an earlier stage than a non-HRB due to additional gateway requirements. 

• Single Stage D&B: RIBA Stage 4 as a Single Stage Tender Process
• Two Stage D&B: RIBA Stage 3/4 which will require a 2nd Stage Tender Process
• Traditional: RIBA Stage 5 as a Single Stage Tender Process
• Contractor-led D&B: RIBA Stage 2 which will require a 2nd Stage Tender Process

Description

Once a procurement process has concluded and a formal award has taken place, a contract will be required to formalise the agreement between the parties, this will need to be issued for signatures and executed through the following process. All contracts will require execution in line with 91ÌÒÉ« Procurement Regulations. 

Engagement

• Project Manager to support the drafing and compilation of the consultant contract. 
• Quantity Surveyor to support the drafting and compilation of the construction contract. 
• Responsible Director of Department to support/approve the contract execution process. 
• Category Manager (Abad Zalal - a.zalal@imperial.ac.uk) to review and approve all contracts and ancillary contract documents (novation/warranties) and execute low-value contracts and ancillary contract documents 
• Head of Procurement (HoP) to execute the contract and ancillary contract documents 
• Director of Procurement (HoP) to execute the contract and ancillary contract documents 
• Director of Procurement (DoP) to execute the contract
• Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to execute the contract
• Chief Operation Officer (COO) to execute the contract

Forms & Links

• (Process) Docu-Sign Contract Authorisation Form:
• (Guidance) Guidance Document for Contract Approval Limits:

Approvals & Compliance Review 

All contracts are issued via Docu-Sign by the Category Manager or their delegated authority. Docu-Sign Execution Limits are as follows:

• Contract Issue via Docu-Sign up to £50k: Executed by CM and HoP
• Contract Issue via Docu-Sign over £50k but less than £1m: Executed by HoP and DoP
• Contract Issue via Docu-Sign up over £1m up to £30m: Executed by DoP and CFO
• Contract Issue via Docu-Sign over £30m: Executed by CFO and the COO
• Ancillary Contract Documents (Novation or Collateral Warranty agreements): Executed by CM & HoP

Repeated Subsequent RIBA Stages 

Contracts for consultant services will occur at varying RIBA stages (e.g. RIBA stage 1-2 engage designers, RIBA stage 3/4 engage clerk of works/supervisor). 

Contracts for main contractors can occur at varying RIBA stages (e.g. RIBA stage 2/3 the 1st stage PCSA contract will be awarded, RIBA stage 4 the 2nd stage main contract will be awarded). 

Description

The role of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR)

The BSR oversees and approves building work for higher-risk buildings. These are buildings that have at least:

• 7 storeys or are at least 18 metres high
• 2 residential units, or are a hospital or care home

A higher-risk building with at least 2 residential units must be registered with the BSR before people live there. When you submit a building control approval application, BSR uses it to check that the:

• Proposed work will comply with building regulations
• The client will properly manage the project
• The client appoints people to work on the project who are competent to do their job

You can find out more about the duties of the client, designers and contractors in the guidance about design and building work meeting building requirements.

Non-higher-risk buildings

Do not apply to the BSR for building control approval for non-higher-risk-buildings. For non-higher-risk buildings:

• There is a separate process to apply for building regulations approval
• Building control is managed by either local authorities or businesses registered as building control approvers

The Statutory Gateways

The BSR enforces a system of three statutory "gateways" under the Building Safety Act. These gateways are formal regulatory control points as key stages of a high-risk building (HRB) project. In summary, they mean that a project cannot proceed to the next stage without regulatory approval, ensuring safety is properly considered, evidenced and approved throughout the lifecycle. The gateways align with the key RIBA Plan of Work stages:

• Gateway 1 occurs during planning (RIBA 3)
• Gateway 2 sits before construction (End of RIBA 4/Start of RIBA 5)
• Gateway 3 takes place at completion (RIBA 6)

Gateway 1 (Planning)

Occurs at the planning application stage. Requires submission of a fire statement to demonstrate fire safety is considered early, ensuring safe escape, access and water supply.

Gateway 2 (Pre-construction)

Occurs prior to construction work beginning on a higher-risk building. It provides a "hard stop" where construction cannot begin until the Building Safety Regulator is satisfied that the design meets the functional requirements of the building regulations. 

Application requirements include (list not exhaustive):

• Plans of the building
• Competence declarations
• Building safety regulation compliance statement
• Fire and emergency file
• Construction control plan
• Change control plan
• Mandatory occurence reporting plan
• Partial completion strategy (if relevant)

Gateway 2 timeline for review & approval

The BSR has 12 weeks to assess an application for HRB (8 weeks for works to an existing HRB)

Gateway 3 (Completion)

A hard stop before occupation. The BSR inspects the as-built building to confirm it matches the approved plans and complies with regulations, issuing a Completion Certificate. Only once Gateway 3 has been passed can the new building be registered with the Building Safety Regulator and occupation of the building is allowed to commence.

Gateway 3 application requirements (list is not exhaustive):

• Completion certificate application submitted to the regulator
• As-Built plans and information
• Other plans as necessary
• Final versions of the construction control plan
• Change control plan
• Mandatory occurrence reporting plan
• Building regulations compliance statement
• Fire and Emergency File
• Copy of the change log 
• Information captured through construction
• Commissioning and final inspections, a statement that the building satisfies all functional requirements of the building regulations

Gateway 3 timeline for review & appeal

The regulatory has 8 weeks to determine an application for a completion certificate, after which the building must be registered before it can be occupied. 

Registration & occupation 

New higher-risk buildings can only be registered with the Building Safety Regulator after Gateway 3 has been passed - either for partial or full completion.

Engagement

Project Manager to ensure engagement with the Building Safety Regulator at all stages of the project lifecycle and in particular at the Gateway stages where they will be required to submit the relevant documentation to support approval and proceed to the next stage. 

Forms & Links

 HRB Regulation 2023:

Register Application:

Meeting Building Requirements:

Approvals & Compliance Review

In addition to the regulatory gateway approvals listed above: 

The Estates Records & Archives Officer to carry out random audits of project filing and contact the Project Manager if folders need to be populated.

The BSA Health & Safety Advisor will carry out random audits of the information on and linked to the building Golden Thread and contact the Project Manager if folders need to be populated.