What changes have Buildpass made during lockdown?

As with all businesses, Buildpass has faced some pretty big changes during lockdown – but what we have strived to do, is use this precious time to develop our services so that we can help our clients in even more ways.

It’s been a crazy few months. While we won’t throw the “C” word at you, this period has presented challenges in a whole manner of ways for the masses.

And we have felt those challenges. But, amongst the chaos, we have tried to use this quieter time to create something new for Buildpass.

Because our mission is simple: we want to help builders, designers and homeowners reach their green goals.

However, the path to get there is far from simple!

Which is why we are excited to expand our range of services so that we can help more and more people create better spaces to live; ones that leave a positive mark on our planet.

Buildpass change #1 – Domestic Energy Assessor

In the past, we have predominantly focused on new build properties. But, like many of you, we are now looking ahead to the post-Covid “Green” recovery.

The government has already announced their support of the retrofitting of existing properties. This is crucial, as the existing housing stock accounts for a huge portion of carbon emissions from dwellings; if we want any hope of hitting our 2050 targets, we HAVE to start deep retrofitting our existing homes. 

This is why we are now pleased to offer assessments and energy performance certificates on existing dwellings. We’ve completed all of our test cases and are excited to get out on site.

Buildpass change #2 – PAS 2035 Co-ordinator

When the ‘Green Deal’ was implemented, there was a serious deal of negative publicity around its gaps and failures. As a result, the government set about a task force called ‘Each Home Counts’. The idea of this was to identify how the retrofit of the existing housing stock could be improved post ‘Green Deal’, and what sort of scheme would replace it.

The scheme PAS 2035 is a result of this review and we are proud to now be registered as PAS 2035 Co-ordinators. This means we are qualified to help, support and guide you on your retrofit journey: from assessing your current home, suggesting the most appropriate retrofit measure and coordinating the build and handover. 

The scheme has been designed to ensure a great retrofit success rate, which in turn enables access to considerable government grants. We look forward to working on some innovative schemes in the months to come.

Buildpass change #3 – Passivhaus Designer

One of the most exciting courses we have completed during lockdown has been the Passivhaus Designer Course. 

As you can imagine, we are huge geeks when it comes to building science and performance. The Passivhaus Institute certainly pushes the boundaries of what is achievable… and this is music to our ears!

It’s amazing to think that Dr. Wolfgang Feist built the first Passive House building in Darmstadt, Germany around 30 years ago and yet the standards are still seen as exemplary today. We are already working on some Passivhaus schemes and have some fantastic ones in the pipeline which we can’t wait to share with you soon.

Buildpass change #4 – BREEAM AP

The BREEAM Advisory Professional (previously Accredited Professional) is a scheme whereby the assessor has demonstrated a breath of knowledge across the BREEAM accreditation scope. 

As BREEAM AP, we can now help deliver successful projects by working closely with the BREEAM Assessors, client team and on site contractors. 

The Advisory Professional is there to facilitate the assessment and help the team make the right choices (which includes assisting in the  project delivery). As a result of this multifaceted role, there are a number of additional credits available within the assessment for nominating an AP early in the design process. This is particularly useful where schemes have very high targets to meet. 

We are pleased to now add this role to our portfolio and welcome our first advisory project.

Buildpass change #5 – Embodied Carbon and LCA

Last (but by no means least) is the work we have undertaken on embodied carbon and life cycle assessments. 

Many of you will already be well aware of the Architects Declare movement as well as RIBA 2030, both of these put focus on assessing the embodied carbon in addition to the more traditional operational carbon. It’s something we are following closely, and are very intrigued by all the new developments happening.

There are a number of schemes on the market, and some exciting new entrants. We have spent many hours reviewing the various software out there, including the pros and cons of each one. We love the way that eTools operated both as a piece of software and the support and understanding they have shown. 

We know that many have struggled over lockdown; now more than ever, it’s important to support one another.

We are pleased to share our ongoing support for the Good Home Alliance, LETI and Alliance for Sustainable Building Products, who together are helping push forward the green agenda and the better homes standard. 

We are also one of only 52 companies to have signed the pledge to Net Zero Carbon. https://www.pledgetonetzero.org/

As you can see, we have been all systems go during lockdown… and that’s without the childcare and homeschooling! We are very happy with the new changes we have crafted, and hopefully now we can support you in even more ways.

Together we can make every home count!

Get in touch with Buildpass to find out more about our services and how we can support you.