The Role of the Principal Designer (PD) under the Building Safety Act

The Principal Designer plays a pivotal role in ensuring that safety and compliance are "baked into" a building from the very first sketch. Here is how we manage the five critical stages of a project:

1. Pre-Design: Setting the Standard

Before any pens hit paper, we ensure the foundation for compliance is solid.

We guide clients on their legal duties, demonstrate proven competence under PAS 8671 and RIBA standards, and ensure appropriate specialist expertise is appointed whenever required to maintain the highest level of safety and compliance.

2. The Design Phase: Coordination & Compliance

As the lead for the design journey, our focus is on strategic oversight, Active Compliance and the establishing the digital “Golden Thread” of information.

3. Gateway 2: Securing Approval

For Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs), we manage the "hard stop" approval process before construction begins.

We prepare and compile all required documentation for the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), implement a Mandatory Occurrence Reporting (MOR) system to report safety risks, and provide the client with the formal competence declarations needed for BSR submission.

4. The Construction Phase: Maintaining Integrity

Our duties do not end when construction starts. We provide ongoing design governance.

We collaborate closely with the Principal Contractor to ensure all on-site design changes remain compliant, applying strict change control procedures and maintaining clear, continuous communication to support safe construction.

5. Gateway 3: Completion & Handover

The final step in the process is providing the legal assurance that the building is safe to occupy.

We provide a formal statutory compliance declaration confirming all legal duties have been met, supporting the Client’s final submission to the BSR and confirming full compliance with Building Regulations.