Building Passports.
A Building Passport is a live document and data-set covering all aspects of the property and the owner’s relationship to it. It is built on industry guidance from RICS, RIAS/RIBA, Green Finance Institute, ClimateXchange. and the UK Government’s PAS2035. The output includes a review of all historical data, a schedule of all the components of the building, a point-in-time record of their condition, a recommendation for the next steps for each, and a summary 30 year plan for the building taking into account the owner’s plans and opportunities. It is triple-bottom line, looking at social, environmental, and financial aspects.
To do this, we carry out the following steps:
1. A desktop review of what information is available, including previous consents, EPCs, Home Energy Scotland reports, Listing information, Homebuyers Reports, boiler maintenance/commissioning information, environmental performance data, supplier contracts, amongst others.
2. A survey of the property, to include a full condition survey of all building fabric, mechanical electrical and plumbing systems. We identify material lifespan of key elements, based on reasonable maintenance. This forms the basis of the building passport.
3. Draft Building Passport, including digital record of existing information, results of condition survey, gap analysis of information available, recommendations for exercises/surveys to close gaps, planned preventative maintenance plan, energy efficiency improvement plan based on material lifespan and optioneering using thermal modelling software, socially led supply chain action plan, 30 year budget.
4. Meet with the the building owner, review the draft proposals, following feedback conclude the Passport at this stage. This may include getting quotes/undertaking some of the gap analysis surveys to add in before we conclude the exercise.
Owner
The Passport looks at the owner to understand their position in their life, their opportunities and constraints. We look at financial aspects like affordability, investment, budget. This means the plan is always matched to the owners. Some of the questions in the Passport are based on work with Edinburgh Napier’s Psychology department. These questions help understand the link between attitudes, community, and building condition.
Community
The Passport surveys the community around the building and its owner, looking at it’s SIMD rating, formal and informal networks, funding availability, supply chains, and surrounding opportunities such as community heat or energy schemes. For community buildings we review this against the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. We look at active travel and sustainable jobs. By understanding this broader context we find new opportunities and make the plan more likely to deliver.
Environment
Environmental impacts of buildings go way beyond carbon. To assist with this current focus, we provide a ‘Carbonflow’, showing the net whole life carbon position of the property into the future based on the recommendations in the Passport. But we also look at water use, waste routes, and biodiversity. Many of these are directly linked to affordability and sustainable business cases.
