Written by Hitesh Pattni (North) and Neil Kirwan (South) - Specification Managers in SFS Group Fastening Technology Ltd.  

Robust Building Envelope Specifications

Paper 1: Are we failing to plan or planning to fail?

Defining robust specification: contents

• Navigating complexity 
• Is there a 'best' building envelope specification?
• What are robust specification?
• SFS robust specification series
• About SFS Construction UK 

Navigating Complexity

Construction projects and their specifications are complex, and specifiers bear the brunt of that complexity. They are often expected to be expert in multiple building performance requirements/criteria, balancing the needs of each criterion against the needs of all the others.

All the while, they must be aware of shifting legislation and regulatory requirements that impact on their building designs and product choices. This can lead to seemingly impossible contradictions. In what areas do you choose to meet the minimum standard of building regulations, and in what areas do you seek more performance?

How do you achieve better thermal performance and fire performance without having unreasonable extra impact on the environment by adding more products?

What is the best building envelope specification right now? Does that 'best' look the same if you think about the building in the future? And if not, should you be looking for extra performance now rather than leaving it for someone else to deal with?

Is there a 'best' building envelope specification?

Where, then, can you start in terms of trying to define the 'best' building envelope specification? Is it meeting all performance requirements/criteria to the fullest possible extent?

Is it meeting essential building regulations compliance for the lowest possible cost?

Is it achieving an appropriate balance between performance and cost over the building's operational life?

Is it a different definition entirely?

Arguably, there is actually no such thing as the 'best' building envelope specification. If there is, it is unique to each project. And therein lies a crucial point: specifications have to be project-specific.

Copying and pasting specifications from one project to the next is unlikely to achieve the desired outcomes, so the aim has to be a specification that is right for the client and the proposed building, and which is robust.

What is Robust Specification?

The definition of a 'robust' specification is as up for debate as the definition of the 'best' specification.

For the purposes of this document, we consider a robust specification to be one that:

1. meets the client's needs;
2. delivers a building that meet's today's performance criteria;
3. ensures the building is also fit for the future; and
4. clearly demonstrates the value it will provide, meaning it can survive value engineering exercises.

The last point is perhaps the most crucial, or may be the most recognisable to the majority of readers.

Design professionals and specifiers are constantly having their product choices challenged, especially on cost grounds. That is often to the detriment of how the building performs for the client over the following decades. In that context, a simpler definition for 'robust' might be a specification that eliminates performance gaps. The second whitepaper in this series looks at exactly that issue.

SFS Robust Specification Series

Just as no individual specifier can be an expert in all areas of the building envelope, so one document cannot cover all areas of building envelope specification in the necessary level of detail.

This paper is one of a series exploring different stages and areas relating to building envelope specification, and looking at the performance requirements/criteria that must come together in order to meet the client's needs.

1. Defining robust specification 
2. The problem of performance gaps
3. Getting clients active and engaged
4. Early engagement: how do we get more of it?
5. Thermal performance and sustainability
6. Fire safety 
7. Corrosion, warranties and supply chain challenges

Ultimately, we want to show why and how prioritising early engagement on construction projects is the proposed approach and can lead to better building envelope specifications. Specifications that are robust, and which are the best for the individual project.

It's no exaggeration that specifiers face a more complex and evolving landscape than ever before. Throughout these documents, we will show why the benefits of early specification, based on technical expertise provided by external parties, can far outweigh any potential drawbacks.

FAQs

What is meant by robust design?
One that meets the needs of the client, performs for today and the future; and can demonstrate the value it provides by surviving value engineering exercises.

Why is robust design important?
A robust design should equate to a design that is fit for purpose for the project.  

What is a building envelope and what is its importance of the building envelope?
It is the outer skin or layer of the building encompassing typically walls and the roof. Its primary function is to protect the users of the building from external conditions. It is important as a stable internal environment supports the building users to carry out their functions.

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