FABRIC FIRST ASSURANCE
ARE YOU PREPARED TO IGNORE A £59,000
PER UNIT PERFORMANCE GAP?
A £9m cumulative gap across a typical 500-home scheme. Closing it yields a 15–20x ROI. The technical deliverables exist to ensure as-built performance matches design intent.
THE PERFORMANCE GAP
DESIGN PROMISES, SITE FAILS.
AS-BUILT VS DESIGN
Oxford Brookes University (2019) research demonstrates a greater than 80% probability of a performance gap in UK new builds. The drawings show compliance. The energy model predicts efficiency. But on site, the reality diverges.
THE ENERGY PENALTY
Actual energy use in non-Passivhaus new builds is routinely 2 to 2.5 times higher than the design prediction. Insulation is compromised, thermal bridging is ignored, and airtightness targets fail during Stage 5 to 7.
"It sounds like you are carrying the commercial risk for a delivery failure."
COMMERCIAL REALITY
THE COST OF NON-COMPLIANCE
£90K - £180K
Stage 5-7 fee on a standard 50-home scheme. Calculated at 1-2% of build cost, assuming £180k per unit.
£45K
Performance assurance coordination fee for the exact same 50-home scheme. Fixed at 0.5% of build cost.
1-2% VS 0.5%
The category positioning argument. Paying 1-2% for Stage 5-7 guarantees compliance on paper. The 0.5% coordination secures actual performance on site.
WORKSHOP INDEX
TECHNICAL DELIVERABLES
Four working sessions focused entirely on as-built performance, site realities, and the upcoming March 2027 Future Homes Standard. No theoretical fluff—just actionable technical assurance.
01
AS-BUILT BASELINE
Establish the exact variance between design prediction and site reality. We map the £59,000 lifetime gap to specific Stage 5–7 delivery failures, providing clear accountability.
02
THERMAL BRIDGING RESOLUTION
Eradicate continuity breaks in the insulation layer. We audit critical junctions to ensure thermal performance isn't compromised by poor sequencing or unapproved site substitution.
03
AIRTIGHTNESS STRATEGY
Move beyond standard compliance testing. We implement a robust, buildable airtightness line that survives the realities of site trades and sequencing.
04
MARCH 2027 FHS PREPARATION
Align your current technical specifications with the impending Future Homes Standard. Mitigate the commercial risk of non-compliance before the regulatory deadline hits.
PRACTITIONER, NOT THEORIST.
The industry is full of design promises that fail on site. My focus is entirely on Stage 5 to 7 delivery. That is where the performance gap happens, and that is where it must be closed.
I wrote 'Closing the Performance Gap' because the data is undeniable. Evidence from the Zero Carbon Hub, Leeds Beckett University, and CIBSE post-occupancy evaluations all point to the same failure pattern. Designs do not match as-built reality.
This working session strips away the marketing fluff. We look at raw thermal imaging, blower door test failures, and the exact coordination required to deliver high-performance fabric on site. No corporate theory. Just practitioner reality.
FOUNDING GROUP · SELECTED PARTICIPANTS
RESERVE YOUR PLACE
WORKING SESSION FEE
£295
Ex VAT. Places strictly limited.
- Half-day intensive technical working session.
- Deep dive into Stage 5-7 delivery failures.
- Live project tear-down and performance gap analysis.
- Technical deliverables framework and templates.
- Direct practitioner Q&A with David Bradley-Bowles.
FABRIC FIRST ASSURANCE
DAVID BRADLEY-BOWLES
Practitioner · Author · Technical Advisory
© 2026 Fabric First Assurance — David Bradley-Bowles. All rights reserved.