If only buildings were like cars, delivered with a clearly written, well illustrated owner’s manual. Instead, according to BSRIA’s 2006 Key Peformance Indicators, reality is more likely to be a handful of drawings, product literature and jargon-filled technical manuals packed into ring binders.

BSRIA has set out to change the situation by amalgamating two previous guides, one on handover and one on operation and maintenance manuals, into a single new publication titled BG1/2007 Handover, O&M Manuals, and Project Feedback.

The association hopes the new guidance will help improve the operational rating of buildings by making the link between handover, subsequent education of users and fine tuning of a building's environmental systems.

The publication is divided into five sections:

Part 1: Building handover information. This section of the guide is a heavily revised and updated version of BSRIA’s TN 15/95 Handover information for building services, and contains information on the steps the design and construction team should take to achieve a smooth handover.

Part 2: Operating and maintenance manuals. Explains the best approach to creating and delivering these manuals.

Part 3: A model specification for O&M manuals. Updates the model specification for technical documentation originally published in AG 1/87.1 Operation and Maintenance Manuals.

Part 4: Logbooks, energy certification and condition surveys. Includes the background to the energy analysis tools, certification methodology and the energy labelling system.

Part 5: Design and project feedback. This section covers tools to help understand how systems are working and to what extend occupants are satisfied or dissatisfied with their building.

To help meet the Building Regulations’ requirement for building logbooks and the energy certification criteria in the EPBD, the guide also includes information on carrying out energy performance analysis and ways to benchmark the results along with a new section on measuring occupant satisfaction.

For more details contact the BSRIA bookshop on 01344 465529, or visit www.bsria.co.uk/bookshop

Source

Building Sustainable Design