Certifiers of Design
The certification of design option for Section 1 Structures and Section 6 Energy
All works on housing projects and on non-domestic projects, which are subject to a building warrant, including new build projects, extensions and refurbishments, must meet the requirement of Section 1 Structure and Section 6 Energy. If you are planning a building project you have the option of going to a Certifier of Design to get confirmation that your design proposals meet these requirements.
Certification and information on Certifiers of Design is explained by reference to the BSD Certification Handbook and in the Register of certifiers held by the BSD.
Further supporting information can be found in the document Procedural Guidance on Certification including Information to be submitted with a Building Warrant Application If you want to know more about the Approved Body or Certifier under these scheme go to the Scottish Building Standards Certification (SBSC) website.
Structures
BSD appointed Structural Engineers Registration Ltd (SER Ltd) to administer a scheme for Certification of Design (Building Structure). Engineers who are SER certifiers can produce SER structural Certificates of Design accompanied by drawings and details that local authority verifiers must accept as complying with Section 1 Structure of the Building Regulations. Sufficient structural drawings must however be provided to Local Authority verifiers prior to a building warrant being approved to enable adequate "reasonable inquiry" site inspections to be carried out on certified structural designs. The SER Scheme gives guidance on the scheme.
Energy - Domestic and Non-Domestic
Calculating energy use is complex and is becoming more specialised. Energy Design Certifiers can help building owners and developers meet these energy standards and they can issue Certificates of Design which provide assurance of compliance. BSD has appointed two scheme providers for Certification of Design (Energy) who provide confirmation of compliance with Section 6 (Energy) for Domestic and Non Domestic (commercial) Buildings in Scotland: The BRE Scheme, and The RIAS Scheme which is explained in their Energy Design Certification Leaflet. The RIAS also provide a wider design service and certify the design of others as part of a multi-disciplinary team. Both BRE and RIAS certifiers produce energy Certificates of Design accompanied by drawings and details that local authority verifiers must accept as complying with Section 6 (Energy) of the Building Regulations.