Follow the discussion on our AfH Linkedin Group started by Christopher Shaw, Chair of AfH
The quality of recent and emerging design guidance in the UK has dwindled to a point where it is becoming misleading or useless. Health Building Notes and Technical Manuals in the UK were built up from the 1970’s and used to be supported by a small but professional NHS team. There were problems with being over-prescriptive or poorly co-ordinated with changing statutory requirements and industry norms, but they were updated and provided a useful standard. For a brief period they were linked to Departmental Cost information, Model Schedules of Accommodation and Activity Database (ADB) BIM data. They became a fairly respected set of standards and, in my experience, were used as a reference all over the world. They certainly compared well with AIA standards and others I have used. Projects are regularly procured in the UK requiring compliance with all HBN’s and HTM’s however absurd that may be. Now the NHS team has been disbanded and updating has been outsourced with apparently meagre funds. The guidance is still there but will not carry the authority it used to.
Can we do without it?
Follow the discussion: www.linkedin.com/groups/Architects-Health and join the group and have your say.
