Focuses on the critical role of ventilation and moisture management in safe, effective retrofit projects, and explores how fire safety requirements and the Building Safety Act intersect with retrofit planning and delivery.
This course focuses on the critical role of ventilation and moisture management in safe, effective retrofit projects. It covers how to maintain indoor air quality in increasingly airtight homes, compares ventilation strategies, and explores how fire safety requirements and the Building Safety Act intersect with retrofit planning and delivery.
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), Health risks (mould, CO₂, VOCs), Extract, Purge & Whole-Dwelling Ventilation, Passive & Mechanical systems (IEV, MEV, MVHR), Build tight–ventilate right, Approved Document F, Annex C of PAS 2035, Retrofit process roles, Measures Interaction Matrix, Ventilation system commissioning & evaluation, Fire safety, Golden Thread, Building Safety Act 2022
Introduces the health and environmental rationale behind proper ventilation in retrofitted buildings. Participants learn how poor internal air quality (IQA) leads to respiratory issues, allergies, and systemic discomfort, exacerbated in airtight homes. By examining World Health Organisation data and real-world case studies (e.g., the Preston retrofit failure), learners understand why ventilation is vital to occupant well-being and moisture control in line with PAS 2035 goals.
Compares passive (e.g. trickle vents, PSV) and mechanical (e.g. MEV, MVHR) systems. Learners assess the advantages, limitations, and suitability of different systems in different building archetypes and scenarios. Topics include ventilation rates, key regulations, and building-specific factors that influence the choice of systems, including space constraints and heating setups.
Follows a retrofit team through a project lifecycle, from assessment to installation and monitoring. Participants explore roles and responsibilities, key documents (Annex C, PAS 2030, Approved Document F), and commissioning protocols. The whole-dwelling and "build tight, ventilate right" principles are contextualised in real decisions around MEV specification, installer compliance, system testing, and homeowner handover.
Introduces fire and structural safety regulations, including the Building Safety Act 2022 and its impact on retrofit work - especially in high-risk buildings. You’ll learn how to navigate the Gateway process, understand the role of the Building Safety Regulator, and apply fire safety principles in both high- and low-rise buildings, as well as to specific retrofit measures like cavity and external wall insulation.
