How Benfield ATT help you create
The Low Energy Buildings
you’ve always wanted…
Intrigued by the claims of this ‘full service’ company we decided to investigate their approach a little
more.
Value Engineering: First, we
wanted to know what was meant by
‘Value Engineering’ (VE). Professor
Dr. Michael Benfield, their CEO,
explained: “By focusing on the various
‘functions’ of a client’s building and
its components, we aim to identify
and remove unnecessary costs while
at the same time maintaining - even
enhancing - its performance.”
Comprehensive Knowledge: This
approach blends their extensive
and rather unique knowledge
of all forms of timber structure,
building science, regulations,
and state of the art products with
individual client’s design concepts.
“For us, value engineering starts
with environmental planning and
regulatory impositions as part of
our analytical and technical design
processes.” he explained. “These
feed our drive for, and commitment
to, sustainable development through
into waste reduction, recycling and
lean manufacture. It embraces a ‘Pride
in the Job’ and a ‘Right First Time’
mentality that is applied to all our
Design & Build (D&B) operations.”
Focus on End User: Paying attention
to end user demands is central
to Benfield ATT’s approach (the
ATT stands for Advanced Timber
Technologies, by the way). They
believe it enables them to deliver
highly effective, quality buildings for
projects large & small. This includes
providing solutions for difficult to
develop sites, like soft ground, steeply
sloping land and potential flood plain
areas.
Product Selection: Self-evidently,
to value engineer design & build
solutions, the selection of the most
appropriate products needs the
services and methods used to be an
integral part of the process. Working
66 Landscape & Urban Design
closely with architects, building
designers, engineers and quantity
surveyors, Benfield ATT helps select
and specify those which are most
functionally appropriate and cost
effective. In turn this encourages the
delivery of high quality products to be
protected, and results in saving time
for on-site build operations. All of this,
they claim, reduces costs, enhances
client’s projects and helps to make
them one of the most competitive full
service timber engineering design and
build firms in the UK.
Fabric First: In the current business
climate it is perhaps not surprising
to find Efficiency, Performance &
Cost Effectiveness to be included in
their key current considerations. This
is most clearly evidenced in their
‘Fabric First” approach to designing
really effective building envelopes.
“There is a crucial need to deliver
highly energy efficient structures with
optimum levels of insulation, minimal
thermal transmission and appropriate
airtightness for floors, walls, roofs,
windows and doors.” explains Prof
Benfield. Unsurprising, therefore, that
in their drive toward Zero Carbon and
minimal heating requirements, they
offer factory Insulated Panels, SIP’s,
Green Oak, Post & Beam, Glulam and
Hybrid structures all orientated to
achieve what was Code for Sustainable
Homes levels 4, 5, 6 and Passivhaus
Standards.
Specialist Builders’ Merchants:
Potentially, the procurement of design
specific components can create
unforeseen difficulties, for example
locating the source of supplies,
avoiding delays in delivery lead
times, quality assurance, and securing
‘best value’ products and terms.
Here Benfield ATT’s long established
connections, access and volume
buying capabilities as manufacturers
and selective builder’s merchants,
enables them to secure and supply
such requirements in the most timely
and competitive manner as part of
their value engineered, design & build
methodology.
Catalysts for Quality: “We believe
that our approach to helping you
create the ‘Low Energy Buildings
you’ve always dreamed of …’ is
distinctly different” says Benfield.
“We welcome collaboration with
other construction professionals in
our drive to achieve this.” In doing
so, his company aims to help enhance
the professional construction team of
architects, other designers, engineers,
quantity surveyors, contractors, house-
builders, developers, et al, facilitating
the delivery of the high quality
buildings they and their clients both
need and want. And, if end user clients
like self-builders and home improvers
lack any of these skills, to be the
catalyst drawing in those that are
most appropriate for each individual
project. To compliment this they
offer a selective part or full project
management service.
Professional Partnerships: While
they are happy to engage in ‘one
off’ projects, Benfield ATT see the
greatest benefits to industry and end
user occupiers as coming from the
establishment of long term ‘partnering’
style arrangements with other
construction professionals. This can
include Joint Venture arrangements
for specific developments, which may
be of interest to land owners and
those who wish to fund, say, housing
schemes, but lack the technical
knowledge and industry experience
necessary to make them successful.
In such cases they believe that their
comprehensive team approach can be
highly valuable.