PRINCIPAL DESIGNER

We provide the CDM Principal Designer service across all types of construction projects and we specialise in complex refurbishment, operational buildings, high-hazard infrastructure and multi-disciplinary design teams.

WHY CHOOSE ALEXANDER PM?

Construction projects succeed when design risks are identified early, coordinated effectively and managed throughout the project lifecycle.

Alexander PM provides experienced Principal Designer services under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015), helping developers, contractors and asset owners deliver compliant, well-coordinated projects across Scotland.

With over 30 years' experience in construction, we support projects ranging from commercial developments and luxury hotel refurbishments to infrastructure, manufacturing and complex operational environments.

As Principal Designer we have supported projects ranging from luxury hotel refurbishments, nationwide blue chip company retail roll-outs to high risk energy infrastructure and live industrial projects.

  • Over 30 years construction experience

  • Principal Designer from concept through to completion

  • Practical construction background

  • Experienced in complex refurbishment works

  • High-risk infrastructure experience

  • Commercial developments

  • Live occupied hotel refurbishments

  • Utility industry projects

  • Direct access to an experienced Principal Designer

  • Proportionate advice

  • Collaborative approach

  • Based in Glasgow and can cover the whole of the UK

  • SSIP Accreditation for undertaking the Principal Designer service

WHAT IS A PRINCIPAL DESIGNER?

A Principal Designer must plan, manage and monitor health and safety of the design ( Pre-Construction) phase of a project. The purpose of the CDM Regulations and the role of Principal Designer is to design out risks where possible to construction workers, and future building users early in a project’s concept and design stages.

WHEN IS A PRINCIPAL DESIGNER REQUIRED?

They must be appointed in writing by the client when it is reasonable foreseeable that there will be more than one contractor involved in the project.

OUR PRINCIPAL DESIGNER SERVICES

CLIENT ADVICE

We help clients understand their role in a construction project and their duties under the CDM Regulations.

PRE CONSTRUCTION INFORMATION

Preparation and review of Pre-Construction Information

Surveys

Existing information

Asbestos

Existing Utilities and Services

Site constraints and Hazards

DESIGN RISK MANAGEMENT

Eliminating hazards

Reducing risks

Design reviews

Buildability reviews

Temporary works considerations

Workshops

Residual risk registers

Coordination

HEALTH & SAFETY FILE

On going preparation, review and handover of the Health & Safety File to an agreed format.

OUR APPROACH TO DESIGN RISK MANAGEMENT

We seek to eliminate where possible ,or reduce risks through collaborative design reviews and design risk workshops. If the nature of the project is high risk or complicated as in some of our infrastructure utility projects, a full design interrogation is undertaken by way of HAZCON / HAZOP studies. We use the information obtained through these design risk management methods to compile a CDM project risk register.

Design rarely stops at commencement of construction, neither do we. We believe in an ongoing involvement throughout the construction period to liaise with all parties, and monitor design processes. We do this by attendance at site design and progress meetings, site visits and audits where required.

OUR EXPERIENCE ACROSS KEY SECTORS

Our Principal Designer team has supported various projects across Scotland and the rest of the UK including:

  • Red Carnation Hotels 100 Princes St, Edinburgh - 5 star historic building, hotel refurbishment

  • Scottish Water Horizons - Complex and high risk renewable project at Whiteadder

  • Captial & Regional - Multi million pound live operation shopping centre refurbishments

  • Overbury - Various Grade A commercial office refurbishments

  • Eden Mill Disitilery & Visitor Centre - Multi-disciplinary design teams and occupied premists St Andrews

  • Ravenscraig Park, Motherwell - Large scale remediation and development projects for public realm

  • EDF / EMTEC / Macallan - Solar PV Renewables

  • Advance Construction Land Regeneration - Large scale infrastructure and remediation works for residential projects

WHY EARLY PRINCIPAL DESIGNER INVOLVEMENT SAVES TIME AND MONEY

Early appointment of the Principal Designer is key to ensuring safe and compliant delivery of a construction project. The duration of the appointment must reflect any necessary design work during both the pre-construction phase and the construction period.

  • better buildability

  • lower risk

  • reduced programme delays

  • better tender information

  • improved contractor coordination

DIscsuss Your Project
DIscsuss Your Project

Frequently Asked Questions

  • A Principal Designer must plan, manage and monitor health and safety of the design ( Pre Construction) phase of a project

  • Yes, the Principal Designer role is a legal requirement under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.

  • As soon as it is foreseeable that more than one contractor will be engaged in the project. This is the case for the vast majority of construction projects.

  • All construction projects that have more than one contractor ( this includes sub contractors).

  • If no appointment is made in writing the client for a commercial project takes on the role by default until such time as an appointment is made. For domestic projects, this defualts to the designer in control of the pre construction phase. If no designer appointed, this defaults to the Principal Contractor.

  • Certainly!, we frequently undertake construction projects all over the UK.

  • Principal Designers must have the skills, knowledge and experience , and capability relevent to the size of the project. Principal Designers could be a designer already engaged in the project, or a seperate organisation or individual not part of the design team.

  • It is not about being burocratic, and endless paperwork. It is about practical and pragmatic risk prevention.

  • There is no requirement for any duty holder to review or approve a Construction Phase Plan. The client however has an absolute duty to ensure a Construction Phase Plan is in place and takes account of specific risks on the project, prior to work commencing.

  • The CDM regulations apply to all construction projects in Great Britain.

  • Construction is the “carrying out of any building, civil engineering or engineering construction work”

    this includes the likes of:

    Site Investigation Work
    Site clearance for a structure
    Demolition work
    installation, commissioning, maintenance, repair or removal of mechanical, electrical, gas, compressed air, hydraulic, telecommunications, computer or similar services which are normally fixed within or to a structure

    a full list can be viewed here