High Rise Buildings & The Building Safety Act
Helping you deliver safer, compliant high-rise projects with structured digital information
The Building Safety Act has fundamentally changed how higher-risk buildings (HRBs) are designed, delivered, managed and operated. For clients, developers, designers, contractors and asset owners, the challenge is no longer just ‘meeting BIM requirements’. It’s demonstrating robust building safety governance, maintaining accurate information, and creating a reliable Golden Thread that supports compliance across the full lifecycle.
AIMIS helps organisations translate Building Safety Act requirements into practical, project-ready information management processes. We support high-rise and complex residential schemes to establish compliant digital workflows, embed ISO 19650-aligned governance, and ensure the right safety-critical information is created, validated and maintained from concept through to occupation.
What the Building Safety Act means for high-rise delivery
Higher-risk buildings introduce additional regulatory duties, stronger accountability, and clear evidence and auditable information. Key requirements may include:
- Defined roles and responsibilities and dutyholder accountability
- Robust control of design changes and approvals
- A maintained Golden Thread of building information
- Structured handover and operational readiness for ongoing safety management
- Quality-assured, accurate and accessible information over time
How AIMIS supports High Rise & Building Safety Act compliance
AIMIS provides practical consultancy and delivery support to help you implement proportionate, compliant processes that work in real projects. We help align your approach with the IMI Framework (UK BIM Framework), BS EN ISO 19650, and Building Safety Act expectations around evidence, accountability and information control.
Building Safety information strategy
- Defining what ‘safety-critical information’ looks like for your project
- Setting out information requirements and deliverables
- Establishing governance, responsibilities and assurance processes
Golden Thread planning and delivery
- Designing a Golden Thread approach that is structured, accessible and auditable
- Creating robust metadata, naming conventions, status codes and workflows
- Ensuring the Golden Thread is maintainable through design, construction and into operation
Common Data Environment (CDE) governance
- CDE setup/configuration aligned to ISO 19650 principles
- Permission structures, approvals, audit trails and information status control
- Ongoing governance, quality control and project support
ISO 19650 aligned information management
- Defining roles, processes and information exchange procedures
- Developing project-specific documentation
- Embedding consistent standards across multi-disciplinary teams and supply chains
Design change control and assurance
- Implementing controlled workflows for change and approvals
- Supporting coordinated model and data validation
- Providing structured reporting that supports evidence and accountability
Handover and operational readiness
- Ensuring structured, usable information at handover
- Supporting transition from Project Information Model (PIM) to Asset Information Model (AIM)
- Helping owners/operators adopt maintainable information for ongoing safety management
Who we work with
Our High Rise & Building Safety Act support is relevant to organisations involved in HRB delivery and operation, including:
- Clients, developers and asset owners
- Principal Designers and design teams
- Main contractors and specialist contractors
- Consultants and project managers
- Facilities and asset management teams
Whether you need strategic guidance, project implementation, or independent assurance, AIMIS integrates with your team to strengthen compliance and reduce risk.
FAQs
What is a “higher-risk building” (HRB)?
Under the Building Safety Act 2022, a higher-risk building (HRB) in England is defined as a building that is at least 18 meters in height or has at least 7 storeys, AND contains at least two residential units. This definition also includes hospitals and care homes during design/construction.
Does BIM automatically create a Golden Thread?
No. BIM tools can support the Golden Thread, but only if the information is governed, structured, quality assured and maintained over time. The Golden Thread is primarily an information management outcome.
Can AIMIS help us prepare evidence for gateways and approvals?
Yes. We support clients and teams to structure information requirements, workflows, audit trails and validation processes so the right evidence is available at the right time.
Do we need a Common Data Environment (CDE) for Building Safety Act compliance?
A controlled environment for managing information is essential. The key is having structured workflows, permissions, approvals, audit trails and information quality controls that enable reliable governance.
Can you work alongside our existing project team and systems?
Yes. AIMIS is independent and technology-agnostic. We can work within your chosen platforms and alongside your designers, contractors and advisers, strengthening governance without disrupting delivery.
We’re already mid-project - can you still help?
Yes. We can assess your current arrangements, identify gaps, and implement proportionate improvements quickly, particularly around CDE governance, auditability, change control and handover readiness.
How do we get started?
Contact AIMIS with your project scope and current status. We’ll help you identify the most effective starting point, whether that’s an information strategy, CDE governance uplift, Golden Thread implementation, or project assurance support.
Why Choose AIMIS?
- Proven experience supporting complex, high-risk and multi-stakeholder projects
- Deep expertise in ISO 19650, the UK BIM Framework (IMI Framework) and practical information governance
- Clear, auditable processes that support compliance, accountability and approvals
- Independent and technology-agnostic support focused on outcomes, not software sales
- Practical, delivery-led approach that integrates with your project team
- Strong focus on information quality, control, and long-term maintainability (not just model production)
AIMIS Solutions helps you deliver safer high-rise buildings with confidence by turning building safety obligations into structured, usable, compliant project information.
