The Public Services (Social Value) the United Kingdom Act became law in the spring of 2012. The act aimed to “strengthen the social enterprise business sector and make the concept of 'social value' more relevant and important in the placement and provision of public services”.

It applies to all public services contracts (or framework agreements), and to those public services contracts which include the purchase or hire of goods or the carrying out of works.

There is general government support for public bodies considering social value in the award of all contracts, whether they fall within the requirements of the Act or not.

How does BIM relate to the Social Value Act and the smaller practice?

By augmenting existing manual processes with digital technology, BIM allows you to understand a building model. This includes all the information on how buildings are constructed, how they will be maintained during their lifetime, and their impact on the environment and the people who use them.

Two aspects that are key to understanding the relationship between BIM and Social Value in construction also highlight the role of the smaller practice.

Energy efficiency

BIM processes and data help eliminate areas of energy waste during the building design phase. Energy efficiency measures, such as smart controls, are designed before construction to reduce building heat losses and increase energy efficiency. It is ideal for reducing the lifetime energy consumption in new buildings.

The flexibility of the smaller practice means they will usually react to innovations in energy efficiency and sustainable building techniques more quickly than a larger organization.

The Historic Environment

Heritage buildings are often far from known quantities being inherited assets.

The requirements of both the Social Value Act and the Government’s stipulation of BIM usage in all public works make no distinction between new build and conservation projects.

We will be looking at BIM in conservation projects in more detail soon, local knowledge and understanding of the smaller practice can make a big difference to modeling a building that can often not be amenable to standard construction components or techniques.

This makes the 3D modeling and virtual reality visualization very helpful in assessing the proposed scheme's environment, constructability, and usability.

The small practice is ideally placed to capitalize on these aspects of the construction process and fulfill another aspect of the Social Value Act, supporting the local community by retaining the income generated by a construction project within the local area.

The smaller practice is often based in the community it works in and consequently is well placed to understand local conditions, they nevertheless need support, to compete on a level playing field with a larger organization.

As we mentioned at the start of this piece, this Act is designed to require public authorities regarding economic, social, and environmental well-being in connection with public services contracts.

It is used by those proposing the design and implementation of a construction project to demonstrate how this is being achieved.

Driving Vision’s solid IT infrastructure facilitates collaboration. Our 3D modeling allows for a real-world conceptualization of the project. From detailed floor plans to the overall energy performance of the building.

The whole design can be viewed in Virtual Reality before the construction stage starts, enabling all stakeholders to understand the project and how it reflects the Social Value Act requirements.

Implementing BIM can be daunting, but Driving Vision is here to help you at the pace you are comfortable with. Get started by getting in touch now