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CDM & Building safety act PRINCIPAL DESIGNER
CDM & Building Safety Act Principal Designer
Designing Better Buildings. Coordinating Safer Projects.
At Harp Design, we combine creative design with technical leadership to help deliver projects that are safe, compliant and well coordinated.
As appointed CDM Principal Designers under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 and Building Safety Act Principal Designers under the Building Safety Act 2022, we work alongside clients, consultants and contractors to manage risk, coordinate design information and help projects meet their legal obligations.
Whether we're designing an interior refurbishment or acting as Principal Designer on a Higher-Risk Building, our focus is the same: creating buildings that are safe to build, safe to occupy and successful for everyone who uses them.
Our Services
CDM Principal Designer (CDM 2015)
We manage health and safety throughout the pre-construction phase, coordinating the design team to eliminate or reduce foreseeable risks before work begins.
Our responsibilities include:
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Advising clients on their CDM duties
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Planning and coordinating the pre-construction phase
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Managing design risk reviews
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Coordinating designers and consultants
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Reviewing construction information
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Preparing and managing Pre-Construction Information
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Supporting the Principal Contractor
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Assisting with the Health & Safety File
Building Safety Act Principal Designer (BSA 2022)
For projects subject to the Building Safety Act, we coordinate compliance with the Building Regulations throughout the design phase.
Our role helps ensure that projects are designed to meet statutory requirements while maintaining a clear record of decisions, responsibilities and design information.
Our services include:
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Coordinating Building Regulations compliance
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Managing design changes
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Recording key design decisions
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Coordinating multidisciplinary design teams
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Supporting the Golden Thread of information
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Monitoring compliance throughout design development
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Facilitating communication between dutyholders
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Supporting Gateway submissions where required
Why Clients Choose Harp Design
Unlike many Principal Designers, we are designers first.
This means we understand how buildings work, how projects are delivered and how design decisions affect construction, compliance and the end-user experience.
Our practical approach helps balance:
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Creative design
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Technical compliance
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Buildability
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Programme
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Cost certainty
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Health and safety
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Long-term building performance
Rather than treating compliance as a separate exercise, we integrate it into the design process from day one.
Working as One Team
Successful projects rely on collaboration.
We regularly coordinate with:
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Clients
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Architects
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Interior Designers
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Structural Engineers
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M&E Engineers
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Fire Engineers
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Access Consultants
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Building Control
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Principal Contractors
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Specialist Designers
By bringing everyone together early, we help identify risks sooner, improve communication and keep projects moving efficiently.
Sectors We Work In
Our Principal Designer services support projects across:
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Hospitality
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Hotels
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Restaurants & Bars
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Commercial Offices
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Healthcare
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Education
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Residential Developments
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Build-to-Rent
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Student Accommodation
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Higher-Risk Buildings
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Leisure & Entertainment
Our Approach
Every project is different, but our approach remains consistent.
Understand
We take time to understand the project, the client, the building and the statutory requirements.
Coordinate
We bring together designers, consultants and stakeholders to ensure information is aligned and responsibilities are clear.
Review
We challenge designs constructively, identifying opportunities to eliminate or reduce risk while supporting the overall project vision.
Record
We maintain clear documentation, decision logs and coordinated information to support compliance throughout the project lifecycle.
Deliver
We help clients achieve projects that are compliant, buildable and ready for successful occupation.
Why It Matters
Effective Principal Designer services are about far more than compliance.
They improve communication, reduce project risk, minimise costly design changes and help create buildings that are safer for contractors, occupants and future generations.
At Harp Design, we believe the best projects combine outstanding design with outstanding coordination.
Let's Talk
Whether you're planning a commercial fit-out, refurbishment, residential development or Higher-Risk Building project, our team can provide the technical leadership needed to support your project from concept through to completion.
Get in touch to discuss your CDM or Building Safety Act Principal Designer requirements.
How We Deliver Compliance
Our role goes beyond meetings and paperwork. We have developed a structured management system that keeps projects organised, c
ompliant and fully documented throughout the design and construction process.
Depending on the project, we manage and coordinate:
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Building Safety Act compliance reviews
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CDM design risk registers
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Design change control
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Decision logs
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RFI management
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Golden Thread information
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Design responsibility matrices
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Drawing and document registers
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Consultant coordination
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Client action trackers
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Compliance reviews
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Design team workshops
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Gateway support for Higher-Risk Buildings
By maintaining clear records and coordinating information throughout the project lifecycle, we help reduce risk, improve communication and provide clients with confidence that their project is progressing in line with current legislation.
Higher-Risk Buildings & the Building Safety Act
The introduction of the Building Safety Act 2022 has fundamentally changed the way Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs) are designed, managed and delivered. The legislation places greater responsibility on dutyholders to demonstrate competence, maintain accurate design information and ensure compliance with the Building Regulations throughout the entire project lifecycle.
As an appointed Building Safety Act Principal Designer, Harp Design works closely with clients, architects, engineers, contractors and specialist consultants to coordinate the design process and support compliance with the statutory requirements of the Building Safety Act. Our role is to plan, manage and monitor the design phase, ensuring that Building Regulations compliance is embedded into every stage of the project rather than being treated as a final compliance exercise.
From the earliest design discussions, we identify potential compliance risks, facilitate communication between the wider design team and ensure that design decisions are properly recorded. We help clients fulfil their duties under the Building Safety Act by maintaining clear governance, coordinating design information and supporting the Golden Thread of information—creating a transparent, accurate and accessible record that can be relied upon throughout the life of the building.
Our Building Safety Act Principal Designer services include:
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Coordinating Building Regulations compliance during the design phase
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Managing multidisciplinary design teams and dutyholder responsibilities
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Supporting the Golden Thread of information
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Reviewing design changes and assessing their impact on compliance
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Recording key design decisions and maintaining an auditable trail
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Facilitating design reviews and compliance workshops
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Liaising with Building Control, fire engineers and specialist consultants
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Supporting Gateway submissions where applicable
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Helping clients demonstrate competence and compliance under the Building Safety Act 2022
Whether we're supporting the refurbishment of an existing Higher-Risk Building, coordinating a complex commercial development or working as part of a multidisciplinary design team, our objective remains the same: to deliver buildings that are safer, fully compliant and designed with both current legislation and long-term building performance in mind.
By combining our expertise in commercial interior design, CDM Principal Designer services and Building Safety Act Principal Designer responsibilities, we provide clients with a coordinated approach that balances exceptional design, practical buildability and robust regulatory compliance. The result is a smoother design process, better communication between project teams and greater confidence that every decision supports a safer, more successful building.
Why Early Appointment Matters
Appointing a Principal Designer early allows potential risks to be identified before they become costly construction issues.
Early involvement enables us to:
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Influence safer design decisions
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Coordinate consultants from the outset
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Reduce design changes during construction
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Improve programme certainty
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Avoid unnecessary project delays
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Support planning and Building Control processes
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Provide a clear audit trail from concept to completion
The earlier we become involved, the greater value we can add to the project.
Recent Experience
Our team has successfully supported a variety of refurbishment and commercial projects, providing CDM and Building Safety Act Principal Designer services alongside our interior design expertise.
This dual role allows us to understand both the creative vision and the technical requirements of a project, helping clients achieve spaces that are not only inspiring but also safe, compliant and buildable.