The later a product is specified, the more vulnerable it is to substitution and incompatibility issues. In this feature Ceri Turner-Hill, head of architecture at wienerberger UK & Ireland explores how early collaboration between manufacturers and architects can produce better outcomes than reactive engagement further down the line, and what that shift in approach looks like in practice on housing developments.
Every housing construction project involves a string of decisions, many of which can have a significant impact on project delivery. Choices around materials, building fabric, roofing and building services can affect not only the appearance of a development, but also its technical performance, sustainability credentials, cost, and buildability.
Yet despite widespread understanding that these decisions have a lasting impact, they are still arguably made too late in many cases. Instead of bringing manufacturers into the conversation early – when their technical expertise can help inform or support design decisions – housebuilders can often delay engagement until designs have been developed. This can leave manufacturers narrowly focused on specific requirements, rather than applying their expertise to help shape specification and address wider project requirements.
Products specified later in the process, usually post-planning, are also more exposed to substitution, particularly when procurement teams are under pressure to swiftly reduce costs or address availability issues. If a product is swapped in later in the scheme, it will require further diligence checks around performance, compatibility, appearance, and compliance. Conversely, where products have been thoroughly considered and justified during the design process, the rationale behind their selection is clearer, which can help the wider project team understand the implications of any proposed changes.
The objective, therefore, should not simply be to secure a place on the specification. It should be to shape and justify specification from an early stage, establish why that product is most appropriate for the project, and ensure that its contribution is understood by the people responsible for taking the design forward, regardless of programme stage.
Moving beyond the product pitch
Achieving this is not always easy. Above all else, it requires manufacturers to engage with architects earlier and approach specification as a collaborative process rather than a sales exercise.
Early conversations provide an opportunity to fully understand the design intent, technical requirements, and practical constraints of a development. They also allow manufacturers to share considerations that might otherwise be overlooked or deferred for a later stage, from product dimensions, available finishes, and installation considerations to Environmental Product Declarations and specific product fire ratings.
This is particularly relevant as the demands placed on new housing continue to evolve, where architects and housebuilders must balance design quality with cost pressures, sustainability objectives, and increasingly complex performance and transitioning compliance requirements. Meeting these demands requires informed and holistic decision making across the building’s design, rather than isolated product selection.
From specification to partnership
Early collaboration will not provide a catch-all solution to inevitable project pressures, nor does it mean that a specification should never be challenged. Instead, it helps ensure that decisions are robustly informed by a fuller understanding of the implications and value of each decision.
For manufacturers, the implications indicate that meaningful relationships need to be established before a project reaches the procurement stage.
This should means maintaining dialogue with architects and developers, understanding the challenges they face, and making technical expertise readily accessible and available whenever it is needed. It also means recognising that a successful specification depends on more than the initial selection of a product; The suitability of the product needs to remain understood as the project moves through design development, procurement, and delivery.
Long-term relationships should strengthen this process, and as manufacturers become more familiar with a developer’s approach and specific requirements, conversations can, and should, become more focused with advice tailored to the specifics of the scheme rather than delivered as a generic product pitch.
Ultimately, early collaboration is not about restricting choice or preventing legitimate cost reviews. It is about ensuring that product decisions are made with the right information available, at the right time, and that the reasoning and justification behind their selction is fully understood by the wider team.
In a market where cost pressures, availability, and programme uncertainty can make specifications vulnerable to change, manufacturers have an opportunity to demonstrate their value before procurement begins. By engaging and supporting architects earlier, they can move beyond competing for a line on a schedule and become expert partners in developing buildings that meet their requisite performance, design and delivery requirements.