Building Passport: Leading the Digital Revolution for Building Safety

• By Rupert Parker, Founder of Building Passport

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Over the course of my career in the property sector, I’ve seen first-hand how poor information management can have significant consequences. Whether it’s delays in transactions, increased operational costs, or even safety risks, the disjointed handling of building information has long plagued the industry.

Working as a Chartered Surveyor for more than 10 years, I experienced first hand the consequences of the traditional siloed approach to information handling. It sometimes led to searching archive rooms in basements to find (often damp) paper documentation - even for modern buildings in central locations. The amount of time wasted unearthing this documentation, together with the fact that, more often than not, the information was out of date, led me to think; why don’t buildings have service books, like cars do? Cars, after all, are meticulously documented throughout their lives, yet buildings—far more valuable, complex, and similarly critical to safety—were being managed with outdated, fragmented and not-fit-for purpose systems.

At the time I was attending worldwide property, technology and specific proptech conferences, but there was nothing out there that fitted the bill. After a couple of years of looking and coming up short, it became clear: if a solution didn’t exist, shouldn’t someone be creating it? This is how Building Passport was born—a digital platform designed to centralise and manage essential building data and help owners meet modern compliance requirements.

As the property sector faces rising regulatory pressures, particularly with the introduction of the Building Safety Act in 2022, demand for Building Passport is surging. Our company has grown exponentially year-on-year, in part due to the need for building owners and operators to meet the stringent standards outlined in the Act. Our progress as a solution provider underscores the industry's growing recognition of the critical importance of a digital-first approach to managing building information.

The Building Safety Act and the Golden Thread

The Building Safety Act represents a watershed moment for the UK property industry. Following the catastrophic Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, it became painfully clear that the industry’s handling of building safety information was not fit for purpose. In response, the UK government introduced this sweeping legislation in 2022 affecting tall residential buildings, setting new standards for how they are designed, built, and maintained, with a heavy focus on ensuring that safety information is accurate, accessible, and up-to-date.

At the heart of the Act is the requirement for a Golden Thread—a digital, secure, and easily accessible record of building safety information that spans the entire lifecycle of a building. The Golden Thread serves as a legally required “single source of truth” for everyone involved in the management and safety of a building, from designers and developers to regulators and emergency responders.

According to government guidance, the Golden Thread must:

1. Be Digital: The days of relying on paper files and outdated systems are over. All building safety information must be securely stored in digital format.

2. Be Comprehensive: The Golden Thread must capture all relevant safety information, including design and construction records, materials used, fire safety plans, and ongoing maintenance schedules.

3. Be Continuously Updated: As a building undergoes changes or renovations, or as new safety assessments are completed, the Golden Thread must be kept up to date to reflect these modifications.

4. Be Accessible: Authorised personnel, such as building owners, safety managers, regulators, and emergency services, must be able to access safety information easily. In times of crisis, quick access to accurate building information can save lives.

5. Ensure Resident Safety: The primary purpose of the Golden Thread is to protect those living or working in higher-risk buildings. By ensuring that all relevant safety data is readily available and accurate, building owners can take a proactive approach to managing safety risks.

These requirements are not just a matter of ticking boxes; they are designed to create a culture of accountability within the property sector. Failing to maintain an accurate, up-to-date Golden Thread can lead to heavy penalties, significant delays in projects, and, most importantly, put lives at risk.

How Building Passport Supports the Digital Golden Thread

Building Passport was developed prior to the Building Safety Act coming into force but with a view to addressing the exacting needs that were subsequently outlined in the Act. Our platform is subject to regular, iterative improvements and its benefits go beyond addressing safety. You can think of it as a digital library, librarian and smart assistant for all building-related information. It takes the form of a pre-structured repository which has the power to automatically categorise files and enables one-click sharing and precise control over access to the information it contains.

By creating a secure, digital-first solution, Building Passport provides an intuitive platform which makes it easier to comply with the regulations, whilst simultaneously streamlining building information management practices across all areas.

Here’s how Building Passport supports the requirements of the Golden Thread:

- Digital Storage for Life: All critical building information, such as fire safety certificates, structural reports, and design plans, is stored securely in the cloud. This not only ensures compliance with the Act’s digital mandate but also protects against loss or damage of physical documents.

- Comprehensive Information: From initial design documents to ongoing maintenance and safety checks, all records are housed in one place. This gives building owners and operators a complete view of their building’s safety and compliance status, providing the “single source of truth” required by the Act.

- User-Managed Updates: Buildings are dynamic, evolving over time as repairs, updates, or safety improvements are made. Building Passport makes it easy for users to upload new documents and amend existing ones, ensuring that the Golden Thread is always up-to-date and reflective of the building’s current condition.

- Immediate Emergency Access: In an emergency, every second counts. Building Passport allows emergency services to remotely access critical safety information instantly, enabling faster, more informed decision-making that could help prevent loss of life.

- Unlimited Users: One of the challenges with traditional information management systems is limiting access based on user count. Building Passport allows for unlimited users at no extra cost, ensuring that all authorised stakeholders—from building managers to fire safety officers—can access the information they need.

By providing a single, secure platform that brings all building information into one place, Building Passport helps building owners meet their legal obligations under the Building Safety Act and ensures that the Golden Thread is properly maintained.

Industry Challenges and Why the Golden Thread is Critical

The property industry has long struggled with inefficient information management practices. According to research by McKinsey, the property sector is among the least digitised industries globally. This reliance on outdated methods not only leads to operational inefficiencies but also puts lives at risk. Incomplete or inaccessible safety data is a significant factor behind many safety failures in high-risk buildings, which is exactly what the Golden Thread aims to address.

One of the biggest challenges is ensuring that all relevant stakeholders can access the necessary information when needed. In many cases, building safety information is spread across multiple systems or stored in different formats, making it difficult for regulators or emergency services to retrieve the data they need in a timely manner.

The Building Safety Act seeks to tackle these issues head-on by mandating the creation of the Golden Thread, which serves as a legally enforceable record of a building’s safety and compliance. The importance of this requirement cannot be overstated. Properly managing building information can not only prevent costly delays and fines but also save lives by ensuring that the people responsible for a building’s safety have the information they need, when they need it.

According to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), property managers alone each spend an average of 50 hours a year searching for lost or incomplete documents. With the introduction of the Golden Thread, this inefficiency can be eliminated by providing instant access to all relevant safety records through a digital platform like Building Passport.

Moreover, the financial risks of failing to maintain an accurate Golden Thread are substantial. McKinsey research shows that incomplete or inaccurate building data can lead to insurance premium increases of up to 25%. By ensuring that all building information is complete, accurate, and readily accessible, Building Passport helps owners avoid these inflated costs.

Real-World Use Cases: Compliance and Operational Efficiency

Building Passport is already helping building owners and operators navigate the challenges posed by the Building Safety Act. While our platform was designed with compliance in mind, it has also proven to deliver significant operational and financial benefits beyond regulatory requirements.

For example, a major Build-to-Rent (BTR) operator used Building Passport to consolidate safety information across a portfolio of developments. The platform allowed the company to centralise all documentation, cutting down the time spent managing compliance and reducing the risk of falling foul of the Building Safety Act. This proactive approach not only ensured compliance with the Act but also gave the operator a competitive edge in maintaining tenant trust and safety.

In another case, a commercial property owner leveraged Building Passport to accelerate asset sales. By using the platform to provide potential buyers with organised, accessible building information, they were able to significantly shorten the due diligence process. As a result, the client reduced transaction times by an average of one month per asset, saving them substantial holding costs in the process.

These examples highlight how Building Passport not only supports compliance with the Golden Thread but also drives tangible business results.

The Future of Building Safety is Digital

The introduction of the Building Safety Act and its Golden Thread requirements marks a turning point for the property industry. No longer can building information be scattered across systems, locked away in paper files, or left to be forgotten in basements. The future of building safety is digital, and that future has arrived.

At Building Passport, we believe that embracing digital solutions is not only essential for compliance but also key to improving the efficiency, safety, and sustainability of the entire property sector. Our platform provides an easy-to-use, secure solution that is capable of information ingestion throughout design to demolition, helping building owners and operators maintain governance over their building information, meet the demands of the Building Safety Act and improve day-to-day operations.

The old way of managing building information is no longer fit for purpose. Disconnected records, paper files, and outdated systems simply don’t meet the demands of today’s regulatory environment. The Building Safety Act has made it clear: building safety information must be digital, accurate, and easily accessible, with the Golden Thread at its core.

At Building Passport, we are committed to helping the industry make this shift. Our platform not only ensures compliance with the Golden Thread but also streamlines operations, cuts costs, and improves safety outcomes. By providing a secure, centralised platform for managing building information, we are helping property professionals embrace the future of building safety.

The future is digital, and Building Passport is ready to guide the industry forward.

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Rupert Parker is the founder of Building Passport, a platform designed to centralise and manage building information, helping property owners comply with the Building Safety Act and maintain the Golden Thread.