Understanding and Delivering Gateway 2

The Building Safety Act has fundamentally changed how Higher-Risk Buildings are designed, coordinated and delivered across the UK construction industry. The introduction of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) and the Gateway regime has created a more rigorous framework for demonstrating building safety, placing greater emphasis on design coordination, information management and accountability.

What have we learnt on our Gateway 2 journey? 

The Golden Thread starts on day one, and travels the lifespan of the project to be there at handover. It is an ongoing process of creating, managing and maintaining accurate building information throughout the building’s lifecycle.

When we have robust information management processes in place we’ve seen the positive impact on Gateway progression through 2 and onto 3. 

We have secured Gateway 2 approval on multiple Higher-Risk Building projects and currently have further submissions under review by the Building Safety Regulator. Acting as both Lead Designer and Principal Designer (Building Regulations), we have gained practical experience of navigating the new regime across residential, fire remediation and Build-to-Rent developments.

Leading with design coordination 

The Gateway process has reinforced something that experienced design teams have always understood: successful projects rely on effective coordination.

Working together is critical if we are to achieve what is expected of us via Gateway 2; the Building Safety Regulator expects to see evidence that architectural, structural, fire engineering and building services information has been properly coordinated and reviewed. Gateway 2 submissions are not simply collections of documents; they are demonstrations of how a project team has collectively addressed building safety requirements.

This approach proved particularly valuable on the Barr’s Street Build-to-Rent development scheme in Bristol, part of the Debenhams Broadmead regeneration, where early engagement with façade specialists and front-loaded technical design helped secure Gateway 1 approval and improve programme certainty. The team are currently progressing detail towards Gateway 2.

Designing for compliance from the outset in action 

Recently completed Domain in Reading, is a large Build-to-Rent Higher-Risk Building delivered during the transition to the new Gateway regime. As Lead Designer, AWW developed a project strategy based on two independently functioning phases, ensuring that each phase could operate without reliance on shared life-safety systems.

This approach simplified key aspects of the fire strategy, reduced potential compliance risks and created a clearer pathway through Gateway requirements. The project demonstrated the value of integrating Building Safety Act principles into the design strategy from the earliest stages of project development.

The alignment of building safety, design management, and programme management are now closely linked, and again clearly demonstrate how successful projects recognise this from the outset.

BSA in practice 

Our fire remediation work has taught us that success is led by design integrity. Across several residential fire remediation projects, we have witnessed first hand how existing conditions, intrusive investigations, material testing, detailed fire strategy reviews, and stakeholder engagement have reinforced the importance of evidence-led design development and early identification of compliance risks. In many cases, the information gathered during these investigations has significantly influenced both the design approach and the Gateway submission strategy.

What’s next?

The regulations are beginning to mature and settle into becoming second nature to project design and development. It is clear that ultimately, successful Gateway 2 submissions are not achieved through the preparation of documents alone. They are the outcome of a well-managed project, a coordinated team and a commitment to building safety from the earliest stages of design.