GDHV – Future Homes Standard 2025 and changes to Part F

The Future Homes Standard has brought about the review of all aspects of residential building design. Here, GDHV outline the changes to Part F of the Building Regulations which address ventilation and maintenance of indoor air quality in residential dwellings.

Update to Part F of the Building Regulations

The aim behind the update to Part F was to simplify ventilation requirements whilst aligning air tightness and system specification. 

This was following a government review of ventilation and indoor air quality in new homes. This showed only three of the eighty homes monitored complied with the current standards for Part F: Ventilation, in part due to complexities within the regulation itself.

How will Part F change?

The Government began by proposing that the four system types, as listed in the current Part F, are updated.

Guidance has been removed for passive stack ventilation, formerly System 2 and the remaining three systems have been renamed and guidance given on aligning these with the most suitable level of air tightness.

The aim of this is to provide more support for designers in specifying the best solution for their project based on air permeability levels.

When this becomes legally enforceable (expected June 2022), designers will need to seek expert advice if using a system type in a dwelling different to the above. However, SAP credits may be limited where this is the case.

In a move to make compliant design easier, the revised Part F will also change the way whole dwelling ventilation rates are calculated. This will mean designers won’t have to estimate the number of people in bedrooms by changing to a constant factor.

For more about the Part F changes and the impact this could have on residential ventilation, request GDHV’s Future Homes Standard CPD online.

Alternatively, to learn more about our services with ventilation specification and design, visit our dedicated mechanical ventilation page.