In January 2021 ATTMA introduced a new certificate for shell and core buildings at the pre-fitout stage. This new certificate had a change in colour of the tables from blue to brown and the text in top left of the certificate was changed from “Certificate of Air Permeability Test” to “Pre-Lodgement of Air Permeability
Test”. In addition to this wording “NOT FOR COMPLIANCE” added in red.
The reason for this change is that historically shell and core developments which should have been tested again after fitout were not on the whole being tested. The test certificates at the pre-fitout stage were being used to represent the building as received at completion where in extreme cases whole sections of the building façade were in the scope of the works at the fitout stage.
In addition to this no shell and core developments at the pre-fit out stage have ever had an air tightness test in full accordance with the approved air tightness test procedure named within the building regulations because they always fail to meet the minimum build requirements outlined within them.
Therefore it is acceptable to use of this type of certificate to generate and lodge a shell and core EPC using the worst case fit out allowable under the building regulations. An EPC is generated at this stage to cover either a sale or rental of the building. When the fit out is completed an additional air tightness test is then undertaken, in full accordance with the approved test procedure, which can be used to generate an EPC with the fit out specification. This should ensure that the building owner and/or occupier gets a building that is performing as expected regarding the air tightness.
