Designing for certainty
What if compliance wasn’t a stage in the process, but the foundation of it?
At Greatfields Primary School, there were no last-minute fire safety reviews. No redesigns to retrofit regulatory changes. No uncertainty about whether the wall systems would meet performance criteria after installation.
Because none of it was left to chance.
From the beginning, Auburn Group delivered Greatfields using an approach built around tested systems, known outcomes, and verified compliance pathways. Not because it was easier—but because it removed the noise.
The Compliance Backlog is Real
Across the UK, construction teams are wrestling with a shifting landscape of safety legislation and building regulation. The Building Safety Act, DfE Output Specification, acoustic performance standards, and material testing requirements aren’t getting looser—they’re tightening fast.
For many teams, that means chasing compliance through value engineering and last-minute adjustments. It's a process that introduces friction, erodes confidence, and leaves room for error.
Auburn chose a different route: build with regulation, not around it.
Compliance, Baked In
The panelised system used at Greatfields was part of the OSKOP (Open Source Kit of Parts) platform: a suite of tested, repeatable wall build-ups assembled offsite and installed with precision.
Every component had a reason to be there.
Fermacell® fibre gypsum boards provided non-combustible linings (Euroclass A2-s1, d0)
Rockwool insulation and Steico I-joists ensured fire and acoustic performance
REI60-rated assemblies delivered regulatory certainty
Internal partitions were tested to Severe Duty classifications—meeting the high-traffic demands of education spaces
This wasn’t compliance as a checklist. It was compliance as a mindset.
A System that Doesn’t Leave You Guessing
We didn’t test one wall and extrapolate results.
The entire delivery was based on build-ups that had already been through rigorous fire and acoustic testing. That’s what gave our team the confidence to move quickly—and what gave the client the reassurance that everything would perform as expected.
When You Start with Certainty, You Build Without Doubt
The result?
Fewer design changes
Faster approvals
Smoother site coordination
Reduced compliance risk
In a world where regulation is only getting tougher, this approach doesn’t just tick boxes—it removes them.
