Translating the “golden thread” into a practical reality with the GTI

Following the Grenfell Tower disaster, the 2018 Hackitt Report made a series of recommendations on how to safeguard against similar disasters happening again: developing a “golden thread” of building information data was one of them.

Oculo is proud to be part of the Golden Thread Initiative sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The purpose of this Golden Thread Initiative (or GTI for short) is to show how this ambition can be translated into practical steps that can be carried out at the project level, thereby creating a digital “reference book” that documents how a building has been constructed or renovated.

This “golden thread” of data will be built up from the component level, eventually capturing what was done or installed at all stages of a construction project. This will give all parties involved greater visibility, enabling them to see how their work fits into the broader project and allowing them to adjust plans when necessary to resolve clashes. Increasing accountability is also crucial for making buildings safer and so the GTI’s review will consider not just what information needs to be captured at each stage for later use by residents and maintenance teams, but also how new ways of working can promote more effective collaboration during the construction phase.

To realise this vision, the GTI has brought together a group of industry experts who will work together for the benefit of the built environment. It aims to demonstrate that it is possible to produce a “golden thread” of building information that satisfies the requirements of the Building Safety Regulator. The core outcomes will be a practical illustration of what can be achieved right now and an identification of the challenges that the sector will need to overcome to comply with planned legislation.

Contributors come from right across the construction industry, with endorsing partners such as: CIBSE, HSE, the National Housing Federation and the UK BIM Alliance.

Oculo’s involvement in the GTI stems from our desire to improve efficiencies and facilitate data-driven decision-making within construction. As a software provider to the industry, we are already enabling clients to use visual data in a variety of ways during the project build phase.  We do this by creating a visual history of a building’s construction that can be viewed and understood by anyone, without the need for complex training or systems.  

Our contribution to this initiative is being led by Wojtek Szymczak.  What Oculo brings to the GTI, is deep practical experience in collecting, managing and deriving value from visual data, and this gives it a unique insight into how some of the industry’s most pressing challenges might be overcome.

Ultimately, a more collaborative and better-informed construction process will lead to higher-quality buildings; higher-quality buildings will give residents greater peace of mind and safer homes, so Oculo is proud to be playing its part in shaping the future of the construction industry.

The report prepared by the Golden Thread Initiative is expected to be released in Spring 2022.