RIBA Stage 0 – Strategic Definition
What this stage is about: Clarifying whether a potential site or project is worth pursuing, in principle, before you commit serious design fees or land bids.
Where HubbPro helps at RIBA Stage 0
At Stage 0, use the Energy Needs Workshop and Future Homes Standard pages to frame early decisions on capacity, viability and connection strategy.
Stage 0 is where you decide if a site is worth pursuing once all-electric design and grid realities are factored in.
It is about testing viability against likely capacity, constraints and policy so weak opportunities are filtered out before serious fees are committed.
Clarifying whether a potential site or project is worth pursuing, in principle, before you commit serious design fees or land bids.
Here, teams are asking if a realistic capacity is even available, and whether network constraints will slow or block delivery.
They also want to know how Future Homes Standard thinking will affect density, layout and cost long before a formal brief is written.
- If this goes all electric under Future Homes Standard, is it still viable
- Is the local network likely to constrain capacity or timing
- When should we first speak to the DNO or consider an IDNO
This is often the first time non-technical stakeholders hear terms like FHS, HEM, DNO, IDNO and NDV in the same conversation. Making those clear early avoids crossed wires between land teams, funders and consultants when you start comparing options on real numbers.
- FHS – Future Homes Standard
- HEM – Home Energy Model
- DNO – Distribution Network Operator
- IDNO – Independent Distribution Network Operator
- NDV – Net Development Value
RIBA Stage 1 – Preparation and Brief
What this stage is about: Turning the opportunity into a clear brief, including client requirements, constraints, and high-level performance expectations.
Where HubbPro helps at RIBA Stage 1
At Stage 1, energy and compliance modelling gives evidence for the brief and supports discussions with partners before you fix strategy.
You are turning a promising site into a defined brief that funders, designers and advisors can work from.
Assumptions on capacity, strategy and risk appetite get written down here, so early choices start to harden into expectations and numbers.
Turning the opportunity into a clear brief, including client requirements, constraints, and high-level performance expectations.
Teams are trying to pin down a sensible kVA ask, preferred heat strategy and the role of PV and batteries.
The challenge is doing this without guesswork, so later design stages are not forced to absorb unrealistic targets or over-conservative margins.
- What headline kVA ask should we design around
- Do we brief for individual versus central heat pumps
- How far do we go on PV and batteries at this point
Stage 1 is when language like kVA, PV, BESS and “network constraints” first appears in emails and draft briefs.
Clarifying what these mean, and how they affect cost and risk, stops misunderstandings creeping into DNO offers, consultant scopes and investment papers.
- kVA – Kilovolt-amperes, headline electrical capacity
- PV – Photovoltaics, rooftop or site solar
- BESS – Battery Energy Storage System
- LoLV / network constraints – language seen in DNO offers
RIBA Stage 2 – Concept Design
What this stage is about: Stage 2 turns a brief into sketched layouts, massing and an outline MEP strategy. Early choices on heat pumps, PV, EV charging and plant topology start to drive capacity asks, CAPEX and future compliance.
Where HubbPro helps at RIBA Stage 2
At RIBA Stage 2, new build developer optimisation, Build to Rent energy strategy and PBSA energy modelling let you compare concept options using HEM aligned simulations, so you can select an energy strategy that meets Future Homes Standard expectations with the lowest credible CAPEX and OPEX.
RIBA Stage 2 is where outline layouts, massing and MEP concepts are set and tested for planning and viability.
Early choices on heat pumps, PV, EV charging and plant topology start to drive both capacity asks and future compliance under the Future Homes Standard.
Teams are asking whether their chosen heat strategy will push grid capacity beyond what the site or business case can carry.
They also want to know how HEM will treat their fabric choices, PV yield and EV demand, and whether a lower, evidence based capacity ask is defensible with the DNO or IDNO.
At this point terms such as DHW, LZC, GIA, NIA, COP and SCOP appear in reports and option papers.
Getting shared understanding across developers, funders and consultants avoids concept designs that look good visually but lock in unrealistic performance or cost assumptions.
RIBA Stage 3 – Spatial Coordination
What this stage is about: Stage 3 coordinates structure, architecture and MEP in real space. Decisions on risers, plant rooms and distribution routes either preserve flexibility or lock in high-CAPEX, over-engineered solutions.
Where HubbPro helps at RIBA Stage 3
At RIBA Stage 3, energy and compliance modelling and the West Hill Road case study show how hourly demand profiles translate into right-sized risers, plant and cabling, helping teams coordinate layouts that protect CAPEX while staying aligned with the Future Homes Standard route.
RIBA Stage 3 fixes how services move through the building and where major plant sits.
The challenge is to size risers, plant and sub-mains to realistic diversified peaks rather than worst-case rules of thumb, while keeping layouts compatible with FHS and HEM requirements.
Teams are asking whether diversity assumptions are robust enough to support slimmer risers and smaller plant, or whether they are carrying unnecessary safety margins.
They also need confidence that flat mix, stacking and zoning still support compliance once everything is spatially coordinated.
Language such as LV, HV, MVHR, LTHW and diversity factors is now standard in design meetings.
Clarifying how these parameters influence both grid capacity and plant sizing prevents late scope creep and rework as drawings progress.
RIBA Stage 4 – Technical Design
What this stage is about: Stage 4 completes detailed MEP design, specifications and controls strategies. The technical design must reflect the modelled strategy and generate the evidence needed for planners, building control and funders.
Where HubbPro helps at RIBA Stage 4
At RIBA Stage 4, energy and compliance modelling provides HEM-aligned profiles, Part L support data and overheating indicators that can be packaged into evidence packs for planning, building control and lender or investment committees on Future Homes ready schemes.
RIBA Stage 4 is where every plant item, setpoint and zone is pinned down.
The focus is on making sure technical choices remain consistent with the assumptions in earlier simulations and that the resulting data supports Part L, overheating and HEM-aligned sign-off.
Teams are asking whether value engineering or detailed selections have shifted loads, peaks or comfort in ways that undermine the business case.
They also want a clear view of how Part L, overheating assessments and HEM outputs fit together into a single approval and investment story.
Terms such as Part L, SBEM, SAP, HEM, TM52 and TM59 now appear frequently in reports and gateway papers.
Understanding which method drives which decision, and where assumptions must stay aligned, avoids conflicting documents and delays at approval.
RIBA Stage 5 – Manufacturing and Construction
What this stage is about: Stage 5 covers manufacture, site construction and utility works. The priority is installing systems, metering and controls that actually match the agreed energy and grid strategy, not a diluted version.
Where HubbPro helps at RIBA Stage 5
At RIBA Stage 5, energy and compliance modelling outputs act as a benchmark when reviewing contractor proposals, value-engineering decisions and phasing updates, so the built solution remains consistent with the RIBA Stage 2 and 3 strategy and the agreed grid capacity.
RIBA Stage 5 translates drawings into real equipment and cables.
Works by contractors, DNOs and IDNOs must all align with the capacity ask, phasing plan and performance assumptions that underpinned earlier simulations and commercial approvals.
Teams are asking whether substitutions, value engineering and phasing changes still keep demand within the modelled envelopes.
They also want reassurance that substation timing, connection works and sectional completions will not introduce load or programme risks that were not priced in.
Terms such as O&M manuals, as-built records, KPIs and witness testing become central to site discussions.
Knowing what must be tested, documented and handed over ensures that what is built can be traced back to design intent and grid commitments.
RIBA Stage 6 – Handover
What this stage is about: Stage 6 deals with commissioning, final documentation and handover to residents or facilities management. How systems are set up and explained here will shape bills, comfort and complaints in the first years of use.
Where HubbPro helps at RIBA Stage 6
At RIBA Stage 6, Build to Rent energy strategy and PBSA energy modelling provide clear expectations for energy use and comfort, helping commissioning teams and operators tune controls so early OPEX and resident experience align with RIBA Stage 2 and 4 assumptions.
RIBA Stage 6 is where plant and controls are tuned for real-world operation rather than test modes.
The goal is to hand over buildings that behave as the model predicted and to give operators enough clarity to maintain that performance.
Teams are asking whether commissioning reflects realistic occupancy and usage, not just engineer-friendly schedules.
They also want to know how best to capture early in-use data so gaps between predicted and actual performance can be spotted and addressed quickly.
Terms such as BMS, FM, soft landings, seasonal commissioning and aftercare appear in handover plans.
Making these concrete helps ensure knowledge is transferred from project teams to operators instead of being lost at practical completion.
RIBA Stage 7 – Use
What this stage is about: Stage 7 covers the long-term operation of the asset. The focus is on monitoring performance, optimising systems and feeding learning back into portfolio and refinancing decisions.
Where HubbPro helps at RIBA Stage 7
At RIBA Stage 7, the same energy and compliance modelling framework used earlier in the project can be calibrated with metered data, helping owners identify optimisation and retrofit opportunities and using RIBA Stage 7 insights to improve decisions on the next wave of Future Homes ready schemes.
RIBA Stage 7 is where real bills, peaks and comfort levels are compared with the original model.
Owners and operators use this insight to protect NOI, strengthen ESG credentials and shape future development strategies.
Teams are asking whether energy costs and peak demands track the business case or whether controls, tariffs or upgrades could improve returns.
They also want to understand how flexibility services or targeted retrofits might unlock additional value over the hold period.
Terms such as kWh, peak demand, load shifting, flexibility services and ESG metrics appear in dashboards and board packs.
Linking these indicators to resident experience and asset value is central to long-term strategy.