BE-ST and the Passivhaus Trust have released a new paper, 'Delivering Quality', setting out practical steps for Tier 1 contractors and supply chains to improve outcomes on high‑performance Passivhaus and low energy projects.

The publication examines how to deliver quality on large and complex projects, drawing on a joint collaboration between the Passivhaus Trust (PHT) and BE-ST, developed with Tier 1 contractors (T1C) and industry stakeholders.

Morrison Construction served as lead author, supported by other Tier 1 contractors and supply chain partners, to ensure the work is technically robust and grounded in industry practice.

The findings build on a previous BE-ST Factory initiative in which collaborators from Morrison Construction, Kier Construction, Balfour Beatty, Robertsons and Morgan Sindall created a test bay known as the Tardis. The test bay enabled teams to explore thermal principles and airtightness, trial new processes, products and methods, and share learning to improve build quality and the wider industry knowledge base.

Stakeholders observed that achieving the exacting standards required for Passivhaus and low energy projects depends on evolving how existing tools and processes are applied, particularly through construction and handover. The paper consolidates contractors' real‑world experience to map common challenges and provide practical recommendations. It is not a full construction planning guide; rather, it focuses on the principles that most influence quality outcomes.

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The report concludes that leadership and culture are decisive, beyond systems and standards alone. It argues that clear leadership sets expectations, embeds best practice, and empowers teams to take ownership of solutions—fostering an environment where people care about outcomes, take pride in their work, feel valued, and understand the 'why' behind each requirement.

The paper also explores how a culture of quality should permeate programme management and training—prioritising sufficient planning time to deliver consistently, building competence, and embedding continuous learning on site.

BE-ST and the Passivhaus Trust plan to share the insights across the UK construction sector via webinars, training and collaboration with professional bodies.

Caitriona Jordan, Associate Director of Retrofit and Energy Efficiency at BE-ST said: "The Delivering Quality report builds on our previous collaborations between BE-ST, PHT and T1Cs in supporting the construction industry to achieve high performing buildings, an example of this is the Tardis test bay. While this project focused on the technical design pre-contract, to achieve quality, the newly published report focuses on the workplace and sector culture we need to get it right first time, every time on site."

Sarah Lewis, Co-Director at the UK Passivhaus Trust, said: "The Passivhaus Trust has been blown away by the way Tier 1 contractors have embraced the Passivhaus methodology and worked collaboratively to share their learnings. The Delivering Quality Paper is a distillation of best practice approaches drawn from their experiences and includes a vast resource of practical tips, which will be invaluable for contractors working on Passivhaus projects both large and small. It offers important lessons for all contractors wanting to deliver construction quality."

Allan Smith, Low Carbon Manager at Morrison Construction, said: "It has been a pleasure to be involved in the collaboration and collation of the Delivering Quality Paper.

"Delivering quality is the responsibility of all project stakeholders and ensuring that all parties understand their 'why' is critical to establishing a culture of quality throughout.

"We hope by sharing lessons learned and established quality processes will contribute to better-performing buildings."

James Robertson, Preconstruction Design Lead at Balfour Beatty, said: "As the construction sector raises its ambition on building performance, the defining challenge is no longer setting standards, but reliably delivering the quality needed to meet them at scale.

"The Delivering Quality Paper brings together real‑world experience to show that leadership, culture and informed decision‑making are what ultimately determine whether Passivhaus and low energy projects succeed in practice."