THE CAMPAIGN calls on architects, main contractors and developers to bring in specialist expertise earlier. Stancold says cold storage and cleanroom packages are traditionally brought in after contract award, when late-stage value engineering forces product swaps to plug budget gaps. Changing panel thickness, core insulation, surface finishes or joint details to save upfront costs, it warns, often triggers costly knock-on effects.

Mark Kendrick, Stancold’s cleanroom envelope technical lead, said: “Value engineering shouldn’t be a late-stage rescue mission that compromises long-term facility performance. Changing specifications late in the day leads to a cascade of RFIs, structural redesigns, abortive work on site and validation delays that completely wipe out any paper savings.”

Stancold says involving specialists as early as RIBA Stage 2 or 3 gives greater flexibility before design decisions are locked in. Specifying a non-progressive cleanroom panel early, for example, can remove the need for secondary steelwork, saving more cost, time and weight than late product cuts. Reviewing panel modules, junction details and structural interfaces early also avoids clashes between packages.

The company points to its independent, multi-manufacturer supply chain, which lets teams compare fire, acoustic and thermal options against the facility’s operational needs. Project ROI also helps clients and principal contractors decide between a direct specialist contract and a managed tier-one package.

Kendrick said early technical consultation “costs nothing and commits project teams to nothing”, while waiting until procurement is “a gamble capital projects can no longer afford”.