Summary of Changes – UK New Construction: Residential V6.1

  • Created:
  • Reference: KBCN1723

UK New Construction: Residential V6.1 (UKNCR) is an update to the Home Quality Mark V6 (HQM V6). It includes a minor technical update, addressing key feedback from our HQM assessors, and the broader market. The technical manual was released on 16 April 2025.  

 The updates are limited in scope, with the main changes in:  

  • 4.2 Natural light (previously 4.2 Daylight) 
  • 6.2 Building life cycle assessment  (previously 6.2 Environmental Impact of Materials) 
  • All assessment issues – updated evidence guidance 

There are minor changes and clarifications in:  

  • 1.2 Sustainable Transport Options 
  • 4.1 Indoor Pollutants 
  • 4.3 Noise Sources 
  • 4.4 Sound Insulation 
  • 4.5 Temperature  
  • 9.3 Inspections and Completion 
  • 11.2 Home information 
  • 11.4 Post Occupancy Evaluation

The update also includes corrections throughout the manual for minor known issues and typographical errors in HQM V6.  

The below table summarises the changes made:  

Issue
Description of update
1.2 Sustainable Transport Options – Updated ‘Cycle storage’ definition has replaced  ‘Cycle storage requirements’ definition
4.1 Indoor Pollutants Updated ‘Representative sampling of indoor air’ methodology item.
Updated ‘Minimising airborne formaldehyde, and airborne TVOCs, from all sources – calculation method’ methodology item, to clarify use of BS ISO 16000-6:2021 VOCs in air by active sampling.
Clarified Methodology items ‘Accreditation of organisations performing laboratory analysis’ and ‘Accreditation of organisations performing sampling’.
4.2 Natural Light   This issue has been substantially rewritten, and extensive changes have been introduced.

Changes in issue name
Issue is now called ‘Natural light’

Changes to criteria (new)
– 4 credits – Daylight illuminance (Kitchens)
– 4 credits – Daylight illuminance (Living rooms)
– 2 credits – Daylight illuminance (Bedrooms)
– 3 credits – Direct sunlight

Methodological changes
Daylight is now assessed using the target illuminance metric rather than the previous daylight factor metric. Bedrooms are now considered in the daylight assessment. And a new direct sunlight metric has been introduced. This updates the natural light methodology in line with current best practice.
4.3 Noise Sources Updated Methodology item, ‘Internal noise levels – habitable spaces and kitchens’.  
4.4 Sound Insulation Clarified criteria 1 requirements for communal areas and co-living buildings.
Updated ‘Suitably Qualified Acoustician (SQA)’ definition.
4.5 Temperature   – Clarified ‘Projected climate change environment’ methodology item, to clearly identify the DSY weather data files that should be used.
4.6 Ventilation   – Updated criteria 7 reference to ANC Guidelines Measurement Of Sound Levels in Buildings 2020.
5.1 Energy and Carbon Performance – Removed reference to SAP XML files in the methodology section.
6.2 Building Life Cycle Assessment This issue has been substantially rewritten, and extensive changes have been introduced.

Issue name
– Issue now called ‘Building life cycle assessment’.

No changes
– 2 credits – Product procurement policy.
– Up to 4 credits – Product environmental information.

New criteria
– 3 credits – Early design LCA and embodied carbon reporting.
– 2 credits – Technical-design and embodied carbon reporting LCA.
– 4 credits – Post-construction LCA and embodied carbon reporting.
– Up to 8 credits – Comparison against the embodied carbon benchmarks.
– 2 credits – Submit embodied carbon data to a public database.

Methodological changes
The new methodology includes calculations and reporting of LCA and embodied carbon at building level during concept design, technical design, and post-construction stage. The calculations must still be completed with a BREEAM recognised LCA tool following EN15978. The credits for different life cycle stages can be achieved independently of one another (i.e. if you do not target the concept design credit you can still target the technical design credit).

Changes to the benchmark 
The benchmark comparison credits have been changed to align with industry standards. This is now at building level (not dwelling level). It includes modules A1-A5, B1-B5, C1-C4 and is in measured in kgCO₂e/m².

Clarification of Evidence Requirements
Clarification of evidence requirements across all stages.
6.3 Life Cycle Costing – Clarified that, for criterion 2, reports must be available to potential owners, rather than occupiers.
9.1 Project Preparation – Included a post-construction column in the ‘Schedule of evidence requirements’ table.
9.2 Commissioning and Testing – Updated Table 55 to refer to ‘EAS (Elmhurst Airtightness Scheme)’.
9.3 Inspections and Completion – Updated criterion 1 to confirm the relationship to the ‘Construction inspections scope’ Methodology item, and Table 55.
– Clarified where criteria relate to potential owners, rather than occupiers.
10.1 Responsible construction practices – Clarified items p and q in Table 57.
11.2 Home information – Updated criterion 1 and the ‘Accessible and flexible format’ definition to clarify the requirement for hard copies of home information.
11.4 Post Occupancy Evaluation – Introduced ‘Sample of homes’ Methodology item, confirming how homes can be sampled for this issue.
Appendix A Updated indicator scores for the following issues, to reflect changes made to the criteria for these issues:
– 4.2 Natural Light.
– 6.2 Building life cycle assessment.
Appendix C Updated text to reflect changes made to Evidence Tables across all issues.  
All  Updated evidence guidance for all assessment issues
‘- Additional guidance on evidence requirements has been added to all assessment issues, in line with the recent improvements to BREEAM UK New Construction 2018 and Version 6.1.		 
15 April 2025  - Updated to reflect the latest changes prior to release