UDIA's first Practice Note - Shading Assessment

We are delighted to announce that in December 2025, the UDIA Council officially adopted two Practice Notes on shading assessment. The creation of these practice notes was spearheaded by the working group, supported by feedback and discussions from our members and wider community, including a CPD-accredited working session at our 2025 AGM.

Practice Note 1 – Shading Diagram Methodology

This Practice Note sets out a consistent methodology for producing shading diagrams.

It is free to share with the wider community—particularly consultants and firms you rely on to prepare shading or shadow assessment material.

Click below to download the Practice Note 1.

UDIA Practice Note 1_S-SAM Shading Description_10Dec2025.pdf

Download PDF • 380KB

Practice Note 2 – Shading Assessment Method (S-SAM)

Practice Note 2 is for UDIA members only and not for circulation outside the membership.

It can be downloaded from the UDIA Members ShareFile (Teams) folder.

The S-SAM outlined in Practice Note 2 is compulsory for use by members, unless an alternative approach is required—for example:

• where a specific planning document prescribes a different method, or

• where expert conferencing involves non-UDIA members who cannot apply the S-SAM.

These circumstances are explained within the Practice Note.

Training and Continuous Improvement

To support implementation:

• a CPD training session will be held in Q1 2026, and

• a review session in Q4 2026 will allow members to share practical experience and inform refinements to the S-SAM.

We want to thank all members who contributed their expertise to this work. This is a strong example of how UDIA membership helps shape consistent, robust, and practical industry guidance.