Demonstrating the value of good housing architects

Demonstrating the value of good housing ArchitectsFlora Samuelwww.culturalvalueofarchitecture.org@home_research

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Contents

• Cultural Value of Architecture Project• Evidence• Definitions - Architect types & skillsets

• Generating Evidence through research• Next Steps

EVIDENCE & DEFINITIONS

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Flora Samuel, Nishat Awan, Carolyn Butterworth, Sophie Handler, Jo Lintonbon & Anne Dye (RIBA)

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Homes & Communities Agency Symposium for Registered Providers of Housing, Sheffield, Nov 2013

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A research project commissioned by CABE and DETR

to examine the value added by good urban design

A research project commissioned by CABE and DETR

to examine the value added by good urban design

The Value of Urban Design represents a ground-breaking attempt to pin down

the economic, social and environmental value of good urban design.

Undertaken by the Bartlett School of Planning for CABE and DETR, the study

uses an analysis of selected commercial developments in the UK to look at how

good urban design provides a range of benefits including higher rental levels,

lower maintenance costs, enhanced regeneration and increased public support

for development. The study makes essential reading for developers, investors,

occupiers, planners and design professionals and marks an important step

towards ensuring that urban design receives adequate investment from the

public and private sectors.

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Critical Review

• Focus on ‘grey literature’

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Paul Iddon, Kernel Sympatico, workshop on marketing Architects

https://ssoaliveworks.wordpress.com/

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Critical Review Findings• Architecture rarely mentioned• Barely any evidence of Architecture’s

value• Confusion about skills of architect• Word ‘design’ problematic• Need to focus on process not product• Confusion about landscape and planning13/02/15 © The University of Sheffield

Recommendations

• Must promote Architect not architecture• Need to focus on process rather than built

product• Need simple definition of Architect’s Skills• Need evidence of value of Architect’s

Skills

ARCHITECT TYPES& SKILL SETS

Architect Types

• Value Systems• Social• Cultural • Commercial

www.culturalvalueofarchitecture.org

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Skills of Social Architects

Create environments to transform the way we feel and think

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Help people get together in communities – this could be through the way a building is designed, helping people to get together to change where they live

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Think about what is special about an area’s heritage and character and helping to make it more special.

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Help people to design their own homes and neighbourhoods, in this way helping them to feel positive about themselves and where they live.

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Record through drawings and models what goes on in an area to provide information on what is needed in a place.

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Evidence

Involving people in the design of their homes is good for wellbeing

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GENERATING EVIDENCE THROUGH RESEARCH

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800 billion euros are now on stream under the EU Horizon 2020 research programme

800 billion euros available to address ‘Grand Societal Challenges

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• 3 year research project, funded by the UK Research Councils (EPSRC, ESRC, and AHRC) investigating how the design of houses and neighbourhoods can facilitate mobility and well-being

• Led by architect Professor Sarah Wigglesworth, University of Sheffield researchers from architecture, town planning and health research—in partnership with Sheffield City Council and local housing providers.

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Conclusion

• Good Architects do impact on wellbeing• We need to generate evidence on the

value of good housing• Architects (academia and practice) need

to team up with industry to do research to take advantage of research based funding streams

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To DiscoverAndUnderstand.