The value handbook Getting the most from your buildings and spaces
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The value handbookGetting the most from your buildings and spaces
Contents
What is the value handbook about and who is it for?How to use the handbook
What can you do?
The value of successful places
Types of value Exchange value Use value Image value Social value Environmental value Cultural value
Are you achieving value? Value in urban design Value of well-designed housing Value of well-designed public open space Value of well-designed workplaces Value of well-designed education buildings Value of well-designed community facilities
The policy context Making better places Local strategic partnerships Local area agreements Public service agreements Comprehensive performance assessment Best value performance indicators Property asset management Beacon councils
Evaluation sheet
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Prepared on behalf of CABE by Sebastian Macmillan for Eclipse Research Consultantswww.eclipse-research.co.uk
Graphic design by Untitled
Printed by The Big Push, Londonon Starfine environmentally friendly paper.
Published in 2006 by the Commission forArchitecture and the Built Environment.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication maybe reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, copiedor transmitted without the prior written consent ofthe publisher except that the material may bephotocopied for non-commercial purposes withoutpermission from the publisher. This document isavailable in alternative formats on request from thepublisher.
ISBN: 1 84633 012 2
CABE is the government’s advisor on architecture,urban design and public space. As a public body,we encourage policymakers to create places thatwork for people. We help local planners applynational design policy and offer expert advice todevelopers and architects. We show public sectorclients how to commission buildings that meet theneeds of their users. And we seek to inspire thepublic to demand more from their buildings andspaces. Advising, influencing and inspiring, we workto create well-designed, welcoming places.
CABE1 Kemble StreetLondon WC2B 4ANT 020 7070 6700F 020 7070 6777E [email protected]
What is the value handbook aboutand who is it for?and who is it for?
CABE has produced this handbook for senior staff in local authorities. It explains how improving the builtenvironment can contribute to enhancing performance andmeeting performance targets. The aim of the handbook is to encourage you to assess whether the places, streets and buildings for which you are responsible are contributingto, or hindering, service delivery.
It asks some challenging questions which you can use toassess whether you’re getting the most from your places.It summarises some of the benefits and value created by a well-designed built environment. And it provides casestudies and refers you to other sources of information. Itsmain purpose is to show how built environment investmentdecisions can be based on value rather than cost.
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Everyone benefits from well-designed buildings, spaces and places. The built environment contributes a great deal to our quality of life andeconomic success, and delivers enormous value to society. Yet we oftentake it for granted, without appreciating its effect on our daily lives.
How to use the handbook
You can do the following:
– distribute copies to the relevant service departments and ask them to prepare responses to the questions (pages 36-49) under the headings ‘Some questions to ask yourself’
– hold an away day for relevant staff based around theoverall questions in the ‘evaluation summary’ (page 60).This page can form an agenda for the away day. Responsesalready prepared can be brought to the away day, and yourauthority’s strengths and weaknesses can be identified and discussed
– at the end of the away day you should agree a policystatement with objectives, targets and priority actions forimproving the quality of your authority’s built environment.‘What can you do?’ (page 6) suggests some possibilitiesand is intended to help you develop your policy and put it in place.
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The handbook is divided into the following four parts:
What can you do?This part suggests the next steps to take to help your future buildingprojects deliver the best possible value. It shows how to identify, captureand then deliver value through theprocurement process. Page 6
Types of valueThis part sets out to illustrate the wide range of positive effects that a well-designed built environmenthas on people’s well-being and quality of life and on the economy. It challenges authorities to assess their own buildings, streets, parks and public spaces against best value.An evaluation summary (page 14) is intended to help you identifystrengths and weaknesses. Pages 9-35
Are you achieving value?This part explains the different types of value delivered by the builtenvironment – exchange value, use value, image value, social value,environmentalvalue, and cultural value – and shows how these provide a framework for understanding the different types of value that are important to stakeholders. Pages 36-49
The policy contextThis part shows how the quality of the built environment can contribute to improving performance within thepolicy framework established byComprehensive performanceassessment, Public service agreements,Local strategic partnerships, and theBeacon scheme.Pages 50-59
The tools you can use:
The Office of Government Commerce’s Achieving excellencein construction Procurement Guidance Pack provides a highlystructured approach to construction projects which value-based thinking readily fits1.
CABE’s Urban futures game focuses on discovering thehopes of people in local neighbourhoods and their preferencesfor regeneration2. A new edition is being developed by the RoyalInstitute of British Architects, and will be available in late 2006.
Constructing Excellence’s Be valuable3 stresses theimportance of a value-based approach and provides practicalguidance about putting the approach into practice.
Value in design4 provides tools to help draw out people’svalues and share them.
The Design quality indicator tool5 is a procedure for assessingbuilding proposals at the planning stage (as well as at laterstages), against a range of criteria. There are also versions forschools and health-care buildings.
Soft landings6 is a process whereby members of the buildingteam stay attached to your project after it is completed to make sure it is working as intended. Though most concernedwith engineering systems, this can easily be extended to other issues.
What can you do?
Producing and introducing a policy to deliver best value
– establish a value-based policy for designand refer to the actions taken by beacon councils (see page 50-59)
– use value rather than cost when making the business case
– run value management workshops to find out and clarify people’s priorities
– make sure contractors are fully briefedabout your concerns for high quality design and delivering value
– ask your contractors to use an evidence-based design process
– review completed projects to get feedback and assess what works
– use the results of your reviews in future projects.
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If you want to make sure you deliver the value set out in thishandbook in future building projects, there are many sources ofadvice you can use. Some useful key resources are listed opposite.We recommend the following steps. The timing and detail willdepend on the nature of your projects.
1 Achieving excellence inconstruction, Office ofGovernment Commerce,http://tinyurl.com/nu5x32 The urban futures game,CABE, London, 2005.http://tinyurl.com/lr6ep 3 Saxon, R. Be valuable,Constructing Excellence,London, 20054 Valid: value in designwww.valueindesign.com 5 Design quality indicator:www.dqi.org.uk 6 The Usable Buildings Trust:http://tinyurl.com/qxq45
The value of successful places
Mixed use urban developments with good accessibility bringpeople on to the street and reduce opportunities for crime andvandalism. Semi-private spaces in housing estates encouragefriendships and neighbourly behaviour. Attractive and safeopen spaces encourage leisure activities and contribute tohealthy lifestyles. Popular neighbourhoods draw in investmentand regeneration. Historic buildings connect us to theachievements and lives of past generations, while modernbuildings express the owners’ confidence in welcoming thefuture. Functional, comfortable buildings contribute topeople’s well-being and productivity. And ecologicallyresponsible developments reduce damage to the environment.
The booklet provides a self-assessment approach that you can use to identify whether your built environment isdelivering the best possible value. It draws attention to awide variety of benefits arising from a well-designed builtenvironment, and refers you to supporting evidence. Itdescribes the various types of value that are created by thebuilt environment, and shows why you should consider thevalue of a project rather than the cost.
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The design of the built environment has a significant effect on manyaspects of our day-to-day lives. Buildings, streets and parks influence us in all kinds of ways, some obvious, some less so.
Some of the benefits of a well-designed built environment can be measured, and it is relatively simple to set an appropriate level of investment to achievespecific goals. However, it is typically more difficult to measure social andenvironmental benefits and to set a level of investment to achieve them. Thedifficulty of measuring value results in a desire to reduce spending on design. As a consequence, many buildings in the past were built to a strict cost limit thatwas often set quite arbitrarily and took little or no account of future running costsor the effect on outcomes. Today, as more is known about the benefits of a well-designed built environment, we are better placed to assess the value delivered by a building project and so can set a more sensible level of investment.
7 See for example MorrisHargreaves McIntyre, A literature review of thesocial, economic andenvironmental impact ofarchitecture and design,Scottish Executive SocialResearch, 2006, availableat http://tinyurl.com/hjlo2 8 CABE, The value ofgood design: howbuildings and spacescreate economic andsocial value, London, 2001http://tinyurl.com/f3jkq
Good design does not cost more whenmeasured across thelifetime of a building or place
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Types of value
Type of value
Exchange value
Use value
Image value
Social value
Environmental value
Cultural value
What does it mean?
The building as a commodity to be traded, whosecommercial value is measured by the price that themarket is willing to pay. For the owner, this is the bookvalue, for the developer the return on capital andprofitability. Also covers issues such as ease of lettingand disposability.
Contribution of a building to organisationaloutcomes: productivity, profitability, competitivenessand repeat business, and arises from a workingenvironment that is safe in use, that promotes staffhealth, well-being and job satisfaction, thatencourages flexible working, teamwork andcommunication, and enhances recruitment andretention while reducing absenteeism.
Contribution of the development to corporate identity,prestige, vision and reputation, demonstratingcommitment to design excellence or to innovation, toopenness, or as part of a brand image.
Developments that make connections betweenpeople, creating or enhancing opportunities forpositive social interaction, reinforcing social identityand civic pride, encouraging social inclusion andcontributing towards to improved social health,prosperity, morale, goodwill, neighbourly behaviour,safety and security, while reducing vandalism andcrime.
The added value arising from a concern forintergenerational equity, the protection of biodiversityand the precautionary principle in relation toconsumption of finite resources and climate change.The principles include adaptability and/or flexibility,robustness and low maintenance, and the applicationof a whole life cost approach. The immediate benefitsare to local health and pollution.
Culture makes us what we are. This is a measure of adevelopment’s contribution to the rich tapestry of atown or city, how it relates to its location and context,and also to broader patterns of historicaldevelopment and a sense of place. Cultural value mayinclude consideration of highly intangible issues likesymbolism, inspiration and aesthetics.
How is it measured?
Book valueReturn on capitalRentalYield
Measures associated withoccupancy, such as satisfaction,motivation, teamwork. Measuresof productivity and profitability,such as healthcare recoveryrates, retail footfall, educationalexam results, occupantsatisfaction.
Public relations opportunitiesBrand awareness and prestigeThe recognition and ‘wow’factors.
Place makingSense of community, civic prideand neighbourly behaviourReduced crime and vandalism.
Environmental impact.Whole-life value.Ecological footprint.
Critical opinions and reviews. Professional press coverage.Lay press coverage.
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Social value: communal spaces
promote interaction
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Exchange value
So does good design contribute to improving exchangevalue? A study by the Property Council of Australiaexamined whether there is a relationship between gooddesign and good financial returns. Eight buildings werechosen by a design selection panel as examples of highquality design. An independent development finance expertexamined them for their financial returns. All showed aboveaverage returns. The authors of the report conclude thatwhile good design does not guarantee a financiallysuccessful project, it greatly increases a project’s chance of becoming a financial winner9.
An earlier study in the US assessed the contributionarchitectural quality made to the value of buildings. Itshowed that the quality of a building’s design had a strongimpact on rental levels – offices rated in the top 20 per centfor the quality of their design could charge rents 22 per centhigher than those rated in the bottom 20 per cent. Gooddesign was shown to cost more on average but not in every case10.
Exchange value is the type of value with which we are most familiar. Buildings can be traded like other assets, and the commercial value of a building ismeasured by the price that the market is willing to pay. Price depends on a widerange of factors including location, the availability of that type of building orspace, and the state of the market at the time. For those who own, lease or sellbuildings, the exchange value could be represented as the value given in theirbooks, the return on investment, the profitability, the level of rent that couldachieved, and ease of renting out or selling. To get the highest exchange valueyou need to keep costs low and maximise financial returns. Unfortunately, costsare more easily measured than future value, and the built environment has oftensuffered when costs have been driven down to a level at which it is impossible todeliver good design. As design fees are related directly to the building costs,these too have been reduced with a negative effect on creativity, ingenuity andattention to detail. Limits on costs, set without fully considering the effect onexpected outcomes, probably won’t provide good value for money.
9 The Design dividend,Property Council ofAustralia, Canberra, 1999,http://tinyurl.com/qfczm 10 Vandell, K. and Lane, J.‘The economics ofarchitecture and urbandesign: some preliminaryfindings’, Journal of theAmerican Real Estate andUrban EconomicsAssociation, vol. 17, no 2,pp 235-260, 1989
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‘Good design greatlyincreases a project’schances of being a financial success’
Exchange valueSheffield ‘Heart of the City’ project
Since 1995, Sheffield’s £130 million ‘Heart of the City’project has set out to attract new investment and kick-startthe economic and physical regeneration of the city centre.The vision is to deliver a series of new public spaces, acultural heart and a vibrant mix of offices, apartments andleisure facilities.
Sheffield One, launched in 2000, is an urban regenerationcompany whose purpose is to develop and help introducethe regeneration strategy for the city centre. The partnersare Sheffield City Council, English Partnerships andYorkshire Forward.
The Grade I listed town hall was refurbished and anextension demolished. The public space around it has beenupgraded to form new gardens. Two further public squares,Millennium Square and St Paul’s Place, have been created.The Heart of the City public space project comprises thePeace Garden, the Millennium Gallery, and the new WinterGardens, the largest glasshouse in a European city centre.
The first commercial office building at St Paul’s Place waspre-let at a record rental level for the city. Vacant andunderused sites near the City Hall are being developed andprivate commercial investment is bringing new jobs andprosperity to the city. A new hotel has opened and luxurycity-centre apartments are being built. In the new retailshopping quarter, 85,000 square metres of retail spaceis being built around a John Lewis store.
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Use value
Most of the available research into measuring use value hasbeen in the business sector, much of it concerned with thenegative effects associated with lack of comfort, poor airquality, noise and lack of privacy all diminish the use value ofpremises.
There is a lot of interest in the relationship between the initialcapital cost of a building, the facilities management costsassociated with running and maintaining the building, andthe added value arising from the business processes thatthe building houses11. Recent investigation12 suggests thatthese are in a ratio of about 1:1.5:15 for London offices.When making the business case for investing in new orrefurbishment projects, this relationship is a reminder of theneed to consider the costs over the life of the buildings,rather than looking to keep spending as low as possible.Producing these figures for your own buildings will help toput the initial build or refurbishment costs in perspectivecompared with lifetime costs, and provide evidence tosupport taking a long-term view.
In making the business case, use value is one of the easiesttypes of value to assess. For example, you can compareproductivity, absenteeism, or occupant satisfaction acrosscomparable buildings in your stock in order to identify thebest and worst performers. This will help you to identifypriorities for action.
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The use value of a building is concerned with whether it is fit for its intendedpurpose and the contribution it makes to the outcomes valued by theorganisation. These include recruiting and keeping staff, productivity, profitability,competitiveness and repeat business. They are typically achieved from having aworking environment that is safe; promotes staff health, well-being and jobsatisfaction; encourages flexible working, teamwork and communication; thatreduces absenteeism.
11 Evans, R., Haryott, R.,Haste, N. and Jones, A. Thelong term costs of owningand using buildings, RoyalAcademy of Engineering,London, 199812 Ive, G. ‘Re-examiningthe costs and value ratiosof owning and occupyingbuildings’, BuildingResearch and Information,vol. 34, no 3, pp 230-245,May-June 2006.
‘Lack of comfort, poor airquality, noise and lack ofprivacy all diminish theuse value of premises’
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Use value Royal Docks Community School, London
Royal Docks Community School is a secondary school for1,200 pupils in an East London community that had been indecline since the docks closed. It replaces a 1970s school.It is designed in line with Newham’s policy of includingeducation for children with physical disabilities and specialeducational needs, and to provide educational and trainingfacilities for the community.
The school building is unusual, with a central two-storeyrotunda from which four wings go out at right angles. Eachwing is for particular curriculum-based uses, making thebuilding easy to understand. It also allows wings to beclosed off when appropriate. For example, the north wing isused for community and vocational studies and is easy tocontrol out of school hours. The design makes good use of the site, and cleverly makes the most natural light andventilation while cutting down noise from the traffic outside.
The head teacher designate and other staff from thereplaced school were consulted from the start of the project and had a significant input into the design process.Since transferring to its new building, the school reportsimprovements in exam results and increasing numberstaking up out-of-hours activities. Attitudes and behaviourhave also been greatly improved, according to the headteacher, who puts these improvements down to the betterenvironment provided by the building. An evaluation foundthe building to be well-maintained with no evidence ofvandalism or graffiti.
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Image value
While corporate branding is most strongly associated withraising an organisation’s profile and visibility, the sameprinciples can be applied in the public sector. Here you canpromote a positive image to demonstrate civic pride,confidence in the future, openness, and a commitment todesign quality. Many universities have successfully built newbuildings with strong images as a way of raising their profileamong potential students, for whom a strong and immediateimpression can be important in making a choice14.
Buildings that have the ‘wow’ factor not only raiseawareness of a place but they may also get press coverageand offer PR opportunities. This may give them politicalvalue. At best, they may also encourage tourism and visitors,which contribute positively to the local economy.
The built environment has a powerful ability to convey strong visual messages.Many cities in the world are associated with a particular image. The London Eye,Central Park, the Sydney Opera House, and the Eiffel Tower, for example, havecome to symbolise particular cities. Businesses have also used their buildings topromote strong identities. Examples include Selfridges with their flagship store in Oxford Street and their new 21st century store in Birmingham. In the case ofthe Dyson headquarters at Malmesbury, the form and materials of the building are used to demonstrate a commitment to innovation and to showcase the firm’sproducts13. And there are many similar, if smaller-scale, examples of buildingswhere form, style, colour and materials are deliberately used to convey corporateidentity and a brand image.
13 Rouse, J. ‘Measuringvalue or only cost: the needfor new valuation methods’,in Macmillan, S. Designing better buildings,Spon Press, London, pp55-71, 200414 Design withdistinction: the value ofgood building design inhigher education,CABE, London, 2005
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‘Buildings that have the‘wow’ factor encouragetourism and visitors,which contribute positivelyto the local economy’
Image valueBournemouth library
Bournemouth library replaces a library that used to beknown as the second worst in England. Built on a derelictsite, the library is formed as a horseshoe on two open andinformally arranged levels. The layout inside makes it easyto move between activities. Reader areas overlook thecentral exhibition space and enjoy views over BournemouthGardens. The glazed north side provides a window to thetown, connecting the building to its surroundings.
The project was one of the Treasury’s private financeinitiative projects. It won the CABE-organised PrimeMinister’s Better Public Building Award in 2003. Thejudges’ comments noted that its success was due to the commitment of the borough council, the developer,the contractor and the design team to provide the bestpossible building. Another judge noted: ‘This library is atriumph of excellent design, enthusiasm, and urban renewal.I believe the library will prove to be a beacon of designexcellence…all those involved can take pride in what they have achieved.’
A new public square is to be created in front of the library,funded by the South West Regional Development Agency.The freeholder of the library has also contributed becausethe improvements will help to revive the local economy.
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Social value
A community is a network of social relationships based onpeople caring for and being committed to each other. For thereto be trust within a community, everyone needs to act honestlyand fairly, and to co-operate with others. An example is whereneighbours informally keep an eye on one another’s homes.Standards of behaviour and shared aims within social networksmay create expectations that others will be trustworthy and willtake part in activities that benefit the group.
Social value is usually measured by indicators which allowcomparisons to be made between neighbourhoods to identifyareas where improvements are needed. Surveys before andafter a project will allow the benefits gained to be assessed. Examples of indicators related to the built environment usedin social surveys include the following:
– the percentage of people who feel there is a good community spirit where they live
– the percentage of people who are proud of their neighbourhood
– the percentage of the population who feel safe to go out at night
– the decrease in the number of people suffering from mental health problems
– the number of people taking regular exercise16.
Social value is concerned with how places and buildings encourage people tointeract in ways which lead to trust, mutual understanding, shared values andsupportive behaviour. Social value arises when people can connect to otherswith common interests. Benefits flow from trust and co-operation, as membersshare information and do things for one another.
Social networks being formed and maintained do not depend purely by the builtenvironment, but there is a wealth of evidence to show that housing schemes maycontribute positively to or detract from, social value and the development ofcommunities15.
15 Halpern, D. Mentalhealth and the builtenvironment: more thanbricks and mortar? Taylor &Francis, London, 199516 after Walker, P., Lewis,J., Lingayah, S. andSommer, F. Prove it!Measuring the effect ofneighbourhood renewalon local people, NewEconomics Foundation,London, 1990
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‘The quality of a housingscheme contributes to social value and the development ofcommunities’
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Social value Lister Park, Bradford
In the 1870s, Lister Park was opened as a public park toserve the community working at the nearby ManninghamMills factory and living in the terraced streets between themill and the park. But lack of maintenance and investmentover the past 30 years led to neglect and vandalism, withmany people avoiding the park altogether.
In 1997, Bradford City Council put together a bid to theHeritage Lottery Fund which granted £3.2 million whileBradford MBC contributed £1 million. This allowed for a series of improvements to the park. The council conducteda huge local public consultation exercise to make sure localpeople were fully involved and that the park would providereal benefits to the local community.
The improvements include a new lakeside boating pavilion, a new playground, building the formal Mughal Garden, a bowling pavilion, general replanting, improvements to thebotanical gardens and to paths, seating, bins and lighting.Converting the original tennis courts to multi-purposegames courts that are free to use have kept a lot of youngpeople off the streets.
The improvements have had a big effect and the park is aresource that is now well-used by all sections of thecommunity. Wider regeneration has also been boosted. In particular the nineteenth century Grade II* listed ListerMills are being converted to a mixed use complex. The sitewill provide 370 homes plus community facilities and newoffice and studio space for 1,300 jobs. The developer,Urban Splash, says that the restoration of the park was amajor element in their thinking, made their proposals viable.
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Environmental value
Other environmental aspects of a building’s performanceare easier to value. For example, through good design it ispossible to create design options that offer benefits with noadded costs. The way a building faces and the size andposition of windows (to make the best use of sunshine andwind) can help to reduce the use of artificial lighting andmechanical ventilation. There are other measures like:
– increasing insulation of the building fabric– specifying intrinsically efficient lighting– heating and ventilation technologies– having controls which encourage good energy
management
All of these have capital cost implications but the benefitthey provide can be easily compared to the costs.
Low-maintenance long-life materials that are robust in useagainst wear and tear may cost no more than less long-lasting materials. As with utility costs, you can use a cost-benefit analysis to assess alternatives. A ‘cradle to grave’approach will also consider future demolition and recyclingissues. A building which is flexible or adaptable, and so ableto meet future needs and upgraded services without majoralterations, will have a higher option value.
The BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM)and similar tools provide a way of assessing a building’seffect on the environment. Strict targets should be set forenergy and water use, and checked regularly during thedesign process.
Buildings use natural resources in their construction, produce waste which goesto landfill, occupy land which might otherwise support plants and wildlife and,after they are completed, use electricity, gas and oil for heating, lighting and soon. Environmental value tries to express how well a building’s impact on theenvironment is minimised.
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‘Good environmentaldesign can offer benefitswith no added cost’
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Environmental valueEcology and art pavilions, Mile End Park, London
The 90-acre Mile End Park was originally part of the 1943County of London Plan. Although the land was cleared after the war, it remained a bleak underused open space.Only when Millennium funding became available was amasterplan prepared. As part of the park, two buildingswere proposed, one to hold exhibitions about ecologicalprinciples, the other art exhibitions. The two buildings have been inspired by the principles of environmentalsustainability: each faces south west to make the most of the heat from the sun and each is ‘earth-sheltered’(partially buried with the roof covered with earth). Thismeans that they don’t stand out too much against thesurrounding landscape, and reduces the amount of landused.
The pavilion in the ecology park sits beside a lake with reedbeds, beaches, timber walkways and islands, one of whichhas a wind turbine that powers a pump which puts air intothe water. The earth dug up to form the lakes has been usedfor the earth-sheltering on the pavilions, so no material hadto be brought into or taken away from the site.
A dramatic ‘green bridge’ links two parts of the park thatwere separated by a major road; 75,000 drivers pass underthe bridge every day. The pathway runs the length of thepark, providing safe and attractive paths for peoplewalking and, separately, for cyclists; it is considered to havecontributed significantly to reducing pollution by reducingcar use on already heavily used and congested nearbyroads. Water for the plants and the lakes is supplied fromtwo specially drilled 40m-deep boreholes, while ‘greywater’ is recycled.
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Cultural value
But making buildings that will be treasured by futuregenerations is not simply something that happened in thepast. As we build, we create a legacy for future generations.It is one of our contributions to culture and shows the sort of society we want to create. As the Culture Secretary,Tessa Jowell has argued:
‘Architecture is a powerful vehicle for encouragingengagement with culture more widely, and greater civicawareness. The mundane and ugly in music and art are soon swept away and forgotten; their built environmentequivalent is there for all to see, and sometimes for decades.There is therefore an even greater obligation to producenew buildings of the highest quality. I believe that when we see beautiful or intriguing buildings and places, whetherancient or modern, we are adding to [our] reservoir ofpersonal resource as much as music, literature or the visual arts.’17
Culture makes us what and who we are, and the buildings, whether historical ormodern, are part of our common culture. It gives an identity to our time and placein history, connects us to past and future generations, contributes to our sense of national identity, and represents human achievement. We may marvel at thecourage of those who built the great cathedrals, admire the industrialists whobuilt model communities for their workforce, celebrate the lavish buildings ofVictorian Britain, or deplore the cruelty of the workhouse.
Cultural value then is a matter of a development’s contribution to the culture of atown or city, how it relates to its location and contribute to local distinctiveness, or become part of modern design canon. At best, developments that contribute to a place’s culture benefit from wide publicity and critical acclaim, and become afocus for visits from people who are merely curious as well as those committed toexperiencing great buildings. The power of such developments to stimulate inwardinvestment and regeneration can be in the UK and abroad.
17 Tessa Jowell, Betterplaces to live: government,identity and the value of the historic and builtenvironment, DCMS, 2005,http://tinyurl.com/9brvd
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‘Building is one of ourcontributions to cultureand shows the sort ofsociety we want to create’
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Cultural value Walsall Art Gallery
Walsall Art Gallery owes its origins to Kathleen Garman,second wife of Jacob Epstein, who donated the GarmanRyan collection in 1973. The collection includes many worksby Epstein, as well as others by Monet, Van Gogh, Renoirand Turner. The gallery’s director, Peter Jenkinson, supportedby a few councillors, decided that the town should have anew art gallery to give the people of Walsall a cultural andeducational service of the very highest quality. It wouldpromote pride in the area and draw national and internationalattention to Walsall and its achievements. Its approach isintended to be a model of how art galleries can contributemeaningfully to life and culture in the 21st century.
In 1995, an international two-stage architectural competitionwas held. This resulted in the architects Caruso St Johnbeing appointed. They were chosen for their sensitiveapproach to the brief. Three quarters of the funding for the£25 million project was from the Arts Lottery Fund.
The gallery, which opened in February 2000, has gainedhuge praise from the public. It has received wide publicityin the UK and abroad, has won many prestigious awards,and is the subject of at least one book. It has been describedas ‘one of the most significant British buildings to be createdin the 1990s’. In its first year of opening it had 250,000visitors, way above its first year target. The success of thegallery has given the government confidence in the counciland other local agencies’ ability to deliver regenerationprojects. The area around the gallery is now the subject of a strategic framework plan as well as serious interest fromdevelopment partners.
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Value in urban design
As a result of studies commissioned by CABE and others, a lot is known about the benefits of good urban design. Theyinclude good access for vehicles and people on foot, goodlinks with neighbouring developments, a variety of publicspaces and facilities, and a mixture of uses18. At best,everyone stands to benefit:
– investors and developers see higher returns– designers see repeat business– businesses benefit from being able to recruit loyal staff– everyday users benefit from an improved environment
and an increased range of facilities19.
By exploiting this new understanding, central and localgovernment can make the best use of public money andprovide the greatest benefit to the local population20.
A recent international review categorised the benefits ofgood urban design as shown overleaf.
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Some questions to ask yourself
Do our centres andneighbourhoods promote a positive image, and show our vision and senseof civic pride?
Do our buildings showexcellence in design, andcontribute to local characterand distinctiveness, withthe prospect of becominga valuable part of ourarchitectural heritage?
Do our places and streetsprovide mixed-useenvironments that createa sense of ownership,encourage pedestrians,and reduce opportunitiesfor crime?
Does our built environmentattract inward investment andstimulate urban regenerationand maintenance of theurban fabric?
Are our towns and villagesaccessible by a variety ofdifferent modes of transportand friendly to pedestriansand cycling, helping toreduce reliance on cartravel?
Are you achievingbest value?
The ‘Guggenheim effect’ in Bilbao, Spain, is a widely discussedphenomenon. There, a modern, striking building and new appropriatetransport and infrastructure in a run-down and unfashionable area, hasacted as a symbol of the city’s confidence. This in turn stimulated privateinvestment, bringing about the regeneration of a lot of the city. In the UK,Brindley Place in Birmingham is often held up as a similar example. Here the emphasis is on features like pedestrian routes through the site,mixed uses and attractive open spaces, rather than iconic architecture.
18 Carmona, M. ‘Addingvalue through better urbandesign’, in Macmillan, S.(2004) Designing betterbuildings, Spon Press,London, pp 116-130, 200419 CABE, The value ofurban design, ThomasTelford, London, 2001
20 Mulgan, G. ‘PublicValue: physical capital andthe potential of value maps’,in Physical capital: howgreat places boost publicvalue, CABE, London, 2005
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The economic, social and environmental benefits of good urban design21
Economic Social Environmental
Local character Helps promote and Reinforces a sense Helps protect limited giveidentity to cities of identity. natural resourcesand regions. Encourages people to Contributes a become actively involved competitive edge in managing their by offering difference. neighbourhoods.
Offers choice among a widerange of distinct places and experiences.
Connections Increases the success Improves security Reduces vehicle of local service shops Encourages walking emissions and facilities and cycling leading to Makes a site or area health benefitseasier to access, increasing land value.
Mixed use Increases value for those Improves access to Reduces car use preferring a mixed-use essential facilities neighbourhood andactivitiesUses parking and Encourages walking transportnetworks and cycling leading to more efficiently health benefitsIncreases the success of Reduces the need tolocal shops and facilities own a carLowers people’s Increases personal spending on transport safety
High-quality Attracts people and Increases involvement public areas activity leading to in community and
an improved economy cultural activitiesIncreases use of public space Gives a greater sense of personal safetyAttracts social interaction
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21 after McIndoe, G., Chapman,R., McDonald, C., Holden, G., Howden-Chapman, P.and Sharpin, A. The value ofurban design: the economic,environmental and social benefitsof urban design, Ministry for theEnvironment, New Zealand, 2005,http://tinyurl.com/nbmmf
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Extraordinary spaces:high quality design
increase use and senseof well-being
Nevertheless, the following were identified as importantprinciples:
– a high-quality natural environment– an imaginative and logical planning framework– high architectural quality of the built environment– a mixed community– a good and consistent estate management capacity
and positive involvement of the community in managing the neighbourhood
However, a lack of facilities for young people was noted as a problem and a possible source of antisocial behaviour23.
A study of the Westwood estate in Peterborough involvedroad narrowing, traffic calming, new garages andhardstandings, landscaping and lighting. A number ofalleyways were blocked off to keep out strangers. Housingimprovements included new porches, secure windows, andnew bathrooms and kitchens. Surveys showed that beforethe work residents’ mental health, and their satisfaction withthe estate, were both extremely poor. Three years after thework, there were substantial improvements to mental healthand satisfaction which were put down to the physicalchanges and the residents’ perception of them24.
Value of well-designed housing
Mental health as well as physical health is affected bybuildings, and the quality of housing developments, as much as the condition of individual homes, is a contributingfactor. Well-designed housing can increase opportunitiesfor positive social interaction, reinforce social identity andpride in an area, and encourage social inclusion. These inturn contribute towards improved health, wealth, morale,goodwill and self-esteem. Other benefits include giving asense of belonging, promoting neighbourly behaviour,involving communities, and feeling safer and more secure.Good neighbourhoods help to reduce vandalism and crime,both through casual policing by passers-by and more formalarrangements for residents to watch over one another’shomes.
A study of six areas that make up Bournville in Birmingham,where up to 40 per cent of the homes are owned by thecouncil or housing associations, showed that neighbourhoodswith mixed tenure can be successful. The study reports thatemployment and wealth are also important: not everythingcan be explained by the quality of the neighbourhood.
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Some questions to ask yourself
Do our housingneighbourhoods promotea positive image, showingour sense of pride in thearea and our vision forlocal residents?
Do our neighbourhoodsshow excellence indesign, and contribute to local character anddistinctiveness?
Do our neighbourhoodspromote neighbourlybehaviour and a sense of community? Do theyreduce crime, andencourage socialinclusion?
Is our housing functionaland practical, providinggood indoor spacestandards, together withsemi-private spaceswhich encourage goodneighbourly behaviour?
Does our housing haveenergy-efficient fabricand services?
Does our housing need only low levels ofmaintenance to keep it in good condition?
A study carried out for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in 1997 estimated that more money – as much as £2 billion a year – is spenton treating illnesses arising from poor housing conditions than is spent bylocal authorities on their own housing stock22.
22 Barrow, M. andBachan, R. The real cost of poor homes: footing thebill, RICS, London, 1997,cited in The value of gooddesign, CABE, London,200123 Groves, R., Middleton,A., Murie, A. andBroughton, K.Neighbourhoods thatwork: a study of theBournville estate,Birmingham, The PolicyPress for the JosephRowntree Foundation,2003: summary availableat http://tinyurl.com/ppujq 24 Halpern, D. Mentalhealth and the builtenvironment: more thanbricks and mortar? Taylor & Francis, London, 1995
In the UK, the effect a nearby park has on the value of homeswas assessed in a CABE study based on eight UK parks.When all other factors (such as shops, schools, busy roads)were controlled, a clear positive relationship was foundbetween the value of homes and whether they overlook orare close to a park. The increase in value ranged frombetween 0 per cent and 34 per cent, with a typical increaseof about 5 per cent. The study also identified other non-financial benefits arising from being close to a park andfound that good quality parks and green spaces areessential in setting up strong, long-lasting communities29.
Our research, ‘Urban parks: do you know what you’regetting for your money?’ 30, shows that many localauthorities only make ad hoc links between the money theyspend on their green spaces, and the improvements theyhope to achieve. This results in parks and spaces falling tothe bottom of the priority list for spending. The reportsuggests that when you set clear targets for your greenspaces, you begin to enjoy the full range of benefits they can provide across your services.
Parks and green spaces are an essential elementof successful places – 91 per cent of people think that they contribute to their quality of life31. Green spaces cancontribute to the quality of people’s lives by improving theenvironment, helping to develop communities, increasingthe value of land, and attracting investment.
Value of well-designed public open space
A well-connected network of public green spaces canprovide walking and cycle routes and be part of anenvironmentally friendly transport system. In Copenhagen,Jan Gehl’s planning work shows how providing of well-planned and well-managed open spaces, combined withmeasures to reduce traffic, have led to a variety of benefits,including a 65 per cent increase in bicycle use over a 25-year period26.
Studies in the US clearly show how home-owners are willingto pay more to live near parks or to have views over openspace27. A Dutch study showed that being near water raisedthe price of a house by 11 per cent, a view of a park by 8 percent, and closeness to a park by 7 per cent28.
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Some questions to ask yourself
Do our open spacespromote a positive image,showing our vision of therelationship betweenbuilt-up areas and openspace?
In their layout andfeatures, do our spacescontribute to localcharacter anddistinctiveness, and formpart of our local heritage?
Do our public spacesencourage healthyoutdoor lifestyles byproviding a safeenvironment for leisureand recreation activitiesincluding walking andcycling?
Do our public openspaces provide a varietyof useful and practicalspaces that are wellsuited to formal sport andinformal recreation?
Do our public openspaces supportbiodiversity and wildlife,and provide a green areain our urban centres?
Public open space that is well designed, well maintained, clean, safe and accessible can provide quiet areas for appreciating nature, as well as for recreation and sport. The known benefits include improvements inpeople’s physical and even mental health, and the environmental value of biodiversity and improved air quality25.
25 The value of publicspace, CABE, London,200426 Gehl, J. and Gemzoe, L.Public spaces, public life,Danish Architectural Press,Copenhagen, 199627 Phillips, P. Real estateimpacts of urban parks(online) Economic ResearchAssociates, 2000,http://tinyurl.com/pa2pvcited in The Value of PublicSpace, Commission forArchitecture and the BuiltEnvironment, CABE,London, 200528 Luttik, J. The value oftrees, water and openspaces as reflected byhouse prices in theNetherlands’ Landscapeand Urban Planning, vol. 48,pp 161-167, 2000: cited inThe value of public space,CABE, London, 200529 Does money grow ontrees? London, CABE,200530 Does money grow ontrees? London, CABE,2005.28 Urban parks: do youknow what you’re gettingfor your money? CABE,London, 200629 Urban parks: do youknow what you’re gettingfor your money? CABE,London, 200630 Does money grown ontrees? CABE, London,200531 Management Todaysurvey cited in The impact of office design on businessperformance, CABE,London, 2005
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Value of well-designed workplaces
Yet there is a lot of research to show the contribution well-designed buildings make to recruiting and keeping staff,reducing absenteeism, increasing turnover and profitability,and promoting a corporate image. Well-designed, functionaloffices encourage teamwork, while flexible accommodationthat offers a variety of workspaces encourages informal andformal communication and flexible working patterns
33.
A study of the headquarters of 10 leading private sectororganisations showed that most commissioned a newbuilding as part of a wider corporate development process,with the aim of transforming how they do business.Employee satisfaction was the most highly rated motivation,and the organisations aimed to make their staff more able tocontribute to turnover and profitability by reducing hierarchy,and encouraging creativity and communication34.
The availability of a good view, natural daylight and goodventilation contribute to comfort, while their absence causes discomfort and has a negative effect on productivity.Opportunities to open windows, close blinds, changeseating position and adjust temperature controls are allassociated with comfort, health, employee satisfaction, and productivity35.
Building-in flexibility and adaptability can contribute to thelong-term value of workplaces which are subject to changein the way they are used36.
44
A survey in 2003 showed that 94 per cent of office employees think theirplaces of work show whether they are valued by their employer, but only 39 per cent believed their offices had been designed with people in mind32
Organisations often think that their workplaces are liabilities rather thanassets, and they may not be considered in terms of the organisation’s goals.
32 The impact of officedesign on businessperformance, CABE,London, 200533 Rouse, J. ‘Measuringvalue or only cost: the needfor new valuation methods’,in Macmillan, S. Designingbetter buildings, SponPress, London, pp 55-71.200434 Leaman, A. andBordass, B. ‘Productivity inbuildings: the “killer”variables’, in Clements-Croome, D. (editor),Creating the productiveworkplace, E & FN Spon,London, 200035 Leaman, A. andBordass, B. Flexibility andAdaptability in Macmillan,S. Designing betterbuildings, Spon Press,London, pp 145-156,200436 PricewaterhouseCoopers, Buildingperformance: an empiricalassessment of therelationship betweenschools capital investmentand pupil performance,Research Report 242,Department for Educationand Employment, London,2001
Some questions to ask yourself
Do our offices andworkplaces show ourauthority’s values, ourpride in our area and ourvision of the future?
Do our buildings andfacilities show excellencein design and contributeto local character and thedistinctiveness of theirsurroundings? Are theybuildings we can takepride in, and that arevalued as part of ourheritage?
Are our workplaces open and welcoming,encouraging visitors tofeel they are part of thelocal community?
Do our workplacesprovide attractive workingenvironments thatpromote the health andwellbeing of employees?
Do workplaces provideenvironments that offer avariety of workspaces andencourage productivitythrough improvedteamwork andcommunication?
Do the amounts of energyand water used in ourworkplaces representbest practice?
Are our workplacesdurable, and need onlylow levels of work to keepthem working and lookinggood?
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Investing in people: qualitydesign in the workplaces
A wide ranging examination of how learning environmentsaffect student behaviour, motivation, learning andachievements confirms that poor air quality, temperature,and noise inside schools have negative effects on pupilattendance and learning outcomes43. A 1999 US studyclaimed that students with the most daylight in theirclassrooms progressed 20 per cent faster on maths tests and 26 per cent on reading tests than those with the least44; however, the results were not repeated in a follow-up study45.
There is a lot of evidence about the importance of involvingusers in the design of new facilities, and good practiceguidance is widely available46.
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Value of well-designed education buildings
Guidelines for daylight, ventilation, and acoustics ineducational buildings have a long history but, until recently,there was limited evidence of the effect design has oneducational outcomes. Two major investigations for theDepartment for Education and Skills have found thatinvesting in school buildings has a positive influence on staff morale, pupil motivation, and effective learning37, and a positive effect on learning outcomes38.
At the same time, the quality of architecture has beenreported as falling below best practice39, leading to concern about whether poor environments inside schoolshave a negative effect on educational achievement40.A study of three new secondary schools found the control of ventilation, temperature and lighting inadequate, and that there was a lack of daylight, poor circulation and poorsignposting41. School pupils consulted about school designwould like not only attractive learning spaces, but alsospaces for social contact, a canteen where they can have acivilised lunch, and toilets that are clean and vandal-proof42.
At best, a well-designed education building is a source of local pride and a focus for the local community. Its design contributes to recruiting and keeping staff, and its teaching spaces provide a stimulating learningenvironment that inspires pupils and staff alike. Its layout may help staff tosupervise pupils and help reduce truancy and vandalism. As educationbuildings increasingly become community resources and support lifelonglearning, flexible designs that allow some areas to be used in the eveningand at weekends are increasingly needed.
37 PricewaterhouseCoopers, Building betterperformance: an empiricalassessment of the learningand other impacts ofschools capital investment,Research Report No 407,Department for Educationand Skills, London, 200338 Audit Commission, PFIin schools: the quality andcost of buildings providedby early private financeinitiative schemes, AuditCommission, 2003,http://tinyurl.com/pvvv7 39 Northern Ireland AuditOffice, Building for theFuture: a review of the PFIEducation PathfinderProjects, NIAO, 2004,http://tinyurl.com/lee66 40 Post occupancy forsecondary schools:summary of the pilot studyfindings, School Works,2004,http://tinyurl.com/l8rt841 Joined up design forschools: www.joinedupdesignforschools.com
42 Higgins, S., Hall, E.,Wall, K., Woolner, P., andMcCaughey, C. for theDesign Council, The impactof school environments: aliterature review, producedfor the Design Council bythe University of Newcastle,2005,http://tinyurl.com/jrmvq43 Daylighting in schools:an investigation into therelationship betweendaylighting and humanperformance, HeschongMahone Group, 1999,http://tinyurl.com/ou6p844 Windows andclassrooms: a study ofstudent performance andthe indoor environment,Heschong Mahone Group,2003,http://tinyurl.com/n3fso 45 School works:www.school-works.org 46 Building better libraryservices, AuditCommission, London.2002,http://tinyurl.com/lpnz6
Some questions to ask yourself
Do our educationalbuildings demonstrate ourcommitment to deliveringhigh-quality educationand symbolise our vision?
Do our educationalbuildings contribute to the character of theirsurroundings, and arethey buildings in whichwe can pridearchitecturally and valueas part of our heritage?
Do our educationalbuildings contribute to thelocal communities theyserve by encouragingcommunity involvementand social inclusion?
Do our educationalbuildings provide learningenvironments whichmotivate teachers to teach and inspire pupils to learn, which facilitatesupervision and help toreduce truancy andvandalism, and whichcontribute to educationalattainment?
Are our educationalbuildings intrinsicallyenergy-efficient, as well as robust and durable, so their energy and water use is low and need onlylow levels of work to keepthem working and lookinggood?
Through its series ‘Sport Playing its Part’49, Sport Englandhas brought together evidence to show the role sport canplay in healthy lifestyles, making the elderly more independent,reducing crime and increasing social inclusion. Sport canhave a positive influence on how a community views its localarea. The cost of physical inactivity in England has beenestimated at £8.2 billion a year, with a further estimate of£2.5 billion attributed to how inactivity contributes toobesity50. In 10-15 years, obesity is expected to overtakesmoking as Britain’s biggest killer51. Although some sportcan be delivered in public spaces, many sports need high-quality facilities. The National Ice Centre at Nottingham hascreated jobs, led to significant levels of urban regenerationand attracted an estimated 30,000 extra overnight stays byvisitors each year52.
Village halls and other community buildings are widelyrecognised as contributing to healthy community life. Byproviding facilities and services to support social activities,community buildings encourage active involvement by allmembers of a local community, helping to reduce isolation,and contributing to strong social relationships. However,many older halls are in urgent need of repairs andrenovations to make sure they meet minimum health andsafety standards, and their condition often reduces the use made of them53.
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47 Better Public Libraries,CABE, London, 200448 Sport playing its partseries Sport England, 2005,http://tinyurl.com/r8wbf49 Chief Medical Officer Atleast five a week – evidenceon the impact of physicalactivity and its relationshipto health, Department ofHealth, London, 2004, cited in Sport England Sport Playing Its Part, SportEngland, London, 200550 Pretty, J., Griffin, M.,Sellens, M. and Pretty, C.Green exercise:complementary roles ofnature, exercise and diet inphysical and emotionalwell-being and implicationsfor public health policy,CES Occasional Paper2003-1, University of Essex2003, cited in The value ofpublic space, CABE,London, 200551 Sport playing its part:The contribution of sport toeconomic vitality andworkforce development,Sport England, 2005available athttp://tinyurl.com/r8wbf52 DEFRA:http://tinyurl.com/n97bb 53 PSA Target 8Liveability:http://tinyurl.com/n5zwf
Value of well-designed community facilities
The government’s ‘Framework for the Future: Libraries,Learning and Information in the Next Decade’ is a 10-yearvision for the public library service. Libraries make a majorcontribution to learning, social inclusion and e-government,and are used by 30 per cent of the population47. They arebecoming centres for accessing all kinds of knowledge, and are increasingly being developed in partnership withother services, particularly education. CABE’s publicationBetter public libraries48 shows many examples of new orrefurbished libraries where local authorities have used gooddesign to attract those who normally do not use them, and to provide facilities for lifelong learning. Several have wonawards and, in all the case studies, the number of peopleusing them has exceeded expectations.
Local authorities are responsible for providing a wide variety of high-quality,cost-effective services. All of these involve buildings, whether they arelibraries, sport and leisure centres, swimming pools, galleries, museums,community centres or village halls.
Some questions to ask yourself
Do our communityfacilities provide high-quality services thatencourage involvementand lead to local skillsbeing developed?
Are our communityfacilities open andwelcoming? Do theyshow our vision for a well-informed and healthylocal population?
Do our communityfacilities contribute tolocal character anddistinctiveness?
Do we provide facilitiesthat help build andmaintain strongcommunities?
Do we provide safe, cleanand attractive facilitiesthat offer a variety ofopportunities for life-longlearning, sport andleisure?
Are our communityfacilities energy-efficient,using minimum levels ofenergy and water?
The policy context
Making better places
Local strategic partnershipsFor our towns and cities to reach their full potential, jointaction needs to be taken on planning and design, the urbanenvironment, land use, economic regeneration, employmentand local services. Under the Local Government Act 2000,local authorities must prepare a community strategy toimprove the economic, social and environmental well-beingof their area and its residents. Community strategies areintended to provide:
– a coherent approach to the long-term economic, social and physical development of our cities, towns and rural areas; and
– a clear strategy and vision for the future.
Local strategic partnerships that involve public, private,community and voluntary sectors are at the heart of thecommunity strategic planning process, with responsibilitiesto improve services and respond to people’s needs andaspirations.
Local area agreementsLocal area agreements set out priorities for a local areaaround four themes:
– children and young people– safer and stronger communities– healthier communities and older people– economic development and enterprise
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Improving the quality of the built environment is widely recognised as vital for local authorities to deliver services, and is part of the policyframework that councils work within.
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These priorities are also directly linked to other PSAs such as:
– reducing the fear of crime and antisocial behaviour (Home Office PSA2)
– increasing the number of adults and young people taking up cultural and sporting opportunities (Department for Culture, Media and Sport PSA 3)
– halting the rise in obesity among children and the population as a whole (Department of Health PSA 4)
– promoting sustainable development across government and in the UK and abroad (Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs PSA 1).
Local strategic partnerships provide a forum for key partnersand local people. Local voluntary PSAs may be set up in linewith current levels of performance, and local priorities andtargets may be agreed, together with the actions necessaryto deliver them.
They are negotiated by local authorities on behalf of theirlocal strategic partnerships and their government office, and are intended to make the best use of available funds.Well-designed buildings and public spaces can play anessential role in supporting and delivering all four themes.Many authorities that piloted Local area agreements usedthem to deliver their community strategy and their Localneighbourhood renewal strategy, both at the heart of asuccessful built environment.
Public service agreementsPublic service agreements (PSAs) are targets set by thegovernment to reflect priorities, such as health, education,crime, transport, social housing and employment. Publicservice agreement target 854 on ‘liveability’ contributes tothe Department for Communities and Local Government’s‘Cleaner, safer, greener communities’ programme55, which is intended to create a noticeable difference in quality of lifein every community. Its priorities are:
– to create attractive and welcoming parks, play areas and public spaces
– to improve the physical fabric and infrastructure of places– to make places cleaner and maintain them better– to make places safer and tackle antisocial behaviour– to involve local people and communities and give them
more power to change things– to provide appropriate facilities and care for children
and young people, and tackle inequalities.
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Public services and better buildingsThe contribution a well-designed built environment makes to social andeconomic outcomes is widely recognised in the public sector. For example, theTreasury’s Green book56 emphasises that non-financial benefits need to beincluded among value-for-money assessment criteria for public buildingproposals. It also endorses the CABE/ Construction Industry Council designquality indicator tool as a way of assessing these sorts of benefits. The Office ofGovernment Commerce’s ‘Achieving Excellence in Construction’, includes aguidance section devoted to the topic of delivering high-quality design. TheNational Audit Office has also endorsed the positive effect that buildings have onservices: “Buildings that are designed well will have improved functionality andlower whole-life costs and will deliver beneficial environmental and socialimpacts and, more aspirationally, may inspire users, strengthen local identity andcontribute to civic pride.”57
54 Cleaner, greener, safer, communities:www.cleanersafergreener.gov.uk 55 Green book, appraisal and evaluation in central government,HM Treasury, London, 2003,http://tinyurl.com/mt64w 56 Improving publicservices through betterconstruction, National AuditOffice, London, 2005,http://tinyurl.com/5yu6l 57Better public buildings:www.betterpublicbuildings.gov.uk
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Best value performance indicatorsBest value performance indicators (BVPIs)60 are measuresof performance set by the government. They exist becauseof local authorities’ duty to provide the best possible value(which requires them to seek continuous improvement in theefficiency, effectiveness and economy of their services). TheAudit Commission includes local authority’s performanceachievements with respect to BVPIs in their comprehensiveperformance assessments. There are around 100 BVPIscovering most of the aspects of services provided by localcouncils. Although there is currently no BVPI which relatesdirectly to the quality of the built environment which localauthorities are responsible, the BVPI challenges localauthorities to assess the performance of their public spacesand buildings. Some authorities have put forward indicatorsconcerned with the built environment such as:
– the area of parks and green spaces for every 1000 people in the local population (LIB039)
– percentage of new dwellings which meet the new SAP (Standard assessment procedure) levels for new housing (LIB056)
– The percentage of residents surveyed satisfied with their neighbourhood as a place to live (LIB133).
Comprehensive performance assessmentComprehensive performance assessment provides a simpleand straightforward report about how well each council isperforming. Ultimately its purpose is to improve the quality of services provided to local people, by helping councilsfocus on planning improvements. It also helps governmentto identify councils where further targeted support andrecovery planning may be needed.
The assessment is conducted by the Audit Commission and councils receive an overall performance categorybetween 0 and 4 stars (4 stars being the highest). Thescoring system also assesses whether performance isimproving or declining.
Built environment issues arise in the three key service areasof environment service (which includes planning quality andthe use of brownfield land), housing service (which coversboth public and private sector housing issues), and culturalservice (which refers to public library provision, sportsfacilities and recreation, and resident satisfaction withmuseums and galleries, theatres and concert halls, andparks and open spaces.)
The assessment is based on a combination of Best ValuePerformance Indicators (BVPIs – see below) together with avariety of other indicators known as non-BVPIs. Full detailsare given on the Audit Commission website59.
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58 Government beaconscheme:http://tinyurl.com/lkuj359 CPA – The Harder Test2006: Guide to serviceassessments for single tierand county councils, AuditCommission , 2006available at:http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/cpa/stcc/downloads/STCCServiceAssessments.doc60 Best value performanceindicators: www.bvpi.gov.uk
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Property asset managementProperty (together with other resources like finance, humanresources, and information technology) is an importantresource for helping local authorities to provide effectivelocal services. Property is also expensive, long-lasting andrelatively inflexible. Good property asset management plansare therefore vital to the effective delivery of services, andproperty planning should reflect business planning. Thisapproach will make sure you take into account the propertyimplications of your vision and objectives. This handbookwill help to inform your property asset management plans.Extensive practical guidance is also available from the RICS61.
Beacon councilsThe Beacon council scheme62 was introduced in 1999 toidentify centres of excellence in local government whichothers can learn from. Authorities are appointed as beaconson the strength of excellence in a particular service,supported by good overall performance and effective plansfor sharing good practice. In each round of the scheme,ministers choose around ten services areas as the themes inwhich authorities can apply for beacon status. The themeschosen represent issues which local people and localauthorities consider important, as well as reflecting thegovernment’s priorities.
61 Asset ManagementStandards, RICS, 2005 62 Government beacon scheme: http://tinyurl.com/lkuj3
Award winner: reaping the dividendsfrom quality design
JubileeLibrary,B
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CABE and the Prime Minister’s Better Public Buildings AwardThe Prime Minister’s Better Public Buildings award58was launched in 2000 toraise awareness that an attractive and safe environment in towns and cities,with well-designed individual buildings, could be important both to the quality oflife and economic success. Its aim is to encourage people to adopt high-qualitydesign principles in all new public buildings, regardless of size and cost, bypromoting the need for, and benefits of well-designed public buildings. Winningschemes have included the Jubilee Library in Brighton (2005), BournemouthLibrary (2003) and the City Learning Centre in Bristol (2002).
Chelmsford Borough Council is trying to improve the qualityof new places, particular areas of growth and urban renewal.A design-led culture in all built environment services is beingdeveloped, supported by a design champion promoting thevalue of design. The council’s vision includes architecturalexcellence in public buildings and making good places, andpolicies on design quality are included with both the localplan and the community plan. Achievements include animprovement in the quality of greenfield developments, whilethe canal banks in the town have been transformed.
West Dorset District Council has successfully protectedand added to local distinctiveness and identity throughdesign statements and development briefs. Working withlocal and national conservation bodies, consulting andworking with the community, and cross-divisional workingteams, have all contributed to a culture which encourageshigh-quality design across the whole council. Officers’ skillsin urban design have benefitted from in-house training andacademic connections. Schemes have received designawards and been featured as good examples in governmentpublications.
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Quality of the built environment within the Beacon scheme The quality of the built environment was chosen as a themein round four of the Beacon scheme (2003 to 2004)63. Thequality of the built environment includes planning; streetscene; and other elements of the liveability agenda. Threelocal authorities took part – Cambridge, Chelmsford andWest Dorset.
As guardian of one of the most beautiful historic cities inEurope, Cambridge City Council’s aims include protectingthe city’s heritage and making sure new developments inthis fast-growing region are of the highest-quality design.The council has a clear commitment to design quality in thebuilt environment, has committed resources to achievingthis, and works with a wide range of relevant people andorganisation to ensure their aims are met. Achievementsinclude design awards, streetscape schemes, andsuccessful masterplans.
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63 IDeA:http://tinyurl.com/m945l
Evaluation sheet
Once you’ve completed your assessment, many resourcesare available to help you decide how to take action in theareas you’ve identified. These website are the best places to start:
CABE website –www.cabe.org.uk – has a full suite of publications, case studies, services and advice.
The Design quality indicator tool –www.dqi.org.uk – is essential for evaluating the designquality of individual buildings.
Two important publications show how you can maximise the value of your building projects through the procurementand construction process:
National audit office report –Improving public services through better constructionhttp://tinyurl.com/rufqr
Office of government commerce –Achieving excellence in construction:http://tinyurl.com/gpv6f
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This evaluation sheet will help you assess the design quality of yourbuildings. It should help you to identify the strengths and weaknesses ofyour buildings, streets and open spaces, and assess whether they aredelivering best value for everyone with an interest in them. You could alsouse it to structure a workshop discussion, or to photocopy and distributeacross departments.
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vea
visi
onof
loca
lide
ntity
,and
are
com
mitt
edto
impr
ovin
gth
equ
ality
oflif
eof
ourr
esid
ents
,wor
kfor
cean
dvi
sito
rs.
Soc
ialv
alue
Our
build
ings
and
plac
escr
eate
posi
tive
oppo
rtun
ities
fors
ocia
lint
erac
tion,
and
enco
urag
ene
ighb
ourly
beha
viou
r.Th
eyre
duce
oppo
rtun
ities
fora
ntis
ocia
lbeh
avio
ursu
chas
vand
alis
man
dcr
ime.
Env
ironm
enta
lval
ueO
urbu
ildin
gsar
een
ergy
effic
ient
,as
wel
las
bein
gfle
xibl
e.Th
eyus
eas
little
ener
gyan
dw
ater
aspo
ssib
le,
and
they
need
only
low
leve
lsof
mai
nten
ance
toke
epth
emw
orki
ngan
dlo
okin
ggo
od.
Cul
tura
lval
ueO
urbu
ildin
gsan
dpl
aces
are
plac
esw
eca
nta
kepr
ide
in.T
hey
liftt
hesp
irits
,con
trib
ute
toth
ech
arac
ter
ofth
eirs
urro
undi
ngs,
and
are
valu
edas
part
ofou
rloc
alhe
ritag
e.
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