David Tittle, Chief Executive, MADE

Birmingham Social Housing Partnership

20th March 2013

What is MADE?

Independent Charity

Dedicated to improving the quality of our cities, towns

and villages.

Based in Birmingham, operate throughout region

Cross-sector, cross-profession

Hub for built environment design know-how

No ‘core-funding’

MADE

OPUN

Creating Excellence

Kent Architecture

Centre

Shape East

Integreat Plus Places

Matter!

NE DRES

MADE areas of work

community culture

education quality

Design Quality

• Design Review

• Building for Life

• Training

What design is not

• subjective

• all about style/external

appearance/aesthetics

• just about architecture

• one of many considerations

• an additional cost

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The NPPF: “raises the bar on design standards so that we have

the most exacting requirement for design that the English

planning system has ever contained”

- Greg Clark

Core Planning Principles:

“always seek to secure high quality design and a good standard of

amenity for all existing and future occupants of land and

buildings.”

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Highlighted design failures across the industry

Design review

•Design Review is an independent and impartial evaluation

process in which a panel of experts on the built environment

assess the design of a proposal.

•conducted by experienced experts

•offers feedback, does not redesign

•gives confidence to support quality design

•best at an early (pre-app) stage

Design Review process

• Panel of experts

• Developer/architect presents scheme

• Local authority highlights issues

• Questions, discussion, feeback

• Letter summarises recommendations

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"Local planning authorities should have local design review

arrangements in place to provide assessment and support to

ensure high standards of design.

They should also when appropriate refer major projects for a

national design review. In general, early engagement on design

produces the greatest benefits. In assessing applications, local

planning authorities should have regard to the recommendations

from the design review panel."

— National Planning Policy Framework

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Building for Life 12

(old) Building for Life

• Developed by CABE for BfL partnership (2001)

• Home Builders Federation, Design for Homes,

Civic Trust

• Based on 20 questions

• Started with an awards scheme

• Developed into an assessment tool

• System of accredited assessors

• Adopted by Sandwell Council

Why Building for Life needed to change...

1. New Government, planning regime, localism

2. Dated (2001)

3. Failing to deliver desired outcomes?

4. Some questions problematic

5. Lack of industry buy-in

6. End of old CABE – BfL cost a lot to maintain

7. Had failed to connect with consumers

8. Led to ‘points chasing‘ rather than design led approach

9. schemes with fundamental flaws could still be ‘excellent’

Building for Life 12 (BfL12)

• remodelled by Design for Homes

• supported by Design Council and Home

Builders Federation

• Piloted by North West Leicestershire

Council

• took soundings from industry

• consulted with users

Building for Life was:

“The national standard for well-designed homes and neighbourhoods”

It’s now:

what is different?

• 12 questions not 20

• concentrates on key urban

design issues

• to be used for dialogue not

assessment

• traffic light system

• plain English

• can be used to sell houses

dowload from www.made.org.uk/library/publications/

Simple scoring regime:

• Maximise greens

• Minimise and challenge ambers*

• Avoid reds

* Ambers should only be accepted where circumstances are beyond a developer’s control or otherwise robustly justified

Note: Approvals with ambers should be the exception, not the norm

traffic lights

RED - STOP - something is fundamentally wrong

this proposal should not be approved

AMBER - CAUTION - this aspect is giving cause for concern.

A ‘justifiable amber’ = something out of the applicant’s control.

GREEN - GO - this question can be answered.

(old) Building for Life Building for Life 12

16 questions ‘yes’

4 ‘no’

Score 16 = excellent

8 greens

2 ambers

2 reds

2 reds = should not be

approved

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What not to do:

Use BfL12 to assess a scheme without having used it throughout the pre-application and community consultation process

“Rubbish”

Three sections:

• Integrating into the neighbourhood

• Creating a place

• Street and home

Integrating into the neighbourhood •1 Connections

•Does the scheme integrate into its surroundings

by reinforcing existing connections and creating

new ones; whilst also respecting existing

buildings and land uses along the boundaries of

the development site?

•2 Facilities and services

•Does the development provide (or is it close to)

community facilities, such as shops, schools,

workplaces, parks, play areas, pubs or cafes?

•3 Public transport

•Does the scheme have good access to public

transport to help reduce car dependency?

•4 Meeting local housing requirements

•Does the development have a mix of housing

types and tenures that suit local requirements?

Creating a place

5 Character

Does the scheme create a place with a locally

inspired or otherwise distinctive character?

6 Working with the site and its context

Does the scheme take advantage of existing

topography, landscape features (including water

courses), wildlife habitats, existing buildings,

site orientation and microclimates?

7 Creating well defined streets and spaces

Are buildings designed and positioned with

landscaping to define and enhance streets and

spaces and are buildings designed to turn street

corners well?

8 Easy to find your way around

Is the scheme designed to make it easy to find

your way around?

Street & Home

9 Streets for all

Are streets designed in a way that encourage low

vehicle speeds and allow them to function as

social spaces?

10 Car parking

Is resident and visitor parking sufficient and well

integrated so that it does not dominate the street?

11 Public and private spaces

Will public and private spaces be clearly defined

and designed to be attractive, well managed and

safe?

12 External storage and amenity space

Is there adequate external storage space for bins

and recycling as well as vehicles and cycles?

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• training/awareness raising

• facilitate BfL discussions

• Building for Life reviews

BfL12 & MADE

Training

• big design issues

• cross-sector, cross-profession

• practical

• affordable (time and money)

• events and in-house

•Workshops

•Building for Life 12

•Introduction to Urban Design

•Introduction to Street Design

•Residential layout

•Manual for Streets

•Masterplanning

•Design Codes

•Development economics

•Design for historic environments

•Sustainable urban drainage

systems

•Design for Cycling

Training Seminars

•Custom Build

•Urban Extensions

•Town Centres

•Public art

David Tittle, Chief Executive

david@made.org.uk

Bianca Fowler, Design Quality Manager

bianca@made.org.uk

0121 348 7980

www.made.org.uk