DESIGNING OUR ENVIRONMENT –
Towards an Architecture and the Built Environment Strategy in The South West
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1.1 	Introduction

This Strategy arises from a consultative seminar convened by South West Arts (SWA) that took place in January 2000.One of the key outcomes was recognition of the importance of the built environment and a desire to raise the quality of design through advocacy, education, funding and information resources. Public Art South West (PASW) with the support of SWA took the initiative and set in motion the idea of a strategy for Architecture and the Built Environment in the South West. This initiative is also supported and funded by the Commission for Architecture and Built Environment (CABE), RIBA Future Studies South West of England Regional Development Agency (SWERDA) and the Government Office of the South West (GOSW). Further support has been given by English Heritage.

The outcome is this document Designing our Environment, which has the support of all the partners. The purpose of the report is to create the basis for a strategy for improving design in the environment, in particular architecture and the built environment. It is a working document intended to encourage action and debate throughout the region. It is not a blueprint, but it is hoped that all those who have an impact on the regional environment will work together to accept its recommendations.

This document is addressed to the commissioning organisations. It is also aimed at the Regional Assembly, local authorities, other public bodies which commission works, the academic institutions, the professions and regional branches of their institutions, private developers, public and private funding organisations, major employers in the region, community groups, artists and the general public.

This is an exciting opportunity to influence the quality of development in the South West. To succeed, the Strategy’s recommendations need contributions from all these groups. Each of them has a distinct role to play and collaboration between them is essential. The common goal must be seen as an improvement of the environment for this and further generations.

1.2 	The Challenge for the South West

One of the main characteristics of the South West is its diversity. The region runs from Lands End in the South to Gloucestershire and Dorset in the north. It includes an outstanding natural environment alongside a wealth of historic towns and cities. The Countryside Agency’s Regional Character Map of England divides the South West into 41 distinct character areas. A diverse geology, topography and landform have resulted in a history of local building identities reflected in the form of settlement and the materials used in villages and towns. A relative isolation has helped to preserve much of the character of the region. 

This rich diversity has created allegiances to local identity that is often greater than those to the region. This fragmentation, together with the lack of communication, ancient rivalries and different cultures has made collaboration an essential element of this document. At the same time, there is a perception that the richness of the natural and built heritage, the very thing that underpins the economy of the region, is at risk from low quality development. An accumulation of small changes in existing spaces or structures can alter the character of an area just as much as the creation of new buildings. Lack of planning skills and resources, the small number of projects which involve architects in the design, and the need for greater awareness of design are seen as factors contributing to a declining environmental quality. People do not understand how they can influence their environment. With many groups involved in the environment, working in isolation and with little knowledge of the activities of others, the idea of a regional identity is a difficult concept to put across. However, such an identity will be increasingly important as the region, with its Assembly and Development Agency, starts to play its national and European role.

This strategy is not taking place in a vacuum. Both public and private sectors have already taken initiatives. An important element of the Strategy is to communicate these successes around the region to raise local expectations. For instance, the RDA’s Civic Pride initiative will both put in place good practice and encourage developers and Councils to achieve greater design quality. The region’s climate and character offer opportunities for new forms of development which, utilise new technologies and are sustainable. Councils, such as South Hams, are promoting sustainable design by setting new agendas on energy efficiency. Others are recognising that buildings and spaces of quality such as the Eden Project can play a major role in regeneration, attracting visitors and investment. Tesco’s public art project in Axminster, and Church Close sheltered housing project in Totnes, examples of good practice, now available for all to learn from.

1.3 	The objectives 

The general objectives of this Strategy are therefore to:

•	Promote the benefits of good design and in particular foster good architecture, urban planning and integrated public art;
•	Raise awareness and stimulate debate on architecture and the built environment;
•	Celebrate and acknowledge existing good design and disseminate good practice in the region.
•	Influence private and public sector developers to raise their design aspirations
•	Achieve greater public participation in planning and decision making.
•	Ensure that good design criteria are embedded in regional policies 
•	Increase the design skills available at every level by engaging the universities, schools, and other education agencies, as well as other disciplines such as artists or gender specialists 
•	Increase the collaboration between all the participants involved in changing the environment. 

The debate on urban design and environmental issues is intense. A variety of organisations and institutions are developing their own initiatives. This Strategy provides the basis for a common framework that will guide such initiatives and avoid further fragmentation.

1.4 	The Strategy

This Strategy is built on intensive consultations that took place through brainstorming, email, meetings and workshops in Bristol, Lostwithiel, Poole and Exeter. More than 200 individuals and organisations were involved. The outcome indicates a broad consensus on issues that need tackling, and these have formed the cornerstones of the strategy, namely:

•	Vision way we think about the environment in the South West, how we celebrate it and reward good design
•	Communication access to information that will help raise the quality of what we create
•	Process we manipulate and develop that environment in order to implement the vision
•	Skills techniques and human resources that are needed to make this happen.

This Executive Summary sets out the issues and priority actions that can start the long-term process of creating a better quality environment. Each issue is explored in more detail in the body of the Strategy. Different players will help to deliver these actions. Some will co-ordinate or promote the activities. Others will create partnerships to deliver the actions themselves. Both private and public sectors will have a role. Collaboration will ensure delivery. 

The actions are set out below to reflect the relevant issue. However, there overlaps between them. Some initiatives are already taking place and only need recognition and dissemination. 
1.5 	Vision

It is important to create a vision for improvement of a town or village. The existing Structure and Local Plans do not encourage this process. There is little in the way of design leadership. Creativity and imagination needs promoting within the professions, public and private sector clients. Restrictive and protective professions mean that the creative process can be impoverished. Communities have much to contribute but find difficulties in getting involved in the development process. The young, a particular group in the community, potentially very rich in ideas, seem totally absent from the decision making process.

To achieve a better regional culture for good design the following issues need to be addressed

•	Identity
To reflect the diverse nature of the region, both physically and culturally, and establish means of expressing this variety in consort with a more sustainable approach to design.

•	Patronage procurement and risk
To increase the opportunities for the commissioning of well designed buildings, landscapes and spaces, especially from local design practices

•	Widening the team
To widen the range of people within design teams in order to enrich the creative process and create a better quality environment.

•	Empowering the people
To encourage and support diverse communities of interest to creatively participate in the design process through a variety of mechanisms.

•	Involving the youth
To find ways of engaging younger people in ‘design citizenship’

•	Promoting good design
 To promote design leadership at both Regional, County and District levels to helpthe quality of local design

1.6 	Communications 

At the moment, the media has only a passing interest in matters concerning design in the environment. The level of public debate is therefore limited in spite of the fact that there is much to celebrate and to criticise. The web offers new and easy opportunities to inform and involve a wide percentage of the population, and it can be adapted to suit different needs. Good practice in the region needs to be celebrated. A number of uncoordinated awards existbut the public is not aware of them. The London based professional institutions need to reinforce their groups in the region and find ways of working together.

In order to communicate the Vision, a number of issues need to be addressed, including.

•	Media strategy
To engage the media to raise coverage and debate on issues of quality in environmental design and architecture.

•	Using the web –‘A One-Stop Shop’
To use the web in order to make simple information on good design principles, practice and process, accessible to all. 

•	Best Practice Dissemination
To gather and disseminate good practice within the region.

•	Outreach programmes
To create a network of programmes that reflects local demands for information, advice and design.

•	Outrage and Hurrah!
To raise public discernment regarding the quality of design in the environment by celebrating what is good and criticising what is bad.

•	Awards and Rewards
To ensure that rewards for good practice are well co-ordinated, widely promoted and have popular support.

1.7 Process

The government is reviewing the planning system as a whole. In the meantime, there is a lot that can be done to deliver a better environment within the existing system. Council resources need to be managed to promote good design. Greater collaboration needs to be encouraged and the value of good design disseminated.

In order to turn the Vision into reality, the process by which we create and modify our environment needs to be reviewed.The following issues need addressing;

•	Getting better results from the system
To make better use of existing resources within the present planning system in order to improve design quality. 

•	Increased collaboration
To encourage greater teamwork and the inclusion of new skills and stakeholders into the design and development process.

•	Raise the quality of applications
To reduce the time spent on development control by raising the quality of applications throughsupplementary planning guidance and briefing.

•	Design Review and Advisory Panels
To establish a co-ordinated network of review and advisory panels to assist local authorities and applicants in their design decisions.

1.8 Skills

A lack of use of design skills has made it difficult to increase the quality of development. This deficit is not limited to a particular group. It includes developers, professionals and citizens. School curricula have neglected environmental design. Many people lack the means to make informed judgements and to demand better quality. Developers often do not employ skilled designers or architects. Local authorities with stretched resources have difficulties in paying for the right expertise or raising the skills of their staff. Furthermore, both the professional and the academic institutions need to encourage greater collaboration between different disciplines. 

The level of skills available to implement the objectives of this Strategy needs raising. The following related issues need to be addressed.

•	To increase the dialogue between the various sectors involved in the production, management and consumption of the built environment.

•	To enhance the skills of practitioners through a greater supply of post-qualification courses and CPD especially cross-disciplinary skills. The skills relate to design, communications, collaboration, visioning and include updating in relation to new issues

•	To enhance the skills of decision-makers and patrons. The relevant skills relate to the same topics as for the practitioners but at a different level of achievement. 

•	To increase the inter-disciplinary collaboration between academic departments involved with the built environment and through this collaboration increase the number of future professionals with multi-disciplinary skills.

•	To increase the collaboration between academic departments, local authorities and schools in order to enhance the skills of teachers, local government officers, professionals and children and improve mutual understanding.

•	To increase the opportunities for future generations to take control of their environment through enhancement of the skills of children and youngsters.

•	To enhance the skills of ordinary citizens wishing to get involved in decisions affecting their environment, whether as clients or participants in community groups.

1.9 Mechanisms 

The complexity of the issues, the number of players involved and the variety of proposed actions, call for some kind of co-ordinating body that could lead in the development and implementation of the Strategy. In discussions with the RDA and its round table advisors, it has become apparent that the emerging model for the Centre for Excellence could provide a home for a ‘Centre for Design’.

The main components for the Centre are still the subject of study but could include:
•	Architecture design and construction
•	Planning development and the environment
•	Regional funding
•	Urban and rural regeneration
•	Partnerships

The exact role of the Centre is to be determined. However the cross-cutting nature of the issues identified in this strategy could help create a vibrant body that would not only help provide the vision, communication, process, and skills, but also develop and promote integrated programmes and projects.

Such a central resource would serve as a guiding agency, informing and being informed by a linked County network of centres, acting as a repository and disseminator of advice and information.It could act as an executive vehicle, working with outside agencies and key stakeholders to carry out some of the recommendations put forward in this and other strategies. A possible model that should be explored is that of the French CAUE (Councils for Architecture, Urbanism and the Environment), which play an advisory, promotional and educational role at sub-regional level.

Until the Centre is established, the Strategy proposes an interim Strategy Board to manage the evolution and implementation of this Strategy. This could comprise the existing core stakeholders together with appropriate organisations and expertise.

1.10 Key Players

Although the roles of the different stakeholders will evolve over time, the South West of England RDA and Government Office of the South West are in the best position to be the main orchestrators though not necessarily the main funders. They will need to work with and give advice to a range of agencies in order to engage them in the implementation of the ideas put forward in this Strategy. Key players include organisations such as:
-	PASW and South West Arts
-	The Regional Assembly
-	The Bristol Architecture Centre
-	The local authorities
-	Private developers and their funders
-	Educational Trusts such as the Building Experience Trust
-	Groundwork Trust and similar organisations
-	The professional institutes as the RIBA, and RIBA South West/Wessex and RTPI, perhaps under the UDAL banner with CIC.SW
-	Universities and colleges involved in design in the environment and
-	Other public and private sector organisations, consultancies, and companies, both as purveyors of expertise and sponsorship.

1.11 Conclusion

As this study progressed, it became clear that many of the issues are generic. Many of the ideas are not new, and many examples of good practice and new initiatives exist within the region. This Strategy attempts to make sense of the range of ideas, draw them together, and understand the interdependencies. This will help create an integrated approach to the improvement of design in the environment, and start the process towards a Regional Strategy.

1.12 Recommendations

The recommendations for short-term actions to address these issues are set out below. Long term actions are in the body of the report.

ISSUES AND INITIATIVES

RECOMMENDATIONS for SHORT TERM ACTION	
VISION		

A Regional Design Forum	
•	Establish a Regional Design Forum that brings together private and public sector companies and organisations, which could initiate a range of partnership programmes to improve design and contribute to the development of this strategy over time. This could build on the CABE initiative with the House Builders Federation chaired by Sir Terry Farrell.

A Regional Charter for Design
	
•	Draft a regional ‘Design Charter’ to be signed by private developers and public organisations setting out the main design objectives for all projects and design ‘rightsusers. This could run alongside Sustainability South West’s Construction Charter

Promote Good Design Principles
	
•	Put design up front by including statements on the role of design in the environment in local cultural strategies prepared by regional and other public bodies, and design principles in documents dealing with development issues, 

Regional Procurement and Patronage	
•	Review current competitive procedures within the region to facilitate the involvement of small practices. Groundwork Trust’s work in the region could be a model.
•	Prepare a simple ‘good practicemanual that sets out a step by step approach for commissioning bodies, whether public or private.This would include guidance on brief writing, design briefing, organisation of competitions, and assessment.
•	As part of the Regional Design Forum, organise a series of local workshops for all major organisations that commission developments, using examples of good practice to establish a regional approach to design quality.

Encouraging local involvement	
•	Develop further the role of regional Architecture Centres and other similar organisations to provide programmes that involve local communities. 

•	Promote programmes such as Placecheck and Village Design Statements with Councils and Communities, to help establish local ‘visions’ for towns and villages throughout the region and use such community strategies to improve the design of local buildings and spaces.

Demystifying Design	
•	Encourage Councils to ask for more 3D design representations as part of Design Statements and planning applications

Widening the Team	
•	Encourage public and private sector developers to involve other disciplines including urban designers, artists, and landscape architects in their project teams.
	
Design Champion
	
•	Appoint a Design Champion for the region who would help in defining and assisting the proposed Regional Centre of Excellence. In parallel, Councils should consider establishing local design champions to promote good design principles and practice.	
COMMUNICATION

A Media Strategy	
•	Develop, co-ordinate, and manage PASW’s existing embryonic media strategy.It needs to include all media and be linked in the long term to a cultural tourism strategy for the region.

	

Information and Advice

•	Establish an interactive web-site with information on good practice, exemplars, skills, design notes and procurement of good design.

Outreach Programmes

•	Ask professional institutes to refocus their resources so as to increase their regional programme (lectures, exhibitions, conferences) 

Awards and rewards

•	Establish a regional award strategy that co-ordinates and manages an increased range of design awards throughout the region, that rewards patrons as well as clients.
•	Ensure that the regional media is involved in the promotion of such awards.
	
PROCESS

Raising the quality of applications

	
•	Encourage local authorities to include Urban and Landscape Design Frameworks, Conservation Area Statements, and Design and Development Briefs for important areas so they can form the basis for discussion with potential applicants and the community.

•	Build on the new Civic Pride Initiative and promote good practice through demonstration projects and programmes and create a library of good practice that can be accessible through the web.

•	Encourage local authorities to request Design Statements as part of new application procedures, as advised by PPG1, and to provide new guidance on information, and assessment criteria.	

Increase collaboration	
•	Encourage greater collaboration between Council departments involved in the environment through workshops and the dissemination of examples of good practice.	
SKILLS

Facilitation and Enabling	
•	Encourage Councils to establish Design Review and Enabling Panels. This could build on the model established by CABE
•	Consider a series of simple step-by-step design aids for the region as part of a long-term local facilitationprogramme. 
Encourage applicants to consult and discuss their projects early in the design process	

Enhance skills of practitioners , decision makers and patrons	
•	Disseminate information on available CPD
•	Encourage local authorities to take up CPD opportunities and organise events such as workshops or seminars.
•	Organise events perhaps through a Regional Design Forum for patrons in the public (e.g. NHS Trusts, Highways Agency) and the private sector (House Builders Federation) showing examples of good practice and how they were achieved.

Increase inter-disciplinary collaboration
	
•	Develop more inter-disciplinary courses and/or modules on the model of the UWE architecture and planning course
•	Encourage inter-professional collaboration under the auspices of The Urban Design Alliance (UDAL)

Getting to future generations
	
•	Encourage schools to develop and expand the work already being done with learning packages dealing with various aspects of the environment, including disseminating existing good practice.

Improve the skills of ordinary citizens	
•	Encourage communities to use existing means of enhancing their environmental design skills such as Placechecks, Roadshows and the website. Council’s Community Strategies are also a potential vehicle for developing community skills.
•	Encourage Members of Planning Committees to improve their skills through seminars, courses, and in-house training

The need for new skills	
•	Carry out a training needs assessment to establish a Design Education Strategy as part of the build up to the Centre for Excellence.