On building a future

Sir Stuart Lipton, CABE chair (1999 - 2004), explores how quality design ensures long term success and sustainability of community based buildings.

The last three decades have been characterised by a shameful lack of investment in our public buildings. What little investment there was often resulted in ugly buildings that were costly to maintain and ill suited to the needs of staff, users and the wider community.

This Government has recognised the fact that 21st century services cannot be delivered in 19th century buildings, and has triggered the largest public building programme for a generation. The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) applauds this investment and welcomes the opportunities it presents. However, the current push to meet delivery targets at any cost means that we are once again in danger of repeating the all too familiar mistakes of the 1960's.

Quality design is essential in ensuring the long term success and sustainability of community based buildings such as doctors surgeries and schools; of roads, bridges and railway stations; of parks and squares. These are the projects that really matter to most people, most of the time.

The benefits of good design are widely recognised: in our hospitals, it can lead to faster recovery times and reduce post-operative stress; in our schools, great design helps reduce truancy levels and encourages educational achievement. Across the whole public sector attractive working environments will aid staff retention and recruitment whilst increasing value for money. And yet public sector agencies continue to incorrectly assume that good quality design is a costly additional extra that can only be justified in large scale flagship projects.

Earlier this month the shortlist for this year's Prime Minister's Better Public Building Award was announced. What is most refreshing about the eight short listed projects is their diversity. The list includes a community learning centre, a conference centre, a mixed use office and housing development, two bridges, arts studios, a memorial gardens and a hospital. Clearly good design can be incorporated in all public building projects, regardless of scale and procurement route.

So what does the public sector need to do to deliver well designed public buildings? They must have the confidence to ask the right questions and demand high quality. They must set and control the brief, and it is at the brief setting stage that a commitment to good value, effectiveness, efficiency and interesting architecture must be made. They must remember who the building is intended to serve and consult with staff, users and the wider community.

CABE recently published Better Civic Buildings and Spaces, a document which suggests a range of structures and policies that Local Authorities can adopt to ensure the principles of good quality design are incorporated in their building programmes. We don't pretend to offer a single solution; given the complexity of public building programmes this would be impossible. Instead we aim to stimulate debate and encourage the search for imaginative and innovative solutions.

Such innovative solutions will be essential if we are to create public buildings that meet the needs of this and future generations. It is only with imagination and commitment that we will create a public realm that brings societal and environmental benefit to all, a public realm that is functional, sustainable and beautiful.