Scottish Government

1. LEADERSHIP & DELIVERY

PROVIDING AN OUTSTANDING LEGACY OF WELL-DESIGNED PUBLIC BUILDINGS, BETTER QUALITY IN NEW DEVELOPMENT & THE CREATION OF SUCCESSFUL, SUSTAINABLE PLACES

A LEGACY FOR THE FUTURE - MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Scotland's distinctive landscape includes not only its celebrated scenery, but also its cities, towns and villages. These are a testament to the skills and abilities of those who commissioned, designed and built the places and spaces we use and inhabit today. If we are to respond effectively to present and future challenges, we must ensure that our new developments provide us with buildings and public spaces that not only serve the needs of the organisations and people who use them, but that also create an attractive and enjoyable environment from which we can all benefit. The creation of such successful and sustainable places will build upon Scotland's reputation as a place where architecture and urbanism are valued as part of our culture. This is an issue that the policy on architecture has already started to address, but much more needs to be done to ensure that we are, today, creating an outstanding legacy of better public buildings, schools, healthcare buildings, homes and neighbourhoods, streets, squares and parks of which we can be proud.

THE COST OF POOR DESIGN

The social, cultural, and environmental cost of the failure to commission and demand well-designed buildings and spaces also remains evident in many parts of Scotland today. This is not, however, a uniquely Scottish phenomenon. Across the UK and, indeed, in many parts of Europe, there are certain design challenges which commonly produce disappointing results. Often, on the periphery of our cities and towns (although not uniquely so), these are generally places where expectations were low from the outset and whatever opportunities existed to enhance, rather than detract from, the existing urban grain have been missed. Such places, where nothing has been done to challenge developers, clients, design teams or contractors, can all too easily emerge as a blight on our country's landscape. These challenges are highlighted in Scottish Planning Policy SPP 20. Over the next five years, a concerted effort will be led by A+DS to tackle the various issues which can lead to the production of this type of low-grade built environment.

There is, however, an ever-growing wealth of evidence that shows the ways in which good design pays off: well-designed hospitals can result in shorter bed stays and improved recovery rates; well-designed schools can reduce truancy and staff turnover; and well-designed housing and streetscapes can contribute to successful community regeneration. Good design is inclusive - it helps to create places that everyone can enjoy equally. The assumptions that cheapest cost signifies best value and that good design is an unaffordable luxury must always be challenged, as neither is true. The cost of design is a fraction of the whole-life cost of a building - typically around 0.3-0.5% of those whole-life costs. The longer-term benefits of good design are substantial when viewed against the initial cost of investment in design and are extremely significant if best value is to be secured.

Good design can improve functional efficiency and significantly reduce running costs. In public buildings, good design can improve the delivery of public services, create civic pride and be the key factor which determines the level of usage. The most popular places to visit and to do business tend to offer high quality environments. Poor or badly thought out design, by contrast, can undermine the effectiveness of a building, can increase lifetime costs and can limit its long-term usefulness.

So, our vision for Scotland has to be better than that of somewhere which readily accepts the lowest common denominator in the built environment. Through the policy on architecture and the 'Designing Places' statement, Scottish Ministers have demonstrated their commitment to tackling these issues - and real progress is being made, but we still need a more widespread shift in attitudes, expectations and practices about design in our cities, towns and villages if we are to achieve consistent change for the better. We will work closely with A+DS to help bring about this change. In partnership with decision makers, investors, developers, public bodies, local authorities, the professions, and other key agencies, we will help deliver the right quality of built environment both now and in the future.

LEADERSHIP

In seeking to effect this change in the quality of the built environment, it is clear that, given the scale of investment in new building programmes such as education, health, housing, regeneration, and transport, the Scottish Executive itself must show leadership and a commitment to good design and architecture in publicly-funded construction. The aim must be to secure maximum value from public expenditure by enhancing the lives of our citizens and communities through well-designed, well-built outcomes that contribute positively to their settings, promoting aspiration and a sense of belonging within users whilst, at the same time, using resources responsibly. In other words - helping to create thriving, sustainable settlements. All public bodies need to show their commitment to good design and we have set out some key factors that we would expect to see emerging from public investment in new buildings.

All publicly-funded new buildings should:

• contribute positively to the public realm, their surrounding context and the local community;
• meet the highest standards of access for people with disabilities; and
• work well for all users and add social and business value to service delivery.

They should also:

• demonstrate high standards of design quality;
• be well-built, built to last and easy to maintain; and
• be ecologically sound, energy efficient and minimise the use of resource in construction and in operation.

The Executive recognises that good design needs to be supported and encouraged, and that achieving a good quality outcome does not come automatically or easily. We will, therefore, further support and co-ordinate architectural quality aims and objectives across Executive Departments.

HOW THE PLACE-MAKING AGENDA RELATES TO ARCHITECTURE POLICY

Architecture and planning policies have many shared aims stemming from our common aspiration for the development of high quality, distinctive places which enhance the lives of the people of Scotland, and which support the sustainable economic and social wellbeing of communities. 'Designing Places' sets out a framework to promote good urban and rural design in the planning system. It demonstrates the value of good design and its benefits, and provides the basis for a series of Planning Advice Notes ( PANs) which deal with different aspects of urban and rural design and place-making, identifying and communicating best practice. We now intend taking the necessary steps to ensure that the aims of the two policies are better integrated; initially through:

• the Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006;
• the National Planning Framework ( NPF);
• the work of A+DS;
• the publication of guidance on master planning;
• the publication of 'Design Snapshot'; and
• the delivery of a design training framework as part of the Planning Development Programme.

'DESIGNING PLACES' OBSERVES THAT THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PLACES, THE ONES THAT FLOURISH SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY, TEND TO HAVE CERTAIN QUALITIES IN COMMON:

• THEY HAVE A DISTINCT IDENTITY;
• THEIR SPACES ARE SAFE AND PLEASANT;
• THEY ARE EASY TO MOVE AROUND, ESPECIALLY ON FOOT;
• VISITORS FEEL A SENSE OF WELCOME;
• THEY ADAPT TO CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES; AND
• THEY ARE RESOURCE EFFICIENT.

PLANNING ETC. (SCOTLAND) ACT 2006

Over the years, it appears that the planning system has gradually shifted in focus away from aspiration-driven outcomes and we believe that many now perceive the system to have become too process-orientated. This drift in focus has been a contributory factor in the Executive's recognition of the need for a culture change in planning policy, as embodied in the Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006.

One of our central aims is to nurture a wider understanding and appreciation of the significant cultural and social value of well-designed places. Development plans will be at the heart of the reformed planning system, and the Executive aims to encourage development plans that better reflect the distinctive qualities of places and their ability to accommodate, guide or drive change in the long term public interest. We understand that preparation of plans may have come to be perceived by many as a bureaucratic exercise. We aim to challenge this perception, and move towards the position where there is greater understanding and commitment to what plans should be trying to achieve in terms of beneficial outcomes. The Act has a clearer focus on delivery, and the intention is that development plans will be updated every five years, with more community and stakeholder input, faster preparation and greater certainty. Again, this contributes to the wider sustainability agenda in terms of the longevity of well-designed places.

NATIONAL PLANNING FRAMEWORK

The Act also contains provisions regarding Scotland's national spatial strategy, the National Planning Framework ( NPF). The NPF is a non-statutory Scotland-wide planning document first published by the Executive in 2004. The central aim of the document is to guide the spatial development of Scotland to 2025 and to inform decisions made by the Executive and its agencies on policy and spending priorities, as well as providing a context for development plans and planning decisions.

The next National Planning Framework ( NPF2) will be published in 2008. The Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006 requires that the NPF must contain a strategy for Scotland's spatial development and a statement of the Scottish Ministers' priorities for that development. The Act introduces a new hierarchy of planning, with MSPs agreeing a national framework at the top level. We need to ensure that the key strategic projects identified in the NPF are of a design quality which befits their importance as proposals of national significance.

MASTER PLANNING

Master planning is a powerful tool for creating the kind of successful places which embody the desirable characteristics described in 'Designing Places'. It provides a rational approach to maximising not only the economic potential of significant new developments or regeneration initiatives, but also to realising the social and cultural potential of projects. A strategic overview of spatial design can provide a framework within which opportunities presented by existing built environments may be used to their best advantage. Piecemeal development is less likely to lead to the creation of well-defined and cohesive streets, squares, open spaces and connections - neighbourhoods which have distinctive character and which relate to their wider urban or rural contexts.

Our 'review' publication and associated exhibition 'Architecture in Scotland 2004-2006 Defining Place' deals with the theme of place-making, and the essay by Brian Evans, Deputy Chair of A+DS, charts the historic development of urban and rural design trends and makes the point that, in order to build on the legacy inherited from Scotland's great era of town building, we need an understanding of land and climate combined with cultural, societal and economic imperatives.

A recognition of the advantages of successful master planning is gaining welcome momentum within the development industry, and we have seen a particular interest in this issue by Homes for Scotland, the umbrella body whose members account for over 95% of new homes built in Scotland. In order to build on this momentum and encourage good practice in this area, the Executive's Planning Division will shortly undertake collaborative work with A+DS to produce a master planning advice document. This will be supported by the Planning Development Programme with training events for local authority planners.

DESIGN SNAPSHOT

'This Design Snapshot' publication is a short, easy-read guide to design in Scotland, aimed at anyone who has a role in designing places, to help them gain more confidence in dealing with the subject. It is intended to be an information source rather than a manual on design, to reinforce the importance of design, to emphasise its role within the planning and development process and to reiterate the need to create quality environments. It will be launched in 2007.

DESIGN STATEMENTS

'Planning Advice Note: Design Statements' ( PAN 68) explains what a design statement is, why it is a useful tool, when it is required and how it should be prepared and presented. The PAN seeks to ensure that local authorities and applicants are clear about the role of design statements. The Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006 has made provision for design and access statements to be prepared for certain types of developments. This measure will come into effect during 2007/08 following the introduction of secondary legislation and guidance. These statements will outline the way in which issues relating to access for the disabled have been addressed and the design principles and concepts that have been applied.

THE WORK OF A+DS

The Architecture Policy Unit is the sponsor branch for A+DS, which, as an agent for change on the ground, performs a key role in the implementation of policy on architecture objectives. Its role is to champion excellence in architecture and the built environment and, through this, the organisation also acts to strongly support the objectives of the Executive's planning policy. As well as providing general advice, its responsibilities encompass the provision of support through Design Review, enabling and advocacy, and research and communication. Early future priorities for A+DS will be to:

• support others in the development of policy and practice in key areas such as regeneration;
• publish themed findings arising from Design Review;
• work with local authorities, developers and other built environment interests to take forward the aims of 'Designing Places';
• promote best practice through case study examples; and
• help to take forward the sustainability agenda.

A+DS will target more of its resources towards the emerging priorities of policy. Two new posts will be established in 2007 in relation to the work of A+DS, taking strategic roles with regard to broader building and place-making agendas. The first of these will be will be that of a co-ordinator between A+DS and the Executive. This post will focus on public sector projects, and will create and strengthen links between A+DS and a range of Executive policy areas. The second post will focus on housing and regeneration, and will strengthen A+DS links with Communities Scotland and a range of other housing organisations. The more detailed plans of A+DS will be set out in its forthcoming Corporate Plan, and the Executive will also explore ways in which we can give added weight to the organisation's functions.

DESIGN CHAMPIONS

A focus on good design has been increasingly recognised by Scottish local authorities as a prerequisite in strategies for the future development of our cities, and the Executive encourages local authorities to appoint Design Champions at senior level. Design Champions are independent from project teams, and their remit is to promote design issues within the context of a public authority's wider policies on design, creativity, inclusion and urban regeneration. Every public sector client procuring a new building should now consider the opportunity to champion design and be open to innovative approaches that promote design quality. Edinburgh City Council took a strong lead in pursuing this agenda through the appointment of both a City Design Champion and a salaried, full-time Design Leader. Design Champion appointments by Glasgow City Council and Fife Council are further signs of the increasing importance placed on good design by local government. As more local authorities make similar appointments, we will investigate ways in which we might facilitate the creation of a Design Champions network to share experience across Scotland.

There has also been increasing emphasis on the role of Design Champions for specific building procurement programmes, and Design Champion appointments have now become mandatory for NHSScotland Boards.

HEALTHCARE BUILDINGS

The Scottish Executive Health Department ( SEHD) recently published its 'Policy on Design Quality for NHSScotland'. The purpose of the policy is to articulate the Scottish Executive Health Department's ambition for NHSScotland's estate and to embed the need for well-designed healthcare environments as an integral part of service delivery.

Health buildings can often be the places in which we may feel at our most vulnerable and the policy recognises the need for people-oriented, high quality caring environments which provide a sense of ease and reassurance. The SEHD policy refers to the increasing body of evidence that principles of good design, such as integration into the community and a sense of place, make a quantifiable positive impact on patients, visitors and staff.

The policy document provides guidance on how NHSScotland Bodies can ensure that design quality is embedded within the healthcare building procurement process and places a number of mandatory requirements on the Bodies intended to assist in driving up design standards. Among these mandatory requirements are that:

• each NHSScotland Board must have a clear, articulated policy on design quality - a Design Action Plan - consistent with the Department's policy; and
• each NHSScotland Board must appoint a member of the NHS Board to act as Design Champion at a strategic level and, where not impractical, also a Senior Officer to act as supporting Design Champion at a technical level.

The SEHD has also teamed up with A+DS to drive forward the design agenda with NHSScotland. A recently finalised three-year Framework Agreement will allow a dedicated stream of work on healthcare facilities, thereby raising the level of ambition and design quality throughout NHSScotland. SEHD and A+DS have developed a range of initiatives to assist NHSScotland in addressing design quality issues in the procurement of healthcare building projects. These initiatives include:

• training and advocacy to support the introduction of Design Champions within every NHSScotland Board;
• enabling, by providing hands-on assistance to a number of healthcare projects;
• carrying out assessments of the design merits of significant projects to advise and inform the mandatory project review processes; and
• the production of two dedicated health facilities publications, detailing best practice and providing case studies.

A+DS Board member and architect, Gareth Hoskins, has recently been appointed as the National Champion for health building design. A Design Champions Network for NHSScotland was launched in November 2006 by the Minister for Health and Community Care.

"WE KNOW THAT A WIDE RANGE OF FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO THE DELIVERY OF FIRST CLASS PATIENT CARE - AND THE QUALITY AND DESIGN OF OUR BUILDINGS IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THAT. PEOPLE DON'T CHOOSE TO SUFFER ILL-HEALTH - BUT WHEN IT DOES HAPPEN, PROVIDING CARE IN A COMFORTABLE AND UPLIFTING ENVIRONMENT CAN HELP. IN ADDITION, BETTER BUILDINGS ARE GOOD NEWS FOR STAFF AND HELP TO IMPROVE THEIR MORALE, RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION."

Andy Kerr, Minister for Health and Community Care

SCHOOL BUILDINGS

The Scottish Executive's strategy on school buildings 'Building our Future: Scotland's School Estate' (2003) sets out a vision for a school estate that is well-built and well-designed and that meets the needs of children, staff and communities both now and in the future. A significant number of new and refurbished school buildings have been developed in the past five years across Scotland and the process of modernising the School Estate continues with the current PPP programme which involves thirty local authorities and will result in a significant number of new and refurbished schools.

A suite of guidance has been published by the Executive to back up the delivery of this programme, including 'School Design' (2003). This guidance highlights the need for new or refurbished schools to take account of potential developments in education, and other services that might be developed through schools, as well as wider changes such as new technology. Research has shown that good design can add value to teaching and learning, improve pupil performance and staff morale as well as enhancing relationships between schools and wider communities. A well-designed school should serve its pupils, teachers and staff well and attract a positive response from parents and the wider community. The development of the school estate will continue with a new 'Building Excellence' programme, and published guidance on environmental design in school buildings.

TEN FEATURES OF A WELL-DESIGNED SCHOOL

• GOOD CLEAR ORGANISATION, A CLEAR PLAN, AND FULL ACCESSIBILITY
• SPACES THAT ARE WELL-PROPORTIONED, EFFICIENT, FIT FOR PURPOSE AND MEET THE NEEDS OF USERS
• CIRCULATION THAT IS WELL ORGANISED, AND SUFFICIENTLY GENEROUS
• GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT, INCLUDING APPROPRIATE LEVELS OF NATURAL LIGHT AND VENTILATION
• ATTRACTIVENESS IN DESIGN, COMPARABLE TO THAT FOUND IN OTHER QUALITY PUBLIC BUILDINGS
• GOOD USE OF THE SITE, AND PUBLIC PRESENCE AS A CIVIC BUILDING
• ATTRACTIVE EXTERNAL SPACES WITH A GOOD RELATIONSHIP TO INTERNAL SPACES AND OFFERING APPROPRIATE SECURITY AND A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT SETTINGS
• A LAYOUT THAT ENCOURAGES BROAD COMMUNITY ACCESS AND USE OUT OF HOURS, WHERE APPROPRIATE
• ROBUST MATERIALS THAT ARE ATTRACTIVE, THAT WILL WEATHER AND WEAR WELL, AND THAT ARE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
• FLEXIBLE DESIGN THAT WILL FACILITATE CHANGES IN POLICY AND TECHNOLOGY AND WHICH ALLOWS EXPANSION OR CONTRACTION IN THE FUTURE, WHERE APPROPRIATE

SCHOOL DESIGN Building our Future: Scotland's School Estate
Scottish Executive, 2003

The Scottish Executive has also supported a programme of conferences, workshops and other events aimed at inspiring those involved in the school building programme to raise their game and deliver good quality environments that support learning and teaching. A series of sixteen web-based case studies on recently built Scottish schools which highlight sustainable design features has now been completed for the Executive through Sust.

The Future Learning and Teaching ( FLaT) Programme 'Design for Learning - the 21st Century School', delivered by The Lighthouse, has helped generate innovative ideas for school buildings and has explored ways to engage school pupils in the design of their school environments. The Programme, which had a budget of £750,000 over the last three years, has involved work in partnership with a number of local authorities. At its heart, it has promoted a design-led approach to make the best use of available resources to deliver the School Estate. The Carlibar Community Campus case study on page 34 of this document is an example of work related to the FLaT programme. The 2004 FLaT publication 'Design Strategies' recorded East Renfrewshire Council's procurement approach for this project through the commissioning of exemplar designs.

Building upon this programme, we will now provide support for an initiative enabling The Lighthouse to look at similar promotion of the benefits of participatory processes in other sectors.

REGENERATION

Regeneration plays a crucial part in growing the economy, in improving the fabric of Scotland and in improving the lives of Scotland's most disadvantaged communities. The Executive's Regeneration Policy Statement 'People and Place', published in February 2006, sets a new and ambitious approach to regeneration in Scotland and outlines a range of actions for taking this approach forward. It provides a strategic framework through which we can work towards our aim that all of our cities, towns and neighbourhoods should be places that are attractive to live, to work and to invest in. We believe that successful and sustainable regeneration is dependent not only on the quality of our new architecture, but also on realising the opportunities which are provided by individual locations, their existing distinctive buildings and structures - and creating places of real character where people will want to live and meet.

The Executive has a range of policies, programmes and funding streams to support the economic, physical and social transformation of specific places across the country. As part of this, the Executive supports five Pathfinder Urban Regeneration Companies ( URCs) in Scotland. Raploch URC in Stirling, Craigmillar URC in Edinburgh and Clydebank URC were established in 2004. Following publication of the Regeneration Policy Statement, a further two Pathfinder URCs were designated in North Ayrshire and Inverclyde. The Executive is also working with Glasgow and South Lanarkshire Councils, Scottish Enterprise and Communities Scotland to establish a URC in the Clyde Gateway area. A+DS will be working with the Clyde Gateway, Riverside Inverclyde and Irvine Bay URCs to support the planning and delivery of well designed and built regeneration projects.

It is also the Executive's intention to use our housing investment to stimulate good design across Scotland, helping to attract people to areas which they might not otherwise consider.

PROCUREMENT

'Better Public Buildings' is a UK-wide initiative begun by the Prime Minister in 2000. The initiative and its related awards aim to encourage public sector clients to drive up the design quality of buildings that they procure. 'Better Public Buildings 2' has recently been published, demonstrating the continued commitment to this programme at a UK level.

An increasingly complex set of procurement routes are open to those who commission buildings, and each route presents its own set of challenges in relation to design quality. What is important is that clients for public sector projects understand the contribution good design can make to their project; that good design is not seen as an 'optional extra' and that the procurement process is managed so that they can secure the best possible outcome from the procurement process. The success of a project in design terms depends on the skills, commitment and partnership of all those involved but, crucially, public sector clients need to take the lead in setting out their aspirations at the start of the project and ensuring that these aspirations are delivered and not compromised.

The Scottish Executive 'Construction Procurement Manual' provides the Executive's Departments, Associated Departments, Executive Agencies and most sponsored bodies (as well as the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body and the Forestry Commission in Scotland) with mandatory policy and procedures for construction works projects. ( http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Planning/Building/procurement-manual)

The Manual (published in 2005) contains sections on design quality and sustainability. The Executive's Construction Advice and Policy Division ( CAPD) carries out ongoing reviews of the Manual which will continue to consider and, where relevant to procurement matters, reflect key issues emerging from policy on architecture initiatives and consultations.

PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS ( PPP)

A 'well-managed' PPP project has the potential to offer good value for money and good design. Every PPP procurement involves a design competition as bidders offer costed design solutions against an output specification issued by the public sector client and, where well-managed, a dialogue should ensue in which the best design solution emerges.

We have seen that PPP has the potential to deliver good design, and there are a growing number of examples of this. However, we recognise that PPP is more complex than traditional procurement methods and that this process requires a client to be knowledgeable and organised in managing the process to unlock this potential, and to ensure that well-designed, fit for purpose facilities are the outcome. Design criteria require to be very clearly and strongly stated in the output specification and evaluation criteria for projects, and the development process requires to be very carefully managed so that design does not become marginalised.

An informed client, supported by specialist advisers, is essential to the success of any project, and we recognise that PPP has presented a greater challenge for public sector clients and that it requires a higher level of commitment from them. However, as the methodology has now been in place for some time, the legal and contractual issues have come to be better understood, and standardised documentation and better fitted processes have come into use. Public sector clients are, thus, now better able to focus on design issues.

In the development of schools procurement guidance, we have encouraged public sector clients to appoint design advisers, to place greater investment in the early stages of projects such as through the preparation of reference schemes, and to build-in more time for design. Recently, this has included a focus on environmental aspects of design and lifecycle costing, with technical assistance from the Carbon Trust applied in a schools PPP project. We now wish to see these principles applied more widely in the public sector.

A+DS has a significant role to play in helping to push up the design quality of buildings in Scotland. A key element of its work is in providing support to public sector clients. Much of its present focus is on healthcare buildings, but it is our intention that the organisation will be in a position to offer advice to the wider public sector on how to secure good design outcomes in PPP procurement.

We will seek to foster a climate across public sector PPP procurement, in which it is clearly recognised by bidders that quality of design is a key aspect of bid evaluation. There are an increasing number of good design examples in PPP schemes, including the Carlibar community campus featured in the case studies.

Our aim is to continue to promote the importance of good building design in the public sector, irrespective of which procurement route is chosen. We will work with A+DS and use our contacts with the PPP and construction market to take forward this dialogue and improve mutual understanding of the standards sought.

PUBLIC ART

When successfully implemented, artworks can help to create more distinctive and attractive buildings and urban spaces, and enhance the public's experience of an architectural space. The Executive's Construction Procurement Manual now advises that clients may wish to consider allocating a specific budget for the inclusion of artwork as an integral element of a project. In this respect, the manual also advises that it is best to consider artwork from the start, when designs can be most easily integrated into the overall design. Such early involvement can often contribute to the creation of a scheme with a distinctive character, and public sector clients are advised that they may wish to seek specialist advice from public art agencies with regard to including artwork within a project.

The Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital highlighted on page 30 is an excellent example of the way in which public art can be integrated successfully into a healthcare environment. In recent years, the regeneration of the Gorbals area has successfully integrated an artworks programme which gives the area a new sense of identity in a creative manner. The Hidden Gardens case study on page 60 also highlights the benefits of involving artists at an early stage.

We will work closely with the Scottish Arts Council and its successor body Creative Scotland to help support the early involvement of artists in building projects.

2014 COMMONWEALTH GAMES BID

Building design quality forms an important element of Glasgow's bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Should the bid be successful, we wish to ensure that the legacy of the games is long-lasting in terms of improvements to the built environment. Plans have been developed for the bid to deliver the necessary world-class sporting facilities, including a high quality athletes' village which is intended to act as a catalyst in regenerating housing and transport infrastructure in Glasgow.

THE IMPORTANCE OF LANDSCAPE

In recent years there has been an increasing recognition of the importance of landscape in successful architecture and place-making. Scotland's topography and geology are inextricably linked to our understanding of place and our best architecture old or new has placed emphasis on this connection. The 'Landforms' exhibition curated for the 2004 Venice Biennale explored the relationship between recently completed projects and their setting. The Scottish Parliament is an outstanding example of the way in which the fusion between landscape and architecture can be exploited to great effect. The Maggies Cancer Caring Centres, including the Inverness Centre which recently won the 2006 RIAS Doolan Award, make a virtue of their connection to landscape and the way in which this can contribute to and enhance the supportive and nurturing ethos of the Centres.

We will, therefore, work with the Landscape Forum, the Landscape Institute, Greenspace Scotland, SNH and other agencies to explore ways in which our understanding of landscape and greenspace can be built into the future direction of policy. To this end, an international forum on landscape carried out in partnership with Architectuur Lokaal from the Netherlands together with A+DS, The Lighthouse and the Landscape Institute Scotland will take place in Spring 2007.

POLICY ON ARCHITECTURE PROGRESS GROUP

The Policy on Architecture Progress Group was established by the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport in 2004. The principal aims of the Group are to inform Executive decisions on initiatives to take forward the implementation of policy commitments, and to provide a platform to assist in the co-ordination of initiatives between built environment bodies in Scotland. The Group comprises key Scottish built environment bodies and representatives from across Executive Departments, and has been closely involved in the work of developing this statement.

The work of the Group will continue, allowing it to feed into the development of more detailed actions deriving from this statement. The Group will also monitor the success of actions taken and will continue to provide a networking forum and links with external organisations.

ARCHITECTURE POLICY UNIT

The Architecture Policy Unit, led by the Chief Architect, will continue to carry out a co-ordinating role on architecture and building design quality issues across Executive Departments and to develop stronger links with external bodies. The recent reinstatement of the post of Chief Architect is a recognition of the importance of the policy area to Ministers.

DESIRED OUTCOME OF LEADERSHIP AND DELIVERY PROGRAMME

EXECUTIVE REGARDED AS EXEMPLAR CLIENT IN FIVE YEARS' TIME AND INCREASED AWARENESS OF, AND COMMITMENT TO, PLACE-MAKING

CASE STUDY

URBAN REGENERATION/PUBLIC SPACE
Clydebank RE-BUILT

Clydebank Re-built is a partnership formed by West Dunbartonshire Council and Scottish Enterprise Dunbartonshire. It is an organisation dedicated to developing the Clydebank area, its economy, environment, buildings and society. It works with many different organisations and groups and especially those people who own much of the riverside land. Its board members include people from the Clydebank community, local politicians, Scottish Enterprise and local businesses. They all share a desire to make a real difference to the area; to position Clydebank as a creative, distinctive and successful regional centre within the Glasgow Metropolitan area.

Clydebank Re-built has developed an ambitious long term vision for regeneration until 2010 which sets out a detailed working programme to rejuvenate nearly 170 acres, including the town centre, Carless and Queens Quay, with the focal point being the town's Titan Crane. Its work encompasses a wide range of elements including hard landscaping, the creation of a series of new gateways to the town, the establishment of a family of attractive new signage and improvement of the central reservation all the way from Yoker through to Solidarity Plaza.

£7 million funding from the Scottish Executive was allocated in 2004 to help begin the process of creating investor confidence in the area, and is intended to ultimately create better jobs and prospects for local people through the provision of new housing, improved transport and environmental improvements.

IT WORKS WITH MANY DIFFERENT ORGANISATIONS AND GROUPS AND ESPECIALLY THOSE PEOPLE WHO OWN MUCH OF THE RIVERSIDE LAND

CASE STUDY

PUBLIC ART
ROYAL ABERDEEN CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

The Lottery-funded artworks at the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital ( RACH) received the Saltire Society's Arts and Crafts in Architecture Award in 2005. The award recognises an outstanding five-year collaboration involving local school children, staff, the design team, contractors, Grampian Hospital Arts Trust, public art agency PACE, and fifteen artists from throughout the UK.

NHS Grampian is responsible for the development of RACH. Its intention was to collaborate with artists from the outset to enhance the healing environment, and the result is public art in architecture that is truly integrated. The contributions from the artists combined visual and physical interest with educative elements and fun; drawing on images of local landscapes, places, maps and wildlife, locations suggested by staff, patients and visitors, information about the body and drawings by children. Interest and delight has been woven through the fabric of the building, its furniture, signage, external spaces, and lighting effects.

A second phase of the project is presently underway.

CASE STUDY

TRANSFORMING HIGHER EDUCATION
SALTIRE CENTRE, GLASGOW CALEDONIAN UNIVERSITY

The Saltire Centre is designed to foster learning as a conversational and social process as well as providing appropriate environments for individual learning, and café culture has been a strong reference in the design of the building's social spaces.

The form of the building responds to students' different and changing learning styles whilst recognising that these can also vary according to the nature of tasks. The architects, BDP, have provided a multiplicity of micro environments ranging across a spectrum of open, flexible and cellular spaces. Areas are often defined by furniture and the expected behaviour in spaces is further signalled by use of colour, audio signing and graphic design.

In its services mall, a combined desk provides a single point of access to information, easing the understanding and use of the building by new students and the lifelong learning community. It is a strong example of the way in which architecture can significantly support learning processes and, critically, it is also an example of the importance of a committed client, developing a detailed and well-informed brief with an ambition to provide an inspirational learning environment.

PPP SCHOOL DESIGN/STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION/SUSTAINABILITY/ARTWORK
CARLIBAR COMMUNITY CAMPUS, EAST RENFREWSHIRE

Carlibar Community Campus is a new-build primary school with additional community facilities including a nursery, a Pre-School Assessment and Development Unit, a Language and Communication Unit and community/adult support services. The project, with a design team led by JM Architects, is part of East Renfrewshire Council's current PPP programme developed by HBG Construction Ltd. as contractors. The school building previously in use, in addition to being in poor condition, was not suitable to meet the curricular needs of the specialist communication units within the school. Redevelopment on the existing site was not viable and a new site was selected which already housed a community facility, and which sat within mature parkland owned by the Council.

The brief was to design and construct a facility with civic presence that would reflect the aspirations of the Council in relation to attainment, achievement and inclusion. Exemplar designs for each of the East Renfrewshire PPP schools were commissioned by the Council prior to the Bid process to ensure that there was an understanding of aspirations and expectations for their school projects. The exemplar designs were prepared by Elder and Cannon Architects and, together with the other East Renfrewshire projects, the final design for Carlibar Community Campus was based predominantly on these designs. This approach provided an opportunity for both the client and users to work closely with design specialists and to gain valuable insights into issues that they might not otherwise have been given time to explore in detail. This enabled specific design guidance to be included by detailed design and functional briefing documents as part of the PPP bid process.

The design brief required a low energy, naturally ventilated building, and high quality day-lighting is provided throughout. The school plan facilitates circulation, and the double-height dining area acts as an orientation point for the campus. Circulation is easily managed through the school from the point of entry to the communication units, nursery areas, and community facilities. The school grounds are aesthetically designed and include a garden area for pupils to address issues contained in Grounds for Learning and Eco Schools.

The Council undertook extensive consultation with stakeholders (parents, local residents, pupils, staff, and unions) at regular intervals from the initial design brief through to construction over a period of four years. As part of the process, pupils were involved in a number of workshops including working with four artists to design and produce four pieces of permanent art work for the new school building. The building is a community school in every sense, and includes a synthetic ball park/multi-use games area, a four-court games hall, a dance studio, a theatre facility, internet cafe, specialist art, science, and music rooms, an adult centre, with sufficient parking to serve all of these. As a result of the high level of involvement of the users, and the attention give to design issues in the development of the project, feedback from staff, pupils, and the community has been overwhelmingly positive.

The success of the project derives from a fully integrated approach to design quality, and demonstrates the benefits that can be derived from using exemplar designs within a PPP contract. Taken together, the various elements of the process can inform other similar or less complex school projects.