A new publication by the Scottish Government (SG) highlights the value which good design can add to the quality of place in the built environment and the different factors which can influence this.
The Scottish Government writes:
The research paper which was commissioned by Building Standards Division (Nov 2013) on behalf of Planning and Architecture Division is now available.
The aim was to provide an analysis of how design ‘value’ is handled in the development process in Scotland. Through an open competition the Scottish Government appointed (November 2013) a team directed by Douglas Wheeler Associates (Douglas Wheeler) with Ryden (Mark Robertson) and Austin-Smith:Lord (Graham Ross) to carry out the research.
The publication of this research paper on the ‘Value of Design’ marks the first attempt, by the Government, to look into the value that good design can add to a place. The topic area is subjective, and complex, with multiple factors that can influence value. That said, the research is a start in identifying all the different variants. Overall, the findings should help to continually support the central purpose of creating good quality sustainable places. This in turn should provide more confidence to the development industry, as well as communities, that investment in good design is important.
