Good Design Guide.indd - Department of Finance

good design guide

The Good Design Guide has been prepared by the Western Australian Office of the GovernmentArchitect (OGA) as part of its role to improve the quality of the state’s built environment. This Guideis consistent with the objectives of the State Government’s built environment policy - ‘Better Placesand Spaces’ - and complements a range of design quality initiatives developed by the OGA as partof the Policy’s implementation. The Policy can be viewed online at:www.finance.wa.gov.au/betterplacesFebruary 2013Office of the Government ArchitectLevel 1, 491 Wellington StreetPerth 6850(08) 6551 2332

good design guideGood design results from a clearly discernable approach and must reconcile a number of oftencompeting priorities - function, budget, site, performance and aesthetics. Well-designed buildings addmore than aesthetic value to the public realm and have the potential to contribute positively to socialinteraction, economic activity, cultural vitality and deliver sound environmental performance.‘Better Places and Spaces -A Built Environment Policy for Western Australia’What is Good Design?The value of good design:Government is committed to improved design quality in itspublic buildings, spaces and infrastructure. Good design isabout functionality, performance and build-quality as much asinnovation and creativity. Good design means that buildings andspaces function in a way that contributes to the quality of life forthose who use them. Good design improves the delivery of publicservices, gives a sense of identity and community, can improveuser health and safety, and help build a sustainable future. Gooddesign delivers value-for-money as well as better buildings,particularly when attention is paid to the full costs of a building’slifetime.constructiondesignmaintenance +running costsSeeking improved design quality in public buildings and spacesis an important part of Government’s commitment to pursuingvalue for money. To understand the true value of a project requiresconsideration of its ‘whole-life’ performance. Better value formoney will be achieved through sustained improvement in theperformance of public buildings, but lowest cost is not the aim.Instead, the best balance of quality and whole-life costs to meetuser requirements should guide decision making.Who is responsible for Good Design?Government (the client and commissioning agency); the deliveryagencies – Buildings Management and Works (BMW) or StrategicProjects (SP); the appointed consultant team and the GovernmentArchitect all have a shared responsibility in ensuring the deliveryof good public buildings, places and infrastructure. To achievegood design outcomes, design quality needs to be championed,invested in and worked towards. All decision makers involvedin the procurement of Government’s public works have a role toplay in ensuring good design outcomes. The first step is to makedesign Quality a priority from the outset of a project – equal withTime and Cost – during decision making.operating a public serviceLife time costs of public facilities:Design: 0.3-0.5%Construction: 2-3%Maintenance: 9-12%Operating Cost: 85%Office of Government Commerce/CABE, UK, 2002Office of the Government Architect page 1

good design guideWhat is the value of Good Design?Compared to the costs of running a public service, both up-frontdesign costs and capital costs are relatively minor. At the sametime, it is through the design process that the largest impact canbe made on future operating and maintenance costs. Good designreduces whole-of-life costs; creates flexible, adaptable facilitieswhich respond to the need for change; and produces facilities thatare easy and cost effective to manage, clean and maintain. Earlydesign decisions have a significant impact on both the up-frontand ongoing costs of all building projects. Good design is aboutgetting these decisions right, first time. By focusing on designingwell today, we’re helping to ensure that we pay less tomorrow.As well as financial dividends to government, good designcan deliver a range of broader economic, social, cultural andenvironmental benefits to the public. For instance:• Good design can enhance productivity and support agenciesto achieve the best outcomes for government and those usingthese services.• Good design is inclusive: it results in places where everyonecan participate equally, confidently and independently ineveryday activities.• Good design can contribute positively to our sense of identityand wellbeing.• Good quality spaces and places have the ability to contributetowards improving safety and reducing crime.What is the cost of bad design?If there is significant value from good design, there are often evengreater costs associated with bad design. While it may only be inthe longer term that the benefits of good design pay back on theinitial investment, poorly designed schemes can have immediatenegative effects and decline in performance with each year overtheir lifetime. Bad design can lead to facilities needing to bereplaced or significantly refurbished well before initially planned.This imposes a cost on building users, staff, neighbours and thebroader public.The impact of bad design is more than a financial one. Poorlydesigned developments can have a detrimental impact on the livesof individuals and communities by being unsafe or insecure. Thequality of government service delivery can be undermined by poordesign outcomes. Equally poor design can be environmentallyunsustainable and inefficient over its projected life span.Avoiding poor design is a shared responsibility between projectstakeholders and it is important to identify ways in which eachparticipant can contribute to achieving good design outcomes.How do we achieve Good Design?The role of the OGA is to improve the design quality of publicbuildings and places in Western Australia on behalf of government.To assist in this task the OGA has prepared a comprehensive set ofguidance – supported by the Western Australian built environmentpolicy ‘Better Places and Spaces’ – to better manage designquality in the procurement of public works. The aim of the designquality guidance, consistent with the Policy, is to:• Embrace good design as a means of achieving value formoney and sustainable development.• Promote the value and benefits of excellence in architectureand the built environment.• Generate an understanding and expectation of good designacross government and within the community.• Establish parameters for the development of well-designedpublic buildings and spaces.• Implement procedures for promoting and facilitating designquality in public works.A series of actions have been identified below, that will providethe best opportunity to achieve good design outcomes.Office of the Government Architect page 2

good design guideActions for Achieving GoodDesign:1. Prepare a clear and robust vision, brief and businesscase2. Identify champions of good design within key agencies3. Approach investment in public buildings and placesfrom a whole-life perspective4. Employ design quality policies, standards andresearch5. Utilise appropriate procurement processes (whichprioritise design quality)6. Ensure appropriate budgeting and schedulingparameters are determined7. Benchmark design quality aspirations as part ofbusiness case and brief development8. Utilise consultant selection processes which insist ondesign expertise9. Access expert design review for key projects10. Consider and prioritise good design in decision makingduring project planning and delivery11. Involve stakeholders, facility managers and users inthe design process12. Undertake post-occupancy evaluation of projectsReferences:OGC UK Achieving Excellence in Construction – Design QualityOGC / CABE UK Improving Standards of Design in the Procurement of Public buildingsComponents of the OGAs DesignQuality GuidanceThe OGAs design quality guidance consists of a series of initiativesand practical tools to ensure that good design is prioritisedthroughout project planning and delivery. Early consideration ofdesign quality is a key success factor in achieving good designoutcomes.Design quality guidance has been established in concert withthe Department of Finance’s Building Management and Works(BMW) unit. It aligns with the Department of Treasury’s StrategicAsset Management (SAM) Framework and other policies andprocedures crucial to good asset planning and delivery. Thisguidance does not represent a new layer of process, rather itintegrates essential design quality measures within an existingplanning and delivery armature.The OGAs suite of design quality guidance consists of thefollowing key elements:• PolicyBetter Places and Spaces – A Built Environment Policy forWestern Australia• OGA Design StandardsGeneral Design Standard 01 – for all public buildingsEducation Design Standard 02 – for secondary schoolsHealth Design Standard 03 – for hospitals health campusesJustice Design Standard 04 – for courthouses and justicecomplexes• Design GuidanceDesign Review GuideDesign Review Guide for Secondary SchoolsMaster Planning GuideDesign Quality in Procurement GuideBy engaging the right expertise at the right stages of a project, theOGAs design quality guidance will assist government in achievinggood design in its projects. For further information contact theOGA directly.Office of the Government Architect page 3

Office of the Government ArchitectLevel 1, 491 Wellington StreetPerth 6850(08) 6551 2332