Building for Life 12 – collaborating to ensure better housing quality

James Wilson, Managing Director, Davidsons and Design for Homes Board Member

Stefan Kruczkowski, Urban Designer, NWLDC

http://safe4work.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/put-your-hands-up.jpg (L)

http://www.scpc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/hands_up.jpg (R)

How many of you use BfL:

All the time (i.e. on all applications)?

Some of the time?

Or: Don’t use BfL?

Or: Haven’t a clue what we’re talking about?

1.Why did Building for Life change?

2.Building for Life 12 – quick overview

3.Where should we go from here?

Why did Building for Life change… surely it was F.A.B?

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1. New administration, planning regime and localism

2. BfL was dated (2001)3. Failing to deliver desired outcomes4. Industry buy in 5. Dissolution of CABE – BfL was resource heavy 6. Deregulation 7. Quality growth agenda8. Had failed to connect with consumers

Highlighting urban design failures across the industry

Ignored ignored ‘green shoots’ of change

“It [BfL] was abused by CABE for political objectives to make house builders look bad… it lost its shine with house builders. CABE’s housing audits caused the industry to get defensive”

James Wilson

“‘Very good’ and ‘good’ the norm as opposed to the exception”

How did we do?

“So James, was Building for Life a downright failure?”

• Strong concept • A more objective design measure - clarity

about what ‘good design’ was • Gaining (slow) momentum • Proving very effective where used well• Levelled the playing field, i.e. those that

want to design well are not penalised by those who don’t (if you can get planning for poor design…)

Some issues with (old) BfL

• Points ‘chasing’ rather than a true design led approach and dialogue

• Lack of universal use• Confusion and interpretation (outline)• Q17 (space standards) – toothless

WARNING! Box contains a BfL

Assessor and will not open during

pre-app

“Rubbish”

= industry frustration

2010 – time for change

Government supportive of local or industry led change (anti ‘top-down’)

Opportunity to remodel to secure BfL’s future, design out issues and secure better industry buy in

Remodel led by Design for Homes supported by C@DC and HBF (18mth process)

Piloted by NWLDC

Soundings from industry

Consultation with users

BfL12 – a quick overview

Building for Life was:

“The national standard for well-designed homes and neighbourhoods”

It’s now:

Underlying principles:

• Removing ‘duplication’

• More plain English

• Assessment to dialogue based

• Reflect rather than ‘overtake’ national policy

• ‘Post bag’ concerns

• Conform or robustly justify – 12 greens is the goal for basic urban design quality