An evaluation tool for design quality: PFI sheltered housing

Abstract

The complex procurement process entailed by the private finance initiative (PFI) means that clients need new capacities to manage their relationships with bidders and to assess project proposals if the desired level of design quality is to be achieved. To assist local authorities in their client role, a new Architectural Design Quality Evaluation Tool was developed. The aim was to improve the quality of design in residential sheltered housing, procured through the PFI. The tool was developed for and applied to a programme that will see the replacement of a local authority's entire sheltered housing stock. The tool has two functions: (1) to inform the client's assessment process and assist with the selection of the preferred bidding consortium through a series of stages in the PFI process; and (2) to improve the quality of all the submitted designs through an iterative process. Although several existing mechanisms are available for evaluating the performance attributes of buildings, few also tackle the less tangible amenity attributes, which are vital to the feeling of home. The new tool emphasizes the amenity attributes without neglecting performance.

Le processus complexe de passation des marchés qu'implique l'initiative de financement privé (IFP) signifie que les clients ont besoin de capacités nouvelles pour gérer leurs relations avec les soumissionnaires et pour évaluer les soumissions pour un projet s'ils veulent pouvoir atteindre le niveau souhaité de qualité dans la conception. Pour aider les collectivités locales dans leur rôle de client, un nouvel Outil d'Evaluation de la Qualité de la Conception Architecturale a été mis au point. L'objectif était d'améliorer la qualité de conception dans le logement protégé résidentiel, acquis par voie d'appels d'offres dans le cadre de l'IFP. Cet outil a été élaboré pour et appliqué à un programme qui verra le remplacement de l'ensemble du parc de logements protégés d'une collectivité locale. Cet outil a deux fonctions : (1) renseigner le processus d'évaluation opéré par le client et contribuer à la sélection du consortium de soumissionnaires privilégiés à travers une série d'étapes du processus IFP ; et (2) améliorer la qualité de toutes les conceptions soumises grâce à un processus itératif. Bien que plusieurs mécanismes existants soient disponibles pour évaluer les attributs de performance des bâtiments, il y en a peu qui abordent également les attributs moins tangibles des équipements, qui sont essentiels pour pouvoir se sentir chez soi. Ce nouvel outil met l'accent sur les attributs des équipements sans négliger les performances.

Keywords:

• amenity attributes
• design assessment
• design quality
• housing
• performance attributes
• private finance initiative (PFI)
• sheltered housing

Mots clés:

• attributs des équipements
• évaluation de la conception
• qualité de la conception
• logement
• attributs de performance
• initiative de financement privé (IFP)
• logement protégé

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge funding from the Technology Strategy Board, the Arts and Humanities Research Council, and North Tyneside Council through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership that permitted the engagement of the Researcher as a KTP Associate. The encouragement of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) Design and Sustainability Group, RIBA Enterprises, and the CIB Working Commission W096 Architectural Management is appreciated. Informal feedback about the benefits of the tool from the final two bidders is also acknowledged.

Notes

1 It soon became apparent that a full-time researcher would be needed to work in the local authority project team. This was achieved through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership, in which the researcher was supervised by two members of staff from the Architecture Group.

2 This was comprised of the Assistant Project Manager and Lead Communication Officer (from the authority), a Tenant Focus Group (eight members) from local authority sheltered homes in North Tyneside, representatives of the local community over 50 years of age (four members), a representative of the North Tyneside Coalition for Disabled People, a manager of the local Alzheimer Society, a representative of the Coalition for Older People, and a representative of the Primary Care Trust.

3 Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) – assesses environmental and sustainability issues, 1990 (http://www.breeam.org).

Post-Occupancy Review of Buildings and their Engineering (PROBE) – assesses the technical performance of commercial and public buildings, 1995 (Cohen, Standeven, Bordass, and Leaman, 2001).

Design Excellence Evaluation Process (DEEP) for Defence Estates, 2003 (http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/E9EA71D4-248F-4692-B2EC-7FAAA3147369/0/deep_summary.pdf).

Design Quality Indicator for Schools, 2008 (http://www.dqi.org.uk/website/dqiforschools/default.aspa).

Achieving Excellence Design Evaluation Toolkit, 2001 (http://www.shine-network.org.uk/?p=module_articles&aid=122).

USE tool for evaluating usability of workplaces, 2009 (http://www.metamorfose.ntnu.no/Artikler/w111_pub3301_Usability_Mapping_Tool_side17-29.pdf).

4 For the full list papers, see Sharma (2013).

5 It can be found on the agency's website (http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/architecture-design-quality-evaluation-tool).