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"Newcastle-based practice Space Group is developing its own version for a primary school that could be erected in six weeks for £1,200 per sq m."

Hello?

£1,200 per sq m?

That's £ 12,917 per sq ft?

Does someone on BD Oline want me to perform proof reading of articles before they publish them?

"We won’t be getting any ’award-winning architects’ to design it, because no-one in this room is here to make architects richer."

They'll be millionaires after their first job it its built for £1,200 per sq.m.

As for the comments made by Gove, while in Britain a high price seems to go hand in hand with award winning design, I'm not sure the same is true in Ireland.

Many of the RIAI and AAI awards are given to buildings in the middle bracket, value-led minimalist, modernist design.

I refer Mr. Gove to the work of McGarry Ni Eanaigh in this regard, a firm who have won many awards and still managed to work within budgetary constraints.

http://www.mcgnie.ie/

I also refer him to McCullough Mulvin Architects

http://www.mcculloughmulvin.com/

They have just completed the new Trinity Long Room Hub and are working on the Dublin Dental Hospital.

I should point out that I am not affiliated to that in any way commercially. Michael McGarry, Niall McCullough and Valarie Mulvin were a studiomasters in third and fourth year when I passed through Bolton Street DIT in the 'Eighties.

This should come as no surprise - the principals of many of the better offices in Ireland also teach.

As far as I know their buildings wear well, don't leak and don't cost a fortune to build - given the brief requirements.

You don't need to adopt flat pack churn-them-out teaching methods because some lacklustre accountant who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing says you do.

Don't let's give's lack of awareness of the benefits of design stifle creativity over in Britain.