Social value is gaining traction – and not least in the built environment where it is becoming something of a holy grail for architects. It’s not a new concept, and neither is it new to the profession. Throughout history, architects have sought to add social value through their work, and very often succeeded.

It’s inevitably easier when you work for public bodies and philanthropists because social value is part of the lexicon. In the context of housing, the shift to private-sector provision that began in the 1980s has made it more difficult even to talk about. It hasn’t been easy for housing associations either. Being forced to compete with private developers when bidding for land and being expected to fund affordable housing through cross-subsidy has changed those conversations as well. But some have managed to stay close to the social values that their charitable status implies, and there’s a sense that many more are re-evaluating their corporate priorities and returning to a “people before profit” ethos.

Government policy is also shifting. Social value has been formally recognised since 2012 when it gained formal status on the pre-procurement agenda of public-sector clients through the Public Service (Social Value) Act. The original purpose of the act was to help the voluntary sector and social enterprises to access public-sector contracts and widen the definition of “value” beyond the financial; a laudable objective. It applies to all contracts covered by the Contracts Regulations (2015) and requires clients to consider how investment can improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of the relevant area, and how it secures that improvement through its approach to procurement. Anyone bidding for a public contract now has to explain how social value forms part of their offer.

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