The Bishop Review

The Bishop Review was published recently. In a well written and calmly argued way sets out the case for a coordinated national system of design review to ensure the built environment is life enhancing but still value for money. It’s available for download here.

 It makes a lot of sense, so if you’re reading this post then I recommend you read it, you might agree with the conclusions as well. However, if you are reading this post then it’s likely you’re working in the construction industry, i.e. it’s naturally receptive audience. My concern is twofold; how we could move beyond the report and sell the principles of good design to the public directly and then in return have the public demand it of their government and secondly how can we address one of the conclusions, that of ‘Value led innovation in design is needed’.

 A fiery polemic wouldn’t have worked within the context of the report but the case in favour of good design needs to be made more forcefully, more widely and maybe even more bluntly. I also suspect that if the general public were polled and asked if good design was important, they’d be very much in favour. They’d also most likely want this balanced with affordability. The problem is we haven’t as a profession done enough in educating people as to what good design IS. We (the public) demand great design in technology, hence the success of the iPad, iPhone etc but are hazier about articulating our desire for great products in building.

Grand Designs, that great Wednesday pantomime for professionals is one few exposures to the process of building the general public have. Whether or not much of the programme is great design is a moot point, the public see highly expensive houses and consider the programme entertainment not fact. How  can Design Council CABE reach out to the general public?

Secondly, what is the definition of value led innovation? Assuming it means value in a cost sense there have been isolated examples of production influenced design and the aspiration is noble but we suffer from a certain lack of pioneering spirit in this respect.  Where are the loud advocates, the visionaries, the Levellers and the building Jamie Oliver’s? (Apologies to the Levellers for the comparison). Where are the school Huf houses or who is the new Jean Prouvé?.