Lukewarm welcome for national design guide – that doesn’t mention architects

摘要

The profession has given a lukewarm welcome to the government’s new National Design Guide which was launched this week – pointing out that it doesn’t contain the word “architect” once in its 65 pages. The National Design Guide: Planning Practice Guidance for Beautiful, Enduring and Successful Places was announced by new housing secretary Robert Jenrick at the Stirling Prize ceremony as part of the government’s commitment to building homes of greater quality and quantity. It forms part of a revised suite of planning practice guidance (PPG) being issued by his department (the MHCLG) to support the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Its chapters are centred around 10 characteristics of well-designed places that contribute to the themes in the NPPF. The visual guide was produced by Tibbalds and the Design Council after a procurement exercise which followed the widely welcomed appointment of former PRP chairman Andy von Bradsky as the government’s head of architecture. He and the chief planner, Steve Quartermain, were both at the Stirling dinner where Jenrick applauded the winner, Goldsmith Street social housing by Mikhail Riches and Cathy Hawley.