Architects Datafile - 02.2020

4NEWS

WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK ADF FEBRUARY 2020

FROM

THE EDITOR

The ‘Living with Beauty’ report by the Government’s Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission, is the final

part of the legacy of the controversial conservative philosopher Roger Scruton, who died last month. The

document lays down over 100 policy recommendations to planners and government, including planting two

million trees on streets.

For new housing developments, it proposes that developers are incentivised to show a “commitment to quality,”

receiving fast tracked approval for good design. However the report did not pinpoint a specific menu of beauty

criteria to aim for, but critiqued new developments for not being as beautiful as Georgian or Victorian

counterparts, for example because cities are currently designed around cars.

Its approach is uncompromising, but because of that, its aims are certain to be compromised. It proposes a “new

development and planning framework, in which beauty will be “the benchmark that all new developments

should meet.” The definition is broad: “It includes everything that promotes a healthy and happy life, everything

that makes a collection of buildings into a place.” This could be a double-edged sword, meaning beauty remains

in the eye of the beholder/planner, but also perhaps supports a wider idea of beauty than merely established

aesthetic conventions.

The disconnect between architects, as the arbiters of context-sensitive design quality, has led to a drop in quality,

says the report, with developments “cut off from the leadership of the architectural profession” – not news to

ADFreaders. They often don’t get as far as being castigated for “pastiche” by using traditional idioms, which the

report says “makes architects’ task harder; they must either work without a determinate style, or invent a style

anew for each commission, rather than being able to fall back on an inherited set of refined solutions.”

There are wide-ranging community-oriented proposals for fixing the problems. But which of these are realistic,

when we have built on average 130,500 homes per year over the last decade – well under half the 300,

homes per year that the Government wants to see? Modular housing is being seen as the panacea, and a raft of

housebuilders are now jumping on board, some larger players even building their own factories turning out

prefabricated ‘plug and play’ homes.

How do these fit into the aims of ‘Living with Beauty’? There’s no reason why modular homes cannot be made

as context-friendly and aesthetically pleasing as their Victorian counterparts. However this is of course

subjective, and developers’ logistical urges, perhaps for lower-pitched roofs to get under road bridges, may not

chime with what planners demand. This has recently plagued affordable housebuilder Ilke Homes’ efforts to

create more practical modular solutions.

The real world of putting the numbers on the ground required to a good, sustainable standard – and a layout

that works for residents – is a far cry from the higher, some may say idealistic aims of the commission. A real-

world approach is however crucial. ADFwill be surveying readers on their views on offsite in coming weeks; the

results should be interesting.

James Parker

Editor

ON THE COVER...

A new pier has opened for the Thames’ main river taxi

which provides new public space as well as vital

transport infrastructure. The design features a folded

steel roof that helps bring light into the space.

Cover image © James Brittain

For the full report on this project, go to page 62

02.

ROYAL WHARF PIER, LONDONA design that delivers ‘two’ piers for the price of one on theThames, plus new public space

CITY PLAZA, WUPPERTAL, GERMANY Revitalising a railway district with a curvy gold Primark store

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