Gayna Jones, the new chair of the Design Commission for Wales, explains its role and why one of its priorities is housing.
I am proud to succeed two excellent previous chairs, the architects Alan Francis and Professor Richard Parnaby. Their stewardship since 2002, when the Design Commission for Wales was first set up by Sue Essex, has led to a successful and vibrant organisation today. However, these are challenging times and there is still much to be done in promoting the benefits of good design to as wide an audience as possible in Wales.
The Commission promotes good design across sectors in pursuit of its vision for a Wales that is a better place. In particular DCFW believes that good design for the built environment captures value for the long term public good. The organisation is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Welsh Government based in Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff and works throughout Wales to help capture the value of good design through the planning process. The Commission recognizes the multi-disciplinary nature of the built environment and does not represent the interests of any single profession.
The staff team led by the chief executive Carole-Anne Davies is complemented by knowledgeable and experienced Commissioners, by a Design Review panel and through its advocates and HATCH design network (dcfw.org/hatch/). Their contributions add value, enabling the Commission to extend its reach and to punch well above its weight.
I have a housing background and am particularly interested in the work of the Commission in this area, for better homes and neighbourhoods. I became a Commissioner five years ago because over a long career in housing I have been on the receiving end of poor design. We all know estates designed for cars not children, or flats with a door entry system to the front and open access to the back. I have also experienced the effects of good design in promoting community cohesion and well-being.
I am pleased that housing, is a key strategic objective and we are pleased to have secured Welsh Government support for our endorsement of Building for Life 12 Wales (dcfw.org/building-for-life-12-wales/), the industry-recognised standard for urban design quality in residential development. We provide advice on small scale day to day developments, housing and neighbourhoods, masterplans and development briefs, as well as larger scale major developments and national infrastructure projects. We offer bespoke training for housing associations and local authorities (officers and elected members) with a focus on strategic items and securing design quality. We have just completed a Wales wide series of seminars across Wales, funded by the Welsh Government, on inclusive design – another key area for DCFW.
We are also concerned about the narrowness of opportunities for architects and designers in Wales and are keen to nurture talent. There is a failure to champion and stimulate home grown talent which risks a steady exodus of skills. In addition, the recent death of Zaha Hadid has again prompted a number of women architects and urban designers to speak out about sexism in the profession: 46 per cent of architectural students are women but only 24 per cent of these are practising architects. Too few practices are led by women. This represents a major failure to capture and retain talent in the profession.
The Commission established a new network called HATCH, an interdisciplinary group which is helping us to nurture talent and strengthen collaboration to communicate the power and the importance of good design.
Inspiring creative landscapes for a better legacy is another of our strategic aims. Demands on our landscape are complex and frequently conflict. Our Autumn 2015 conference LandMarks, accompanying exhibition and publication, called for a more inspirational approach aiming to inspire designers and decision makers shaping and managing land and landscape resources.
The Commission has also worked to support new approaches through projects that combine investment in development with grassroots activity and smaller scale intervention. For example, Shape My Town www.shapemytown.org is an innovative engagement tool developed with our partners for use by individuals or groups in their own communities and as a helpful framework for considering the emerging concept of place plans.
Our free Design Review Service dcfw.org/design-review provides offers early consultation on schemes, plans and projects all over Wales. With 30 inter-disciplinary design review panel members we are able to add considerable value through this robust and constructive design review process. The Design Review Panel has provided expertise, scrutiny and support on numerous projects including Cardiff’s Central Square and the new BBC Cymru Wales headquarters by Foster & Ptnrs, perhaps the most important development in the capital city for many years; for Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon, S4C headquarters Carmarthenshire, St Fagans National History Museum and many more. But we’re not only concerned with the large scale and everyday excellence, in our streets, public spaces, schools and homes commands much of our attention.
Look out for our events dcfw.org/events/, publications dcfw.org/publications and seminars that help to raise awareness, stimulate wider debate and communicate the benefits of good design. We do our best to share our knowledge, experience and expertise to inform debate and opinion, and we welcome broad perspectives. We are holding our Autumn conference in Cardiff this year to promote inter-disciplinary discussion and debate on place making and the importance of design in creating great spaces to live.
I believe that good design not only uses resources and energy efficiently, makes places and buildings more attractive but also and perhaps most importantly, adds value and enhances public good. My job and that of the Design Commission for Wales is to get this message across so that together we can work towards a Wales that is better by design.
Gayna Jones is chair of Design Commission for Wales, dcfw.org, @designcfw