Culture minister Ed Vaizey asked Sir Terry to carry out a review into what role the government could or should have in promoting best practice in building design.
Since the call for evidence was launched in June, there have been more than 200 submissions and several workshop sessions.
Workshops have been attended by members of Sir Terry’s advisory panel and 192 individuals from built environment professions including education, planning, sustainability, architecture, landscape, urban design and policy making.
Workshops focused on specific themes including design quality and the role of government; the economic benefits of built environment design; cultural heritage and education, outreach & skills. Sessions were also organised around architectural policy, developers, sustainability, and landscape and urban design.
In an update issue by the architect yesterday, he said that some of the key themes that emerged were:
- placemaking, sustainability and holistic thinking should be central to any built environment policy;
- improving the everyday and making the ordinary better should be a focus;
- the right policies and the right people are key;
- greater accessibility in the professional education is needed;
- good work is being done through place-based learning at primary and secondary schools and with adults and communities through architecture centres;
- linking up and making the best use of existing bodies and institutions would prevent good work being lost;
- it would be good to break down silos in government, industry and education.
Sir Terry said: "The level of engagement, knowledge and experience shared during the consultation phase has been humbling. The workshops and call for evidence proved highly productive and we have a wealth of creative and pro-active ideas that we are now assessing and researching to make a very clear case to government and others. I am extremely grateful to those individuals and organisations who have made a contribution and their views will undoubtedly improve the outcome of the review.
“I will now spend the coming months meeting with the advisory panel and others, drafting and refining the review into something that will make a real difference and hopefully have an impact in Whitehall and beyond."
Future sessions include a round table for civil servants. Sir Terry’s team is also linking up with other reviews including the Taylor Review, Construction 2025 and the Housing Standards Review. Meetings have already taken place with other parliamentary and local government organisations including Labour’s shadow culture minister, the Local Government Association and the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Built Environment.
The full panel will meet again in October to discuss the findings and help shape the report, its dissemination and legacy.
Sir Terry is aiming to submit the report to the Department of Culture, Media & Sport at the end of the year and it is expected to be published in early 2014.
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