A wide range of advocacy activities are undertaken by the office that engage with stakeholders across government as well as the public.
Good Design
Good design is not a subjective idea; it can be defined and measured.
Notions of design quality extend beyond taste, style and appearance to encompass functionality, sustainability, response to context, structural integrity, flexibility in use, and cost efficiency, both during construction and over the life of the building. Most importantly, good design results in an environment that performs well for all users and the broader community.
Good design refers to how things work, not just how they look. Good design is about functionality, performance and build quality as much as innovation and creativity. Good design delivers better value for money as well as better buildings, particularly when attention is paid to the full cost of a building over its lifetime.
The State Government’s State Planning Policy 7.0 Design of the Built Environment includes 10 principles that collectively form a definition of ‘good design’.
Why is good design important?
Improving the design quality of the built environment is proven to have a positive impact on communities.
Research demonstrates that investment in good design generates significant economic and social value. Collectively, the studies provide evidence that good design has positive impacts in the areas of crime prevention, housing amenity and resident well-being, healthcare and patient recovery, education outcomes, and business productivity.
Design Standards
In 2012, the Government Architect Western Australia (GAWA) launched a suite of Design Standards which set minimum design requirements for the State Government’s public works projects.
The Design Standards are organised into four categories of facility type – General, Education, Health and Justice – and are currently under review to ensure they remain consistent with best practice.
Events
‘Design Review for the future’
On Friday, the 17th September 2021, the Western Australian Planning Commission Chairman, David Caddy, the Government Architect Rebecca Moore, and the State Design Review Panel Manager Barbara Gdowski, presented at an event co-hosted by the Planning Institute of Australia, Australian Institute of Architects, Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, and the Association of Consulting Architects, titled; ‘Design Review for the future’.
After a welcome from David Caddy, Barbara Gdowski reflected on the SDRP pilot program, feedback, lessons learned and how the process has evolved.
Rebecca Moore discussed design review as a key collaborative process for the delivery of well-designed buildings, places and spaces, and how we can work together to shape the future of design review.
Following the presentations, there was a lively and collaborative discussion with a Panel which included; David Caddy (WAPC Chairman), Kathy Bonus (Chief Planning Advisor) and Rebecca Moore (Government Architect).
The event was held at The Melbourne Hotel and was attended by approximately 80 industry professionals.
Design Excellence Network
GAWA hosts the Design Excellence Network which is a cross-government and industry collaboration that meets regularly to share valuable information, initiatives and research that contribute to achieving design excellence in the built environment.
For further information please contact gawa@dplh.wa.gov.au.
Resources
To support our advocacy work the GAWA undertakes research to gather evidence of the value of good design. The GAWA also identifies contemporary best practice in design, and effective processes and policies that lead to successful built environment outcomes.
The following are a selection of useful resources that the GAWA often use in the course of our work.
Government Architect of New South Wales:
Better Placed – an integrated design policy for the built environment in NSW | Implementing Good Design | Greener Places | Design Excellence Competition Guidelines
Office of the Victorian Government Architect:
Government as Smart Client | 'The Case for Good Design'
NSW Department of Planning & Environment:
State Environmental Policy No 65 – Design Quality of Residential Flat Development | Apartment Design Guide
Transport for NSW
Australian Sustainable Built Environmental Council:
Australian Urban Design Protocol | Built to Perform | Improved Housing Outcomes
City of Sydney:
Competitive Design Policy
Design Council, UK:
The Value of Good Design | Design For Public Good | A Guide to Large Scale Urban Design | The Value of Public Space
