On the face of it this is an interesting concept and one that I have been involved with for a while but I think it raises a potentially new conflict... how do you measure good design?
I have often joked about working with engineers being a simple task owing to the two possible answers - yes or no. This black and white world is more often than not directed by guidelines and standards. Now clearly this is not always the case and the world is full of fantastic engineers who test and challenge convention but I have attended one too many meetings with low-level road engineers spouting the VicRoads Manual without even the courtesy to consider how to apply the 'rules' to the reality of the problem at hand.
On the flip side, I have had the pleasure of working with great designers and everyone of them has a differing view on how the world should look and work. Rather than black or white this world could be described as vary scales of grey (albeit that sounds rather dull).
It is this variety of thinking and approach that leads to unique and exciting design. Without variety we end up with very average outcomes, in every sense of the word.
I am actually a believer in measuring urban design where it is possible and sensible. We have already developed tools that can take beautiful and well thought-out urban design driven concepts for a precinct and very quickly help to determine how they perform against criteria such as water use, energy consumption and carbon footprint.
These tools offer an almost real-time outcome which could have a very real impact on the design process, particularly in design charrette forums.
This is not the decision making tool but it is a tool that can help make decisions. I don't believe it should lead the design process but it can help influence design based on criteria that are increasingly important to us. Essentially it arms designers and decision makers with real information about how good design can impact on the use of commodities that we value, namely, water, energy and carbon. Phil Carter.
all images sourced Arup
