The guidance note which follows was prepared by Robert Adam in consultation with the RIBA Practice Committee and Planning Policy Group. It has also been issued for comment to the RICS, the RTPI and CABE and has had very positive feedback from those organisations. It was presented to Council in May and is now issued as guidance to members and as a means of assisting the planning process.
Recommended Design Stages and Procedures in the Preparation of Full Planning Applications:
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Adherence to these procedures will not create a good design - a good design can only be created by a good designer.
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The standards are intended to indicate the considerations that will underlie most good designs. They are also applicable to listed buildings and conservation areas.
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The level of input for each item, stage or point will vary considerably according to the scale or type of development .
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Some procedures go beyond the RIBA recommended work stages for the preperation of an application for full development control approval. Other professionals or experts may be responsible for some items or tasks.
1. The full project brief and the functional requirements of the development should be established.
2. The physical dimensions, the condition, character and constraints of the site should be surveyed and appraised.
3. National and local government planning policy for the development of the site should be identified. Clarification should be sought and discussed with relevant authorities if appropriate.
4. If appropriate, the technological, energy and sustainability requirements for the development should be established.
5. The site should be considered and analysed in relation to its immediate surroundings and its wider urban and/or landscape setting. This does not of necessity mean that new development should be equal in design, form, mass or height with its surroundings.
6. The impact of the brief and function in relation to the site, setting, local and national policies, the relevant community or communities and the immediate and wider environment should be considered.
7. Where appropriate, investigations or consultations should be undertaken with affected interests, authorities or communities.
8. Clear and demonstrable design principles or a design vision should be established. These principles or this vision should be compatible with the criteria and interests established above.
9. A design should be prepared that is consistent throughout with the design principles or vision. The design should include consideration of space, mass, volume, plan, materials and the composition of elements.
10. The application should sufficiently illustrate the design and its expression of the design principles or design vision and the wider impact of the development. Consideration should be given to the scope and the presentation, which may need to include special drawings, diagrams, models or any other descriptive media.
Robert Adam, May-August 2001