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SCHOOL DESIGN
BUILDING OUR FUTURE: SCOTLAND'S SCHOOL ESTATE

1. INTRODUCTION

1. This publication provides guidance on school design. It has been developed as part of the school estate strategy, and complements the strategy document Building our Future: Scotland's School Estate.¹

2. Good design is essential to achieve schools which work well for all users and that will meet the needs of pupils, teachers and the wider community for years to come. This guidance should act as a starting point for inspiring the design of good quality school buildings.

3. This guide is in five sections:

Section 1 Introduction

Section 2 Principles of good school design

Section 3 Quality through procurement

Section 4 Examples of good practice in school design

Section 5 Further information

4. This guide is aimed at local authorities and other stakeholders with an interest in school building design, including pupils, staff, communities, architects, and construction and financial professionals. Achieving high quality standards in school buildings requires a strong partnership between all those involved in the process of designing, procuring and managing the school estate.

5. The Scottish Executive recognises the importance of good building design in meeting a range of policy objectives and has published a policy on architecture to promote and encourage investment in well designed buildings in both the public and private sectors. ²

2. PRINCIPLES OF GOOD SCHOOL DESIGN

WHY IS DESIGN IMPORTANT?

1. Good building design is not simply about aesthetics, but is the careful synthesis of many aspects of how a building functions and fits in with its environment and supports the activities of its users. This section highlights some key questions to consider when addressing the issue of design quality in school buildings.

2. Good design is the key to turn our vision for the school estate into reality. That vision is for:

• well designed, well built and well managed schools that:
• support national and local priorities;
• inspire children, young people, teaching and support staff and communities.
• a future school estate that:
• meets our aspirations;
• responds to evolving needs;
• is effectively managed and maintained over the long term.

3. The challenge is to secure the best possible design input to deliver well designed schools that will meet future needs and expectations and offer a positive environment that supports learning and teaching. The design of new or refurbished schools needs to take account of potential developments in education and other services that might be delivered through schools, as well as wider changes such as new technology. Local authorities, providers and designers all have a role to play in identifying and responding to these key drivers for change.

4. New school buildings will serve their communities for many years to come and need to be of good quality. Research shows that good design can add value to teaching and learning, improve pupil performance and staff morale and enhance the relationship between the school and the wider community. A well designed school should serve its pupils, teachers and staff well, and attract a positive attitude from parents and the wider community. ³

ACHIEVING GOOD DESIGN

5. Consideration of design issues needs to be built into the whole procurement and development process. Good design cannot be added on at a late stage or viewed as an optional extra. It is an essential part of achieving value for money, by ensuring that capital costs are competitive and that savings can be achieved on running costs without compromising the attractiveness and quality of the design. Good design can also contribute towards wider policy objectives such as sustainability and protection of the environment. Attention to design can generate efficiency savings, for example, through lower maintenance, energy and operating costs; more flexible use; and better planned security.

KEY DESIGN ISSUES

6. Opinions on what constitutes good design can be subjective. However, many of the issues can be assessed objectively, such as whether the building will function efficiently and effectively; whether there is clear evidence of thoughtful, and imaginative proposals that will deliver a significant step change in quality; and whether the materials, construction methods and proposed layout will contribute to long term value for money.

7. Design evaluation can be structured around a number of key components. These are set out below along with questions to prompt thinking about good design in any school project.

A clear architectural vision

Does the design reflect the aspirations for a building which has architectural and civic status without being institutional?

Is there a clear and strong architectural concept underpinning the form and character of the building, and how spaces relate to each other?

Is the scale and proportion appropriate, for example, for younger pupils?

Does the design provide a variety of interesting and uplifting spaces?

Will all users of the building be satisfied with the design?

A functional and efficient layout that works well

Will the proposed accommodation provide spaces that are well proportioned, efficient, fit for purpose and meet the requirements of the brief?

Does the layout enhance the operational efficiency of the activities taking place in the building?

Does the design provide excellent teaching, cultural and sporting facilities?

Is this an intelligent, smart design that provides added business and social value?

Does the layout and orientation of the building take full advantage of the opportunities offered by the site, such as improved energy use?

Build quality and durability

Will the completed building be built to last and be easy to maintain?

Is the design based on whole life cost principles?

Have running and maintenance costs of the building been considered at the design stage?

Has the choice of materials taken account of the location, exposure and surrounding context?

Is the detailing of junctions and materials well considered, robust and attractive?

How will the building appear in different conditions, for example, in sun and rain, at night, and in different seasons; and will it age gracefully?

Have artists or craftspeople been engaged in the project as part of the design or construction team?

Structural integrity, environmental services and energy use

Have the structural and environmental strategies been taken forward in an integrated way from the outset of the project?

Does the design take full advantage of natural light and ventilation?

Does the design provide a comfortable environment for users throughout the year?

Does the design provide for the environmental conditions in the building to be adjusted locally rather than from a central control point?

Does the design provide good acoustics throughout?

Accessibility

Does the design take account of the needs of children and adults with a disability?

Is the design of classrooms and other spaces inclusive of children with additional support needs?

Are external play and social areas fully accessible by all users?

Are entrances well positioned, safe, welcoming and attractive?

Does the design provide for a safe and secure environment for pupils and staff in a discrete manner, which has been considered at the initial design stage?

Flexibility and adaptability

Can the design be easily adapted to cater for future changes of use, or expansion or contraction of facilities?

Does the design allow for flexibility in the use of teaching and social spaces?

Has the design of shared spaces been adequately considered to prevent unsatisfactory compromises, for example, in multi-use spaces?

Is the design sufficiently flexible to promote and accommodate community use?

Sustainability and ecology

Has the design been developed on environmentally friendly and ecologically sound principles and genuine commitment to sustainability issues?

Does the design seek to conserve use of energy, water and other resources?

Does the design use the natural characteristics of the site, including any changes in levels and orientation, to maximise potential passive solar and wind gains and minimise energy losses?

Are materials used non-toxic and non-polluting and selected from certified sustainable sources?

Does the design of the building and the school grounds promote bio-diversity?

Sense of place, external landscaping and social integration

Do the school buildings and their external spaces provide an attractive setting which contributes positively to the local community?

Have the external spaces and landscape design been considered as an integral part of the project from the outset?

Does the design provide for a variety of attractive external spaces, which relate well to each other and provide links to internal spaces?

Do the scale and form of the buildings contribute positively to the neighbourhood and surrounding community?

Do the external spaces provide a range of learning opportunities, such as ecology and nature studies and creative activities?

THE CLIENT

8. Because there is no single blueprint for the design of schools, and each school will have its own unique mix of users, objectives and communities, it is important that users, such as teachers, pupils and communities, are consulted in the design process. Clients should establish their views and aspirations, and their aims will become the reference point throughout the design and construction stages, and can be used to test the overall success of the project over the longer term.

9. At the beginning of the project, the client will need to establish the nature and scale of what is required. As with any building project, the initial stages are vital, and a period when most value can be added. Providing sufficient time and resources for strategic thinking will pay dividends in the long run. An informed client is critical to the success of a project.

10. Key issues for the client to consider are:

• setting project budgets based on a realistic and full analysis of the maintenance and running costs and benefits of the building over its whole life
• setting and maintaining clear benchmarks for expected design quality, based on good practice
• communicating design needs throughout the design, procurement and construction stages
• allowing sufficient time for full consultation with all stakeholders and end users and for the development of fully considered proposals ensuring all stakeholders and users are consulted from the beginning to the end of the process
• ensuring that providers and their design teams understand and are fully committed to meeting high design aspirations
• ensuring that all aspects of planning, design and construction are considered and that adequate fee budgets are provided.

EVALUATING DESIGN QUALITY

11. A number of tools have been developed to assist in evaluating design quality:

• Quality Indicators in the Design of Schools (QIDS) ⁴ has been produced by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) to assist in the process of setting objectives relating to design quality. Its purpose is to stimulate debate within stakeholder and user groups to help create a vision document for a project, which can be used to inform the project brief.
• Design Quality Indicators (DQIs) ⁵ has been developed by the Construction Industry Council (CIC). These are set out in a questionnaire that can be completed by a range of stakeholders. The results of the completed questionnaires can then be evaluated to establish the relative weighting of different aspects of design appropriate to a particular project.

3.QUALITY THROUGH PROCUREMENT

1. This section examines the issues which clients need to take into account during the procurement process. Many of the new or refurbished school buildings will be procured using Public Private Partnerships (PPP), ⁷ and this section is intended to cover some of the challenges which require to be met within the PPP process in order to achieve the high quality in design described in the school estate strategy. The main focus of this section relates to the PPP process, but many of the issues, such as the need to develop a clear brief for the project and the need for consultation with stakeholders, are also applicable to non-PPP procurement.

2. A well managed PPP project offers:

• good value for money through a proper focus on whole life costing, fully integrating _ under the responsibility of one party - up-front design and construction costs, with ongoing service delivery, operational, maintenance and refurbishment costs
• an integrated supply team is in place from the earliest stages of the design process, which should help to ensure that maximum design value is generated, and that functional and workable design solutions are developed
• wider opportunity and incentive for innovative solutions as to how service requirements can be delivered.

3. Quality and innovation in design depend on the client to demand the best and to ensure that this is delivered through the procurement process. PPP is more complex than traditional procurement methods and requires a client to be knowledgeable and organised in managing the process, to ensure that well-designed, fit for purpose schools are the outcome.

4. Local authorities procuring new buildings require openness to innovative approaches to achieve design quality, under any procurement route. The challenge for designers in PPP projects is to capture the special qualities identified by the local authority, and to avoid producing solutions that are so conservative that they limit innovation. And the challenge for bidders and providers is to get the whole team working closely together to produce an outstanding project.

5. Local authorities should specify and demand quality and innovation and should establish appropriate and realistic budgets to achieve this: they should regularly check to see that this is being delivered. They should expect providers to think about design quality and to be prepared to be judged on the innovation and quality of the schools they offer. There should be full discussion of the educational and community needs and of operational requirements.

SET OUT AND MAINTAIN ASPIRATIONS FOR DESIGN QUALITY

6. At the outset, the client should set out their aspirations for design quality and their requirements should be reinforced through all subsequent stages of the process. Throughout the PPP process there will be various stages when design quality and fitness for purpose will be discussed, specified, evaluated and checked. At the outset of the project there are many factors to be considered and many individual views to be taken into account, not least the views and aspirations of schools involved in the programme and their surrounding communities. A review of existing community facilities in the area served by the school can, for example, help to determine the need for access to sporting or cultural facilities.

7. Setting clear objectives at the outset is essential: the scale and duration of the PPP competitive process is lengthy and, without clear objectives, there is a risk of delay, unplanned change and compromise, disillusionment and potential project failure. The objectives should take account of the client's vision for the character of the school environment and the need to reinforce a particular ethos. Discussions with professional advisers at the earliest stage can assist in determining and defining design priorities and setting project objectives.

BECOME AN INFORMED CLIENT

8. An informed client is essential to the success of any project. Local authorities should visit completed PPP projects and other well-designed schools; judge the results and find out what those local authorities would now improve in their new schools or in the process; study the limitations of proposed sites and consult the wider community to inform this process; consider how their projects might improve on other completed projects; consult with design professionals and contractors; read widely about the subject; create a reference library for their projects; and, through networking, set new good practice.

9. The examples of school buildings from around Europe set out in section 4 provide a starting point for consideration of what makes a well designed school. QIDS highlighted in Section 2 also provide a useful reference to many of the design issues which need to be considered by local authorities. Further sources of information are listed in section 5 of this guidance.

10. Local authorities should summarise their objectives and establish some benchmarks of quality, taking particular care to note what is essential and what will be unacceptable in the schools being developed. This will be an invaluable base for the brief and the evaluation of schemes put forward during the competitive process.

ASSESS IN-HOUSE SKILLS AND CONSIDER EXTERNAL ADVICE

11. Before carrying out an initial analysis of a building project, the local authority needs to assess its own capacity and skills base and, where required, recruit the necessary skills, covering issues such as financial, legal and early advice from the design professions. Client side design and educational advice will be required throughout the PPP process, but is particularly important in the early stages to inform strategic thinking.

12. A strong and expert executive client team is of fundamental importance in achieving quality. PPP changes the traditional relationship of support between the design team and the client and end users in that, within the PPP process, the design team works to the provider. As a result, it is necessary for local authorities to appoint or identify an adviser, who may be external, to provide client side design advice.

13. Local authorities should consider appointing a design champion, independent from the project team, whose remit is to promote design issues within the context of an authority's wider policies on design, creativity, inclusion and urban regeneration. Every client procuring a new building should consider the opportunity to champion design and be open to innovative approaches that promote design quality.

DETERMINE THE OPTIMUM SIZE OF THE PROJECT

14. Local authorities should think carefully about the impact of the scale of the project, for example, involving several schools, and take account of issues, such as the amount of work required in advance of, and during, the negotiation process. Appropriate attention must be paid to the design of individual schools in relation to their unique circumstances: this may be encouraged by the appointment of more than one architect by the consortium. Such an approach could also improve the access to the PPP market for smaller design firms, which, in turn, may encourage more innovation in practice. This can create diversity between schools and avoid inappropriate standardisation, and enable manageable workloads for those involved to ensure that design does not get skimped and that design quality does not suffer. Local authorities may also wish to consider a rolling programme, where work is undertaken on a sequential basis.

ESTABLISH THE RIGHT BUDGET

15. Local authorities need to have a clear view on the level of funds available for a project from the outset and these must be underpinned by realistic and affordable assumptions. The Public Sector Comparator (PSC) is intended to provide an important test for project budgets. PSC costings should, therefore, reflect the high standards that local authorities intend PPP projects to achieve. As part of this, clients should place an appropriate value on the added benefits of design quality.

16. Setting out a clear position on affordability at the outset allows bidders to focus on quality in their submissions. This should be based on a model, which appropriately costs the risks, which are to be borne by the private sector. This is particularly relevant in school refurbishment projects.

ALLOW SUFFICIENT TIME AND RESOURCES TO AGREE OBJECTIVES AND ESTABLISH BENCHMARKS

17. Sufficient time and resources must be allocated for strategic thinking, in order to agree objectives and establish benchmarks; assess in-house skills and, for example, appoint a design champion, a design adviser and external consultants; determine the optimum size of the project; establish the budget; test value for money; and plan project management.

18. PPP projects can vary considerably in size and complexity, which makes it difficult to set a standard timetable for the process. The client should take time at the outset to develop a plan of work that maps out the phases of the PPP procurement process and identifies, against each phase, the opportunities to influence design. Sufficient time should be allocated for the preparation of the output specification and other reference material by the client, and for both scheme and detail design by the consortium's design team. The bidder should assemble the best design team and keep it together throughout the process.

19. In some projects, meeting a critical opening date, such as the start of a new school year, will be important. This should be made clear to bidders from the outset of the process. Insufficient time in the programme is likely to squeeze design time after contract signature, and design quality is likely to suffer as a result. One of the major threats to design quality is the potential for design time to be constrained as a result of an unrealistic programme. This is particularly relevant when there may be a package of schools within the project and design time and expertise may be spread too thinly, with the consequent risk of badly considered standardisation resulting in schools that are unsuited to individual sites or contexts.

CONSULT USERS AND PRIORITISE NEEDS

20. One of the keys to a successful project outcome is to involve users early and often within the process. It is therefore very important that, from the beginning of the project, as part of developing the outline business case and the output specification, there is well managed consultation with staff, pupils and the wider community. There should also be consultation with community planning partners to explore the potential of integrating related public services, such as a nursery or library, onto one site. Projects will inevitably result in better facilities and the consequent increased level of demand should be assessed, along with the implications on matters such as size, durability and access.

21. The outline business case should include statements setting out expectations, and acceptable thresholds, for design quality. It is also essential for end-users to be properly consulted by the bidding teams, and sufficient time should be allowed for users or their representatives to carry out the contact duties that will be required during the process. Particular care is required in projects involving several schools, with their respective users, and managing user consultation needs to be given particular attention to ensure stakeholders' views are taken into account.

DEVELOP THE BRIEF AND SPECIFICATION

22. A clear design brief is essential for any procurement. In order to reap the greatest benefit from the PPP process, and to ensure that the school's users and stakeholders are provided with what they need, it is critical that their requirements are rigorously identified and clearly set out. Initial design work in PPP projects can contribute to inform the brief, test options and identify risks. This can also test budgets and inform the output specification. Initial work can vary from the establishment of general design principles for the site to the provision of a more developed reference scheme for key areas of the school.

23. A strong brief that has been developed in consultation with users is essential for the provision of better design and should encourage the quality and innovation of bids. A rigorous approach to this stage of work, with an adequate level of investment and the appointment of talented design teams, will significantly improve the client's capacity to deliver a quality project. Conversely, proceeding with sketchy and under-investigated assumptions can be detrimental to the outcome of the project. Local authorities should ensure that the best possible design firms are appointed to carry out the initial design work, as this will set a benchmark against which later work can be measured in respect of the quality requirement for the schools.

DESIGN REFERENCE SCHEME

24. Across all procurement methods, there is a need for the client to properly understand and communicate their design aspirations before appointing the contractual team. Preparation of a design reference scheme can add value to the process, as it works to improve both client and bidder understanding of key design issues and can have a positive impact on value for money. A reference scheme is an outline design, commissioned in advance of the formal tender process, which is intended to assist the client to identify and prioritise needs, to help to define the business case, and to articulate the client's vision for the school through the iterative process of working directly with designers.

25. A reference scheme is used to validate the outputs and outcomes that the client is seeking from the project. The development of a reference scheme can, therefore, provide an important learning opportunity for local authorities investigating the feasibility of a school building project. It can also provide a means of learning about the development process for first time clients. The process of developing a reference scheme can provide opportunities for the involvement of stakeholders and wider community, which can help to inform the brief. It can also enable particular design issues and educational ambitions to be explored at a strategic level before the process of involving bidders takes place.

26. A well thought out reference scheme can provide a benchmark for quality and can be valuable in assessing providers' bids. A reference scheme can also provide useful information to inform the output specification. This initial design work should not act to inhibit innovation by bidders, but should provide them with a useful benchmark of the quality expected in the bidding process. Bidders can either adopt or improve upon the reference scheme design, or can seek to do better through their own design proposals. Because a reference scheme can considerably improve bidders' comprehension of user needs and client vision, this can result in reduced need for clarification, fewer misunderstandings and thus significantly reduce negotiation time. Value for money may be improved through the cost benefits passed back to the client from reduced bidding costs.

OUTPUT SPECIFICATION

27. A key factor in the selection of a consortium and in achieving high quality design is that the client has a well developed view of what it wants and that this is clearly stated in the output specification. Design statements that set out the local authority's aspirations should be incorporated into the output specification. Output specifications should not be overly prescriptive but where there are specific design requirements these should be clearly stated. The output specification may also contain statements on the local authority's approach to issues such as sustainability. The critical factor is that the local authority has carefully assessed and defined its priorities before going to the market.
[Note: The Scottish Executive is developing further guidance on the preparation of output specifications for school PPP projects.]

EVALUATING DESIGN QUALITY

28. It is important to establish the criteria for judging design within bids before inviting submissions and to make these criteria clear to bidders. These should be established early in the PPP process and the criteria, together with their weightings, should be published: this will send a clear signal about the client's commitment to design quality. Local authorities may wish to strengthen the process by taking on additional design expertise to assist in the evaluation of bids: again, communicating this to bidders will underline the client's commitment to achieving good design.

29. General guidance on achieving value for money in works procurement, based on seeking to achieve an optimum combination of whole life costs and quality, is set out in the Scottish Executive Client Pack. ⁸ This includes advice on a structured approach to evaluating bids and may also be useful in a PPP context.

30. It is important that design quality is given appropriate weighting in bid evaluation. With the increased standardisation of contracts in relation to financial, legal and facilities management, it should be possible to focus more on design quality as a key selection criteria. An indicative weighting for the evaluation of PPP bids might be:

Construction and Design 50-60%

Financial, Legal and Commercial 20-25%

Facilities Management 20-25%

31. When local authorities are committed to design, it should be clearly recognised by bidders that there are certain criteria, including quality of design, which, if not met, could result in elimination from the bidding process. Appraising design proposals is a complex task and the client team should include advisers with the appropriate skills to assist with this process. Recently developed tools, such as DQIs and QIDS, offer a means of objectively assessing design quality.

32. Once established, the commitment to design should be sustained throughout the process and bidders should be aware of this intention.

Principal components of DQIs

ALLOW SUFFICIENT TIME FOR DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

33. The time from financial close to start on site creates a pressure point on design. It is at this stage that details are developed and refined, and when structure and services are co-ordinated. This is when the quality of the detailing is created and refined, and sufficient time for it needs to be carefully safeguarded.

34. Unless well managed, the final selection process risks seeing design quality driven down and the removal of features that are important to the success of the design. This can be extremely detrimental to the design outcome and have a negative impact on a long-term functioning of the building. Assessment and competition should focus on the quality that can be delivered within the budget. Best and Final Offers (BAFO) raise a particular challenge in this area: a well-scoped project at the Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) stage should remove any uncertainty in the project specification and should remove the need for a BAFO.

35. Sufficient time must be allowed for design work between the selection of the preferred bidder and financial close. The main risk to design quality after appointment of the preferred bidder is that of time compression for the design team. It is vital to ensure that, once a preferred bidder is in place, the pressure on time to start building does not impede the ability to ensure good design quality. This emphasises the need for the client to adopt a realistic timetable for the entire PPP process. This issue particularly applies with grouped schools packages where the design load can put pressure on delivery for even the largest design practices. Using more than one design team is an option that might be considered to relieve this pressure.

AVOID 'DESIGN DRIFT' BETWEEN PREFERRED BIDDER STAGE AND FINANCIAL CLOSE

36. Clients must be aware that their negotiation position changes after preferred bidder stage. The client needs to be particularly robust to avoid potential 'design drift' where the preferred bidder may seek to downgrade the specification. Because the design team is under the control of the bidding organisation, the client must regularly and rigorously check that the contractor is not reducing quality or eliminating elements of the project, and must stand by their aspirations during this period. However, this period also offers a potential partnership in which creative development of a proposal can occur to maximise value. Achieving this requires a skilled client and a consortium that remains committed to achieving good quality design.

MAINTAIN QUALITY ON SITE

37. There is a risk that, once the project moves on to site, the client may underestimate the effort which continues to be required to maintain design quality. In any project shortcuts in terms of the quality of materials, finishes and general workmanship can put the overall design quality of the project at risk. The client's design advisers should continue to monitor quality of design and finishes through the construction process. These advisers should also ensure that design aims are not eroded through the management of change during the project. If design standards and quality thresholds are clearly defined, then the review process throughout the delivery stage should provide sufficient safeguards against quality dilution. A structured process of quality checks during construction should be established to ensure delivery against specification. All partners should be involved in these checks as changes can have an impact on a wide range of issues, such as the provision of resource areas for facilities management and the quality of finishes, which can affect cleaning and maintenance.

EVALUATION

post project evaluation

38. The purpose of a post project evaluation (PPE) is to review the success of the project against its original objectives, its performance in terms of time, cost and quality outcomes and whether it has delivered value for money. It can contribute to the continuous refinement and improvement of the PPP process and offers an opportunity to share lessons among local authorities. A PPE should be carried out within 6 months of the completion of the project and before the break up of the design team.

post occupancy evaluation

39. A PPE can assist in achieving improvements in matters related to the design and construction process, while a post occupancy evaluation (POE) of schools provides an opportunity to achieve improvements in terms of the delivery of teaching and other service outcomes.

40. Both types of evaluation should be planned and agreed at the outset and project sponsors should ensure there is sufficient resource provision for the preparation of PPE and POE reports.

41. The feedback from these evaluations should make a strong contribution to enable PPP to continue to mature as a procurement method that delivers improved standards and design quality.

CONCLUSION

42. This section has focused on those areas of the PPP procurement process where design is most vulnerable and where, without client and service provider management, design can be either marginalised or overlooked. The success of a project in design terms depends on the skills, commitment and partnership of all those involved but, crucially, clients need to take the lead in setting their aspirations out clearly at the start of the project and ensuring these aspirations are delivered and not compromised.

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