I would like to talk about the added value that good design can bring to the home, the workplace and society in general.

I am passionate about architecture, I see it as my vocation and in many ways my hobby. As such I am unashamedly biased in promoting the importance of architectures role in society and how it can improve our lives.

This may sound arrogant and self serving : this is often said of architects; somebody called Karen Moyer apparently caught this vibe when she said

“Architects believe that not only do they sit at the right hand of God, but that if God ever gets up, they take the chair.”

I think this is a bit over the top but it probably comes from genuine conviction that the subject of architecture is more important than any other.

I don’t see it quite that way; essentially it is a backdrop to our lives and there are still isolated civilisations who get on quite happily without architecture with a capital A. However for us in western society good architecture goes beyond merely providing shelter to influencing how we feel, how we live and how others see us.

Winston Churchill is credited with saying “we shape our buildings and therafter they shape us”

Much more recently another leading Tory said,

“Of all the arts, architecture has the most profound effect on how we live. It gives form to our environment, gives expression to our collective identity and gives us all the opportunity to be inspired daily. Poor architecture doesn’t just blight the lives of those condemned to live and work in ugly buildings, it cheapens the lives of all those who encounter it. The consequences of poor building design are borne by us all.”

So what does this all mean?

At its simplest level we all live in buildings; depending on personality we find a sense of wellbeing living in spaces that have good natural light; attract the suns rays and look out onto attractive gardens and views beyond. HBK have been involved in the redesign & alteration of homes where the existing interiors required electric light most of the time and the garden couldn’t be seen. Afterwards the garden became a natural extension of the house and lights are only required when it’s dark; we have grateful clients as a result.

Some of us probably went to primary schools where the décor was essentially drab and window cills were high so you couldn’t see out; now schools are vibrant in colour and encourage direct contact with the outdoors. My own children have attended the same primary that I did; In my day it was a drab prison like interior; now it’s vibrant & stimulating and my kids have enjoyed their formulative years much more than I did as a result; I believe this has a lot to do with design intervention & the various remodelling and renovations that have happened since I was there; obviously better teaching methods and not being trounced daily also helps.

In the working environment good design increase productivity and encourages people to achieve higher standards; my practice occupied a basement for many years and I am convinced the dark and gloom hampered our creativity; Even I didn’t really appreciate this, until we moved to the light filled upper floors of the building and realised what we were missing; our mood improved; since then we moved to purpose built offices, We see that clients view us differently again, expect higher standards from us and this makes us raise our game.

When you travel to a different city and want to eat, are you going to go in to the restaurant with the dirty exterior & small windows you can hardly see through, that looks dark and dingy or the one that’s presented clean and has an interior that opens onto the street to invite you in. Ironically the smoking ban has helped locally to create more open fronted restaurants. We have opened up pub and restaurant facades onto terraces that have undoubtedly attracted new business. Going to these places has become more special for the customers and increased profits for the owners.

Indeed, what attracts people to certain cities; it is the quality of their architecture; the design of their building and space in between; the collective identity they create. This has long been recognised as important in attracting tourists but is also important in attracting economic investment.

Cities all over the world recognise this and many vie to have the tallest building , the best museum or the most crazy stadium. To compete these days every city seems to need signature buildings; at best these act as catalysts to regenerate areas in decline at worst they are white elephants that inspire temporarily.
“Architecture is reflective of its time” the Romans had their coliseum, the Chinese now have the Olympic bird’s nest stadium in Beijing.

In Belfast and most provincial towns you can see buildings which reflect the recent building boom, founded on easier access to borrowing. There are some good examples and there are some bad. Generally the better are amongst public funded works were there is more scrutiny, such as recent healthcare buildings for example. There are also good private examples such as the refurbishment and extensions at the Merchant Hotel. Poorer examples are mostly found in apartment developments where greater density, use of cheaper materials and finishes has been necessitated by rising land prices and the need to maintain profit. Profit is not a dirty word, it is the major motive for any private development and should be a force for good building. It is the better quality apartment developments which will sell or rent best over the long term.

Our current recession whilst unwelcome gives us time to take stock and the slower pace of building provides opportunity to build better. The tendency to avoid all investment in capital works by government and by the private sector to do likewise should not mean that we give up altogether. Good design is not merely about how something looks; it encompasses efficiency in construction, value for money and fitness for purpose.

Small investments in our buildings can make huge differences and we all should be seeking out opportunity to make them.

Stephen Salley
Principal, HBK Architects