Social value is an intrinsic aspect of good design. In this article, Nathmya Saffarini, associate principal at Arcadis, offers a unique perspective on the crucial role of social value in architecture and design
As architects and designers, we often embed social value without specifically recognising it during the design process.
To maximise social value in architecture and design, we need to not only demonstrate its benefits to clients, but also know how to implement it in the most effective way. Currently, the industry is struggling to do either.
Understanding the term Social value is not a straightforward fete. With a plethora of definitions, angles, and varying contexts, its meaning oscillates to fulfil varying requirements.
The Social value that is all-inclusive and really matters is generally defined as the quantification of the relative importance that people place on the changes they experience in their lives, as noted in the national network, Social Value UK.
What are the 8 principles of social value and impact?
Social Value UK outlines eight principles that further define social value and social impact:
- Involve stakeholders
- Understand change
- Value the things that matter
- Only include what is material
- Do not over claim
- Be transparent
- Verify the result
- Be responsive.
When applied, these principles allow projects to create consistent and credible accounts of the resultant social value impact a project has on its stakeholders and wider community.
Unfortunately, these principles are not fully understood by all architects and designers, and they don’t typically form part of a clear design workflow.
The built environment creates value for everyone who uses and interacts with it, not just its immediate users. Traditionally, social value was not viewed as having a return on real estate investment, however, clients are now asking architects and designers to demonstrate the real value in designing inclusively, not just for the immediate user.
In recent years, there has been a rather poor perception that success, when it comes to people, is only measured through footfall or occupancy levels. This is simply not the case.
So how do we measure real social value?
Aspects of social value in architecture and design are easily quantifiable, for example the number of jobs created, whilst others are of the qualitative nature and are subjective.
Although measuring the social value on projects can be complex, it should not prevent the development of strategies that consider the value associated with each design component.
The most important thing to focus on is understanding which elements of the project have the potential to bring about social benefits and gauging the level of these rewards.
A number of tools have been developed over the years by a variety of parties, ranging from government groups to architects and housing associations.
A review of these tools, currently in use within the architectural industry, was performed to identify key themes that could be addressed on architectural projects and evaluate the methods used to measure any associated outcomes including the Social Value Portal, the RIBA Social Value Toolkit, The National Themes, Outcomes and Measures (TOMs) framework from the UK Government and Housing Association Charitable Trust (HACT).
What is the SocialScout tool?
We’re working on a project to explore the creation of a tool to allow architects and designers to better understand and, ultimately, quantify the impact of their work.
A pilot version of our “SocialScout” tool was created to provide guidance to architectural teams through this complex topic in an effective and user-friendly way across a variety of project types.
The tool will offer guidance across project types and will not be limited to a specific sector as is the case with most tools.
It will also focus on qualitative aspects of the design providing the team with early guidance and the opportunity to ask the right questions at every stage of the design.
Integrating research in our design practice is a fundamental component of our strategy to achieve our people, planet and positive design goals. It is exciting to see how the firm wide level of research knowledge has increased in a short amount of time due to the work of our research team.
Architects and designers are often more aware of sustainability strategies and are comfortable implementing them in project designs, social value however remains a large unknown for many. Therefore, developing the SocialScout tool further is our attempt to fill this void
Social valuein architecture and design is becoming an even bigger part of our work and everyday lives. The more we can do to understand its benefits and meaning, the better it is for everyone.
Nathmya Saffarini
Associate principal
Arcadis
