Matthew Goulcher sets out the key ingredients for raising the quality of housing construction, starting with the need for a clear client vision.
How can we lift the quality in construction and refurbishment in housing? We want our buildings to be well designed and sustainable. We want them to be well built, with minimal defects and delivered on time and to budget. We want the investment to deliver social value, resident engagement and a set of other goals that need to be thought about at the time of procurement.
But the sad truth is that too many design and build contracts – the predominant contracting form in the sector – are let at too low a price. Too much risk is being shunted on to the contractor and inevitably that leads to cost-cutting and quality failures and, in the worst cases, safety issues.
There are many examples of inspiring projects delivered on fixed-price design and build contracts. But that’s achieved more by luck than any sort of planned process. At the Housing Forum we’ve been keen to change that. I’ve recently led a working group where we’ve looked at the procurement practices over the last 25 years, and reflected on what has worked, and what hasn’t. The result has been Better Procurement for Better Homes.
Our guide is packed with advice spanning the entire process, presented in six chapters, from when the housing association or council first has the idea for new homes, through choosing the most appropriate contractor and contract, to inspection on site.
“Clients need to be clear about their vision and objectives, including defining ‘quality’, and then procure the team on the basis of a shared understanding and alignment of values.”
Here are our key pointers:
- Create a vision. All projects should have a formally documented project vision plan – and we’ve developed a template for clients tailored for creating this. It asks the basic, crucial questions that clients need to work through right at the start.
- Appoint the right leader. Get the leadership right and set the project up properly in relation to governance, advocacy and client ownership.
- Foster collaboration and procure on shared values. Clients need to be clear about their vision and objectives, including defining ‘quality’, and then procure the team on the basis of a shared understanding and alignment of values. There need to be clear selection criteria, including a price evaluation model that does not promote a ‘race to the bottom’, and avoids over-complicated tender processes.
- Drive quality of design with a clear design brief. Procuring good design on projects has to start with a clear and realistic design vision setting the degree of aspiration, which is endorsed at senior level, and which also sets out how the client intends to provide continuity of the team to provide design integrity and preserve the golden thread.
- Appoint the consultants and contractors early. Early appointment of the consultant team and contractor and early engagement with key suppliers is crucial to drive quality, innovation and collaboration and greater cost certainty. Clients should select a form of contract which allows for early appointment and a process for developing design and price collaboratively.
- Inspect for quality on site. There needs to be a clear inspection regime set out before the contract is let, so it’s clear on site who’s doing what.
We’re convinced the values and behaviours set out in our guide, founded as they are on collaboration between client, consultants and contractors, will result in safer, higher-quality homes and far better places to live.
Matthew Goulcher is a Housing Forum board member and managing director of the architectural practice Levitt Bernstein. The report can be downloaded at https://bit.ly/3FpWPJL.
