From January to March 2024, 90% of major applications were decided within 13 weeks or within the agreed time, according to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities. In the same quarter, 87% of minor applications were decided within eight weeks or within the agreed time.
GRAPHISOFT UK
Although these figures are promising, many feel that improvements can be made to the planning process. For example, at concept stage, there can be misunderstandings about the design and material selection, which require clarification and add time to the process.
Fortunately, technology can help bridge this gap by providing a more visual and detailed approach to the design and planning process.
Here, Graphisoft UK showcases how software can help local authorities streamline the approval process by creating visual, interactive design options that can be easily worked on together.
Supporting the next generation
Designed and built by McAvoy, the brand-new Merstham Park School in Surrey provides 900 pupils aged 11 to 16 years with high-quality classrooms, play space, a dance studio and an all-weather sports pitch.
With a remit to significantly reduce the operational carbon of the 6850m2 building, McAvoy followed the ‘Be Lean, Be Clean, Be Green’ energy hierarchy for the Department for Education (DfE) ‘Low Carbon Pathfinder’ project. This approach starts with passive design and a fabric-first philosophy, reducing energy demand at source through passive measures before implementing efficient systems and renewable technologies.
Designed using Archicad, McAvoy was able to easily compare different iterations for the modular building and visualise the impact that sustainable decisions and material choices had on the final design.
“The flexible and intuitive nature of Archicad meant that we were able to easily create and compare different design solutions,” explains Martin Harvey, Head of Design and Technical Services at McAvoy. “This was particularly useful during early discussions with planning, where we easily prepared comparative options for cladding, signage and landscaping. This enabled us to submit the final planning proposals with a greater degree of confidence.
“In addition, the 3D modelling software allowed the team to simultaneously create all drawings from a single source of truth, which greatly sped up the design process on such a large project.”
Creating a community space
Technology supported a local council during the retrofit of a once-derelict potato market in the heart of the county town of Carlow in Ireland. Carlow County Council spearheaded the revival of this location to make it into a new covered outdoor space suitable for multiple uses, including the Carlow Farmers’ Market, exhibitions, concerts and events.
As with all projects of this size and importance for the local community, Carlow Exchange presented a unique set of challenges. These came in the form of early issues and clashes with the structural design. However, by being able to import the steelwork model directly into the Archicad model for reference, the team could spot all potential errors early on and change the design accordingly.
“Graphisoft’s Archicad was instrumental in the design and implementation of this redevelopment project, which was located on a site of significant cultural and historical importance,” explains Conor Moriarty, Senior Executive Architect at Carlow County Council.
“An external structural engineering company was involved in the steelwork, and the IFC import feature enabled them to create their own model, which we then imported straight into the Archicad model for accuracy.
“We then carried out a clash detection study to make sure it all coordinated. We also used a live link that allowed us to update the model and share it with other members of the team irrespective of their location.”
The technology helped create a design that was cohesive and up to date. It made it easier to highlight any errors before the design was sent in for planning approval and reduced the time the Carlow Country Council had to spend on reviewing and approving the designs.
Benefits for a blue-light building
Designed and delivered by Concertus, an outdated 1980s fire station has been transformed into a new blue-light hub for Suffolk police and fire services, enabling collaborative working in a shared environment.
Part of a wider programme to upgrade facilities while reducing operational costs for all blue-light services across the county, the project set out to combine the main Ipswich buildings for Suffolk Police and Suffolk Fire and Rescue into one.
Suffolk County Council’s preference is to reuse existing buildings wherever possible, so initial feasibility tests were carried out to look at the financial viability of refurbishment versus building a new station.
Opting for a deep retrofit, the original building was stripped back to its original structural concrete frame so that the team could refurbish and remodel the building.
“With the whole practice using Archicad across disciplines, we always model in 3D as standard from the outset,” says Laura Morris De’eath, an Associate at Concertus. “We worked closely with the client throughout the feasibility, design and procurement stages of the project and used the Archicad model to demonstrate our designs.”
Completed in August 2022, Princes Street Fire and Police Station is the largest blue-light hub of its kind in Suffolk, with the new building providing modern and efficient accommodation for approximately 40 fire service staff and 24 police staff.
The Fire Service and Police Safer Neighbourhood Team is now operating from the new station, providing blue-light services for the whole community from the centre of Ipswich.
Technology and digitalisation are allowing the planning, design and construction of public sector buildings to become more visual and streamlined. By designing in a 3D way, conversations are better informed, and changes can be easily and quickly made and approved to smooth out the planning approval process.
