Architectural design services

Tender description

ACHA are seeking to appoint consultants to review current practice in housing design and develop proposals for a revised ACHA New Build Design Guide for social housing. The commission will include reviewing the best practice in new build housing design and to report on the best of the current trends. The cost implications of the design guide will be required and a final New Build Design Guide will be included as the key output of the commission. a) Review the best practice in new build housing design; b) Review the changing trends in housing needs and demands and report on how these will impact on housing design; c) Analyse the costs and comparison with HAG benchmarks; d) The review should include consideration of some of the following areas of housing development: i. Review of innovation in new build social housing throughout the sector; ii. Review the current standards and likely future standards in housing e.g. changes to building standards, eco homes, the code for sustainable homes and other Government initiatives; iii. Review the changing needs of tenants in the design of their homes, an example is working or studying at home; iv. Evaluate the options for domestic energy production and renewable energy; v. Review modern methods of construction and off site construction that have been successfully applied to residential housing and the use of innovative materials; vi. Analyse the design options in light of the current funding parameters; vii. Recommend any sources of additional funding that could be accessed to implement improved design standards; viii. Recommend a list of possible study visits to allow ACHA to see best practice in action; ix. Include discussion with ACHA's internal departments and the Board; x. Following a review of the above aspects, recommend the best practice that could be applied by ACHA; xi. Revise the New Build Design Guide to implement the recommendations. e) Prepare draft report for presentation to ACHA to include all aspects up to and including d) items i to xi; f) Prepare final report for ACHA, including any amendments and clarifications; g) Revise the New Build Design guide with agreed recommendations from final report.