The Housing Corporation's Design and quality standards requires that the external environment of new developments are to 'be undertaken in a manner which delivers great places to live, creates well-mixed and integrated communities and provides an appropriate balance between private and public open space.'

The performance measure utilised by the Corporation in assessing the external environment of schemes is based upon the 'Building for Life' publication Delivering Great Place to Live- Twenty Questions You Need to Answer .  It is expected that the Corporation's Investment Partners will use Building for Life as a basis for Design briefs and that it will be used from the inception to completion of developments to guide the whole design process.

To aid the Corporation's Investment Partners to implement the principles set out in the Building for Life publication it has funded the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) to produce an interactive website tool. The toolkit is available via the Building for Life website, www.buildingforlife.org

The website toolkit, aimed at architects and developers, provides guidance on how to assess a scheme using the Building for Life criteria. The site presents detailed guidance materials, information and detailed examples of the essentials needed to produce a well designed development.

Steve Douglas, Housing Corporation Chief Executive said, "This website will be a valuable tool for both architects and developers. It complements the other training and guidance that we have provided to ensure that our investment partners are equipped to deliver a legacy of better designed homes in places where people want to live, work and enjoy."

Matt Bell, director of campaigns and education at CABE, said, "Design teams need to speak the same language as the people who assess their proposals. The Building for Life toolkit helps them prepare accurate and relevant information that will make their case clearly and effectively. For assessors, this will help them understand the strengths and weaknesses of a proposed development, and eliminate spurious subjective concerns."

The website toolkit can be found at www.buildingforlife.org  

At a future date the Corporation is planning to publish further guidance on Building for Life specifically targeted at assisting Development staff.  If you wish to contribute or comment on this please contact the Corporation's consultant who is undertaking this work; HATC Andrew Drury www.hatc.co.uk at andrew@hatc.co.uk orr the Corporation’s Design and Quality Manager, Lesley Banfield  Lesley.banfield@housingcorp.gsx.gov.uk.