What constitutes Good Design?

A sold-out real estate project must have got at least some of the core elements right and is therefore “good”, but is it well-designed? What constitutes Good Design?

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An interesting clue lies in the luxury lifestyle segment, which has finally moved away from products and services (branded handbags, celebrity chefs’ restaurants) and decisively towards “people” and “experiences” (viz Soho House, or branded residences in Dubai).

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If we were to re-phrase this in terms of the built environment, then we would probably say “communities” and “collective memory”. These are not new concepts at all, but very old ones. Which goes to show that there is no new thing under the sun.

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Architecturally, we strengthen communities when we bring people together – both in public and, to the extent which is appropriate, by bridging between public and private.

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“Good design” will therefore always have a strong public realm interface and will enrich civic life.

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We design for the collective memory through cultural reference points, and in response to the natural environment, because culture and the environment have always been two interleaved sides of the same coin. It was only in the Twentieth Century that they became dislocated.

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“Good design” will always evoke memory through cultural reference points and will embrace the environment by – in this region – providing respite from heat and sun.

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In an increasingly polarised world, architecture which physically and emotionally connects people to their environment via shared and common values is what I would say ultimately constitutes “good design”.

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And if the project sells out – which it should – that’s a bonus.