Crescent Arts Centre

On the Crescent Arts Centre use of DQI and was seen by both the client and architect as an opportunity to facilitate a dialogue between end-users and the design team in order to inform a wide range of stakeholders about the design.

By engaging end-users through DQI the Crescent Arts Centre were able to set priorities, develop consensus and find solutions to the challenge of preserving an historic Victorian landmark for Belfast while at the same time providing modern, flexible and accessible arts spaces and facilities for diverse users.

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The Crescent Arts Centre, which was founded in the early 1980s, provides facilities and events to encourage local community engagement in the arts in Belfast. The centre is located in the former Victoria College in the Queens Conservation area on a main thoroughfare into the city centre.

The Crescent encourages and facilitates participation in the arts through a number of events including dance and theatre performances, multicultural arts workshops, book readings and debates and Arts festivals.

Due to a lack of investment in the maintenance of the building, much of the structure fell into a state of disrepair. By the early 1990s more than half of the building was unfit for use and left unoccupied. A campaign was launched to upgrade and improve existing facilities and offer a sustainable solution to the provision of new arts facilities to enable the continuation of the development of the Crescent’s programme.

The refurbishment which is now on site is on track to be completed by 2010.

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A Mid-Design DQI assessment was seen by both the client and architect as a great opportunity to facilitate a dialogue between end-users and the design team in order to:

• inform a wide range of stakeholders about the design
• enable end-users to question and query the design indetail
• highlight those aspects of the design that needed to be re-visited
• ensure that the architects were taking the design in the right direction

The recruitment of a large and diverse end-user group enabled the architect to involve and learn from stakeholders who had not been engaged in previous consultation around the design. 

Crucially, the DQI session was held early enough in the process to have real impacts on the design for the Crescent. The time invested at this stage enabled the architect to integrate and develop design solutions early on in response to consultation with end users.

The success of the DQI process depended on its successful management and organisation:

• Participants were briefed via email prior to the session so that they understood the role and potential value of DQI
• The session was held in the evening to ensure maximum attendance
• A sufficient amount of time was set aside so the assessment would not be rushed
• Participants were welcomed, made to feel comfortable and provided with regular breaks and refreshments
• The facilitation of the session was dynamic and engaging

During the session each respondent completed the assessment section by section and after each were encouraged to discuss their views and opinions around questions under the three main DQI themes; Functionality, Build Quality and Impact.

The questions stimulated discussion about the project, the design and the requirements of different users. The record of these conversations and the results of the questionnaire, were compiled into a report produced by the DQI facilitator, which included clear actions to be taken by the design team.

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The client and architect recognised the potential DQI offered as a way to engage with the diversity of the Crescent. The representation of different interest groups during the DQI replicated the competing demands on space at the Crescent and illuminated the need to develop consensus, compromise and flexibility into the design.

There are plans to carry out a post-occupancy stage evaluation when the design is complete in order to revisit and evaluate how far user expectations and needs have been met.

The impact of the DQI on the design process would have been greater if a briefing session had been carried out to set aspirations in the early stages of the project - to develop a brief in line with stakeholder priorities and to allow for aspirations to be tested at various stages in the design process.

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The DQI helped in the following areas:

• Opened up a conversation and shared learning between user groups about design requirements and priorities
• Highlighted specialist requirements needed by arts groups who use the centre’s facilities
• Provided a forum to talk to designers and ensure they were fulfilling end-user needs
• Fed into design changes to accommodate needs and priorities
• Highlighted the need to emphasise accessibility in design as a priority beyond statutory requirements
• Facilitated an understanding of the effect of the refurbishment project on the environment in and around the Crescent site
  

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