Warwick Digital Laboratory

DQI was used on an existing building at the University of Warwick, as a post-occupation evaluation. The positive and negative user perspectives were then used to inform the development of the design for the Warwick Digital Laboratory. This is the second building constructed for Warwick Manufacturing Group based at Warwick University.

Edward Cullinan Architects in collaboration with WMG and the University of Warwick used DQI to develop a brief to meet the various needs of current users of the building and ensure future proofing in an industry where rapid development and change are inevitable.

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The Warwick Manufacturing Group is a public and privately funded research centre based at The University of Warwick. The Warwick Digital Laboratory is purpose built for the demonstration of digital technologies to facilitate the testing of products, the development of virtual tools to enhance medical diagnosis and care, and to facilitate innovation in techniques of visualisation and e-security. Funded in part by the regional development agency, Advantage West Midlands, the Warwick Digital Laboratory is part of a regional development plan to reinvigorate industry, manufacture and enterprise in the local area.

The building is aiming for a BREEAM excellent rating and therefore environmental issues were a key priority in its design and management. Features include exposed thermal mass and under floor heating to maximise energy efficiency, natural ventilation facilitated by open plan space, movement sensitive lighting and the maximisation of the use of natural day light. The sedum roof helps to reduce excess rainwater runoff and by providing good insulation reduces heating and cooling requirements.

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The DQI process was initiated by Edward Cullinan Architects as a stakeholder engagement tool to set priorities and aspirations for the development of the design. The International Manufacturing Centre, the conception of the same architect and located on the same site, was evalutated using DQI. Positive and negative aspects were fed into the development of the brief and design for the Warwick Digital Laboratory. The DQI session was used to facilitate this conversation in a structured and measurable way.

The DQI facilitator discussed the use of DQI with the client representative from the Warwick Manufacturing Group who, having fully understood the reasons behind using DQI, pulled together a range of stakeholders to participate in the session.

The DQI facilitator briefed the participants and made sure that they were aware of the reasons for holding the session. Using examples of other buildings the DQI facilitator was able to get people thinking about design and its effects on both functional requirements and other less tangible aspects of design quality. By stressing the importance of good design the facilitator was able to get the group excited and empowered in terms of their ability to influence design through the DQI session.

As a group the facilitator then went through each set of questions in turn and developed a conversation around them. Individual responses where input directly online so that the results of the session were immediately accessible. The tool ensured that each respondent was recognised as being an expert in their specialist area, illuminating a holistic picture of the building’s use. All respondents, no matter where they sat in the hierarchy of the organisation, had an equal voice and contribution in the final outcomes of the session.

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The DQI session allowed for flaws to be addressed at briefing so that they could be remedied early on in the design process.

Consensus was generated around those aspects of the existing building’s design that worked well. As a result informal and open plan spaces constituted the central vision for the new building. This reflects the main purpose of the laboratory: to champion cross-disciplinary work and cooperation.

The session also provided a forum through which to set shared priorities so that in the costing out process the architect and client could prioritise certain elements of the scheme which were highlighted by the respondents through DQI.
Another major outcome of the DQI session was the consolidation of the importance of the new lab as central to the marketing strategy of the stakeholders. Through the session there was a recognition that the centre should “talk the right language” in design terms so that it has immediate visitor impact and a professional feel that would attract industry and other academic institutions to the lab.

The influence of DQI on the design process led to significant improvements. However, the design process for Warwick Digital Laboratory may have been even more successful if DQI had been used beyond this initial briefing session.

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DQI helped the design process in the following ways:

• Allowed stakeholders to evaluate a building already onsite
• Highlighted positive and negative aspects of the existing building which fed directly into the development of the design for the new building
• Ensured that user requirements were integrated from the briefing stage 
• Developed understanding between users about their different perspectives, needs and wants in the new building 
• DQI highlighted the ways that individual requirements affect others 
• Developed a direct conversation between users and the architect about specificities of use 
• Clarified design priorities 
• Clarified the brief for the building and why it was required 
• Offered a way to manage stakeholder engagement in a structured way 
• Stakeholder engagement was recorded in a meaningful way that could be easliy analysed 
• Allowed all stakeholders involved to express their opinions on an equal level 
• The success of the process was enabled as it was carried out at briefing stage before the design or brief were solidified.
  

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A more detailed version of this casestudy can be found on the CABE website.

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