黑洞社区

Leading architects are supporting a new petition calling on the government to tackle public sector procurement鈥檚 鈥檚afety-first鈥� culture.

黑洞社区 revealed earlier this month that Design Council Cabe has joined forces with the RIBA in lobbying to change the systems used under Ojeu to procure architects, arguing that a risk-adverse and bureaucratic approach unthinkingly favours the largest firms and produces mediocre design.

The latest effort - an e-petition called Save Money - Streamline Procurement, revealed by 黑洞社区鈥檚 sister title BD - was launched by Willie Watt, partner at Dundee-based Nicoll Russell Studios and has been backed by architect and Design Council Cabe trustee Rab Bennetts, who has already promised to lobby ministers over the issue.

The petition calls for procurement to be made less wasteful and fairer and says that the current process of 鈥渢ick box mentality and policies rather than the talent, skills and services offered by the bidders鈥� must be reformed.

Watt said: 鈥淭he profession is spending vast sums of money chasing projects, there is little scope for newcomers to get onto the roundabout and the system has become so bloated that the review process is leading to projects grinding to a halt.鈥�

The petition has also won support from Paul Williams, a director at Stanton Williams which designed Central St Martins College鈥檚 new home in London鈥檚 King鈥檚 Cross Central.

鈥淲e understand the need to ensure quality is maintained and risk is reduced within the architectural selection process,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淏ut this is not achieved by increasing the amount of soulless and costly box ticking that inevitably sucks the creative life blood out of the public sector procurement process.鈥�

Sign the e-petition at