ODA puts design into 'bloodstream' of Olympics

The Olympic Delivery Authority today published its design strategy to emphasise to the industry that good design is at the heart of plans for the 2012 games and legacy.

The ODA said that the document outlined how design will be incorporated into every aspect of planning and delivery, from permanent sporting venues and infrastructure, to landscaping and temporary venues.

Speaking at the launch at the Tate Modern, Sir Nicholas Serota, director of the Tate and ODA board member said: “We want to ensure that design is in the bloodstream of the Olympics.”

The ODA plans to:

• Establish a value matrix to ensure that good design is defined and measured against six core value measurements

• Establish clear design briefs, design selection panels or juries and reviews throughout every project

• Involve a wide range of organisations and emerging talent to ensure a range of designers

• Ensure the local community are involved in the design process

Olympic design opportunities over the next five years include the temporary venues like basketball and fencing, hockey, paralympic tennis and archery.

There will be a design competition for the Park Bridge within the Olympic Park and various Olympic framework panels for smaller commissions so that less well-established practises can get involved.

Ricky Burdett, the ODA’s chief adviser on architecture and urbanism said that he had just seen the models for the Velodrome, produced by the eight shortlisted teams.

He said: “You start to realise that it could be like an Albert Hall, with a City behind and a park in front.”

To ensure that design quality across the venues is delivered and managed properly, the ODA’s plans include:

• A strong design team represented at every level of the organisation including design advisors and a design champion at board level

• Ensuring there is sufficient design time built into each project and that it is addressed at every stage from planning through procurement to construction

• Client reviews at every stage of design development in addition to reviews by the ODA design and town planning board, external multidisciplinary team and an external review panel which includes representatives from CABE and Design for London

• “Strong” design briefs and design guides for every project

The launch of the strategy was welcomed by the RIBA and CABE.

The design strategy can be downloaded from the London 2012 website at www.london2012.com