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News Release from: EC Harris | Subject: CommunityBASE
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 11 July 2007
CommunityBASE - increasing regeneration
benefits
Combining industry leading consultancy techniques and new 3D intelligent design technology is set to transform the way major regeneration projects are planned and delivered.
The creation of a new consultancy approach, CommunityBASE, is delivering community benefits to a fast commercially deliverable programme For the first time communities will be able to truly understand what they are being consulted about and feel empowered about the funding available to spend on their homes and estates
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 21 Jan 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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EC Harris in Birmingham has formed an exclusive collaboration with Tom Morgan of Trinity Architecture and Angus Kennedy from Community Regeneration Partnership, who together have created CommunityBASE.
This exciting new development is delivered via an interactive computer system that delivers a 'virtual fly through' consultation tool.
It has the capability to assess the commercial viability of projects and significantly reduce time spent during the initial design and consultation stages.
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Touch screen menus allows residents, the local community and funders to see at a glance what their area or individual property will look like on completion of regeneration interventions, or right at the outset of the planning stages, whilst simultaneously costing and re-costing a project at each touch of the screen.
The system can deliver powerful benefits to local communities at public consultations by serving as a user-friendly communication tool.
As Rebecca Bennett Casserly, Head of Affordable Housing at EC Harris, said: "This leading edge solution is one of the most exciting developments in recent years and is set to move housing-led regeneration from discussion to reality.
This is essential if the sustainable communities agenda is to be delivered across the Midlands and the UK as a whole.
"The system has the capability to scrutinise and simultaneously cost a project in a totally robust way, whilst being designed or re-engineered.
"We can optimise a scheme's vision within much shorter timescales, thereby reducing the escalating costs brought about by project delays during the early design, consultation and planning stages.
"Being able to fast-track the lengthy processes normally involved from inception through master-planning to the start of construction from two or three years down to just nine months is a massive leap forward for the industry".
"Too often in the past worthy but over ambitious plans have been prepared and hopes and expectations raised that are never realised because critical financial reality checks have not been done.
The CommunityBASE process ensures that financial realism plays an integral part and ensures that communities are offered real choices about the future of their areas.
The 3D visualization ensures that we can now demonstrate options in a very accessible way to funders and stakeholders and we believe our approach offers a template, which could be the model process for future regeneration schemes", added Angus Kennedy.
Tom Morgan, Business Director of Trinity Architecture, said: "The visionary blueprint means that CommunityBASE also has the capability to assess and provide relevant data in terms of the project's investment planning programme and the impact on the supply chain as well as identifying procurement options.
It represents a powerful consultation technique delivering detailed feasibility studies and assessing the viability of demolition and rebuild versus refurbishment.
"The system allows integration of all professional services into a visual medium, allowing fast track and seamless delivery of regeneration, ensuring real value for money, and the confidence of the stakeholders, through accuracy and certainty of outcome".
The CommunityBASE collaboration is currently pioneering several projects and all involved have been delighted by the solution's visualization capabilities and ability to impact and improve regeneration outcomes.
Projects currently progressing under the pilot programme include a GBP1.5 million housing-led regeneration scheme in Stoke on Trent with RENEW North Staffordshire.
The project is the first phase of a programme that will not only bring a major facelift to the area, improving housing, but will fit with limitations to also create jobs, thereby supporting livelihoods and deliver sustainable communities "The CommunityBASE collaboration has applied an holistic approach to the scheme in Stoke on Trent and utilized the visualization capabilities to the full.
This extends to presenting the impact of street lighting to soft landscaping to different construction techniques to the homes.
Having the tools to allow local residents the opportunity of a virtual tour of 'their' properties is much more likely to gain support from the outset.
Even on small projects the time and cost saving benefits are set to be considerable.
"It moves community consultation to a level of understanding and involvement that has always been desired but never achieved", added Bennett-Casserly.
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