DQI for Schools launched
Posted: 7th December 2005
The Design Quality Indicator (DQI) DQ on the 6th December 2005 by the Minister of State for Schools and 14-19 learners, the Rt Hon Jacqui Smith MP.
The DQI for Schools has been has been developed from the CIC Design Quality Indicator (DQI) in partnership by the Department for Education and Skills and the CIC .
The DQI for Schools remains extremely close to the DQI sharing in both concept, and methodology of application. The DQI for Schools shares around 90% of indicators in the DQI but has allowed emphasis to be put on the spaces found in schools, such as teaching spaces, halls, staff areas, school grounds and dining areas, and the relationship between the school and the community it is part of.
Rt Hon Jacqui Smith MP, Minister of State for Schools and 14 – 19 learners said at the launch:
“I am today delighted to launch the Design Quality Indicator for Schools. I have talked about the importance of schools being able to recognise good design and the DQI for Schools is an important step in this direction. It is an online package, based on the Construction Industry Council’s ‘generic’ DQI tool. It will allow schools and other stakeholders to consider and evaluate design quality at every stage of the project. It is in the form of a tailored questionnaire and I am assured that it is a product of good design itself! The DQI for Schools is the result of fruitful collaboration and I would particularly like to thank the architects and educationalists who have freely given their time in its development; the CIC staff who worked on the project; Imperial College and all of those who participated in the advisory group. The Schools DQI will be mandatory for all BSF projects and I am sure that schools will find it to be invaluable.”
Graham Watts CIC Chief Executive said:
“Working with the DfES to develop the DQI for Schools has been extremely fruitful and is an excellent new dimension to the DQI concept. CIC is very pleased to be able to offer this direct support to the drive to improve school buildings. The decision to base the DQI for Schools firmly upon the generic DQI is one we strongly support and is a clear sign of the industry responding to the issue of measuring design quality in a joined-up way. I welcome the rigour that the DfES has put into developing the DQI for Schools and the thorough critique that this has given the generic DQI; which I am pleased to say has stood up extremely well to this close scrutiny. I am very pleased to welcome the DQI for Schools to the DQI family.”
The DQI for Schools is available at www.dqi.org.uk/schools