Overview
OVGA Design Review:
- advises on architecture, landscape architecture and urban design
- advocates for high-quality built environments
Design review is a confidential process, except for live planning applications when the advice becomes part of a public record.
A panel of independent experts review projects at different stages of development. Design review has most impact early in the design process. The type of projects reviewed include strategies, master plans, buildings, major infrastructure, streets and public spaces.
History of Design Review
Our panellists are experienced professional specialists in the built environment. This includes architects, urban designers, landscape architects and planners, along with specialists in sustainability, accessibility, cultural heritage, health, public art engineering and design competitions.
Since 2012 we have:
- Undertaken more than 500 design review sessions with over 4,000 people attending.
- Reviewed projects including civic buildings, urban renewal, major transport infrastructure, public housing renewal, hospitals, parks, cultural and sports buildings, commercial buildings, precinct plans and town centre master plans.
About the review process
Design review sessions with OVGA take place bi-monthly. A typical review runs for two hours.
The steps on our design review process comprises a face-to-face meeting, submission of plans/diagrams and design review session. Advice is formalised in a report within 10 working days.
For some complex ongoing projects a design quality team (DQT) may be convened to provide continuity of panel members.
Benefits of design review
The benefits of design review include:
- test ideas with experienced, multi-disciplinary experts
- independent peer review
- improved design outcomes
- expedite decisions and broker alternative approaches
- gives confidence to decision-makers
- no cost to the project team
Preparation required
We estimate the project team should expect to spend no more than a day to prepare for the design review session. The drawings to be reviewed should come from work being produced by the design team as part of their process. The electronic presentation should be a combination of context analysis, key architectural drawings and visualisations.
Timing
We encourage projects to come to review at an early stage, then at key stages of design development. Design review adds most value when ideas are still fluid and projects return for consecutive reviews. However we can see projects at master plan, concept options, schematic design, through to planning and tender documents or at any stage in between.
Design Review Process
1. Application (4-6+ weeks prior to review)
- Call or email OVGA to discuss potential projects.
- Submit your completed scheme description form with attachments by post or email:
- Applications must be submitted at least 3 weeks prior to review date.
- Applications Applications from government agencies (Both State and Local) will be considered.
2. Selection and confirmation (4 weeks prior to review)
- OVGA prioritises the most urgent projects for each session. If we are unable to offer a formal review within the project timelines OVGA may offer a desktop or other form of review. Prioritisation is based on criteria including project significance, demand and location.
- Date/s for review are agreed.
- Project team, design team and decision-makers to complete scheme description form, which identifies project brief and key considerations for the review.
3. Briefing (2 weeks prior to review)
- OVGA meets with applicant and design team/s to understand the project and explain the process of design review.
- Timing of review agreed.
- OVGA undertakes site visit.
- Project team provide further background material as required.
4. Preparing for design review (1 week prior to review)
- OVGA prepares briefing report for panel.
- Project teams submit key design analysis and drawings (can be electronic) as agreed with OVGA Design Review team.
5. Review
- Applicant, design teams and other key decision-makers such as local authorities and statutory agencies attend the 120 minute design review session.
- For more complex projects or workshops a longer session may be convened.
6. Written Advice
- OVGA provides written report to project team, based on panel discussion advice within 10 working days.
- Advice is issued to the entity who requested the review. All attendees at the review receive a copy of the advice which remains confidential.
- To assist with the ongoing improvement of design review, the project team, design team and decision-makers may complete a post-review survey, sharing their experiences and overall thoughts on the process.
Design Review Format (typical)
- Welcome: Chair welcomes and makes introductions (5 minutes).
- Presentation: Client provides their vision for the project followed by a presentation by the design team (30 minutes).
- Stakeholder comment: Chair offers key decision makers opportunity to make a comment (5 minutes).
- Questions: Design Review Experts are able to seek clarification on any points (10 minutes).
- Review: Chair invites Design Review Experts to provide individual comment on the project (30 minutes).
- Summary: Chair summarises comments of the Design Review Experts and thanks the proponent (5 minutes).
- Open discussion: if time permits (5 minutes).
Presentation Tips
- Clear site analysis and information on the surrounding context is essential to understand and provide feedback on the proposal.
- A detailed explanation of the design approach, as well as a clear statement about what the design aims to achieve.
- Sections that include adjacent buildings and landscape beyond the site boundary are useful to convey site conditions and how the proposed design sits within the site.
- Design drawings in development are encouraged. It is not expected that the design team will need to produce extra work for design review session. The presentation should consist of drawings that have been produced as part of the design process. It is understood projects come to review at a ‘snapshot in time’ and completely resolved schemes are not expected.
- The Design Review Experts will be briefed on the site context and background of the project prior to the review, so extensive coverage of this isn’t required within the presentation. Focus the presentation on conveying the design intent and response.
Desktop review format
This format is particularly suited to projects which come to review at a very early stage, where limited design development has taken place, or at a very late point in the design process, where the potential influence of design review is reduced.
Other features of the desktop review are:
- The round-table conversational format, in which the design team and Design Review Experts discuss the design.
- A shorter, less-formal structure to review, usually lasting an hour, but tailored to the needs of each project.
- A smaller panel.
- The advice given is structured around key comments of the panel, rather than a detailed analysis of the design.
- A quick turnaround on advice.
Checklist and guidance for design teams
Briefing
Images and information
- Supplied: as advised by OVGA, in the week prior to review.
- Key project images, as agreed at pre-review meeting.
- Format: electronic PDF
- Send via email to OVGA contact
- Note: Briefing materials are integral to ensuring the design review panel members are familiar with your project prior to the design review day. This allows the panel to maximise the time spent providing feedback on the day. We recognise the project may continue to change up to the last day of review.
Electronic Presentation
- Format: A Powerpoint or PDF presentation
Model or Fly-through
- Please advise OVGA whether these are required, so that arrangements can be made
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