ICE East Midlands Chairs event: good design governance for major projects

Overview

Join the ICE East Midlands to learn about the latest design governance that is being used to successfully deliver major infrastructure projects.

During this event Harbinder Birdi, architect and creative director at Birdi & Partners, will outline:

• How effective design governance delivers exceptional outcomes on major infrastructure projects, drawing on practical insights from the Elizabeth Line (Crossrail) and Thames Tideway Tunnel
• Why establishing a clear design vision from inception through procurement ensures coherent, high-quality results across complex, multi-decade programmes involving numerous stakeholders and delivery partners
• The role of the newly formalised position bridges the gap between ambition and delivery, coordinating architects, engineers and contractors whilst navigating cost, programme, and functionality

Central to this approach is the role of the design champion that is put in place as an independent voice providing strategic design oversight and maintaining design integrity throughout the project lifecycle.

Attendees will gain practical frameworks for embedding design governance within their own projects, understanding how sustained design leadership transforms infrastructure from purely functional assets into place-making catalysts that enhance communities and enrich the public realm for generations.