Design quality indicators: Work in progress

The Design Quality Indicator (DQI) is an assessment tool for evaluating the design quality of buildings. It is being piloted across the UK construction sector through the DQI Trailblazing Scheme. By February 2003, actual uses represented about £900 million of construction output on projects ranging from £900 000 to £450 million. The aim is for 20% of all UK construction projects (having a value in excess of £1 million) to use the DQI by the end of 2007. This work-in-progress paper describes recent and ongoing development work, providing an update on the research described in Gann et al. (2003). The focus is on beta-testing the DQI through the Trailblazing Scheme and the development of the interactive web-based interface. Feedback from users involved in the Trailblazing Scheme is reported along with key issues raised at the review conference. Reflections on the uses of the tool and suggestions for further research are provided.