Architectural Superstars Leave English Cold
The English people are passionate about buildings but don't care a jot who designs them, is the main finding of a major new survey published today by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) and conducted by MORI.
An overwhelming 81% of people said they are 'interested in how the built environment looks and feels', with over a third saying they are 'very interested'. But only 16% of the people polled could name any architects, living or dead.
Moreover, Sir Christopher Wren was the third most frequently named living architect -- despite the fact that he died in 1723.
Norman Foster, designer of the 'Wobbly Bridge', was the most well known living architect and Richard Rogers, architect of the Millennium Dome, was second. Wren, who designed St. Paul's Cathedral, was the third most frequently chosen person in answer to the question 'name a living architect'.
Few people were able to correctly match three well known recent buildings, which between them have attracted several million visitors, with their designers. 13% of people correctly said Foster designed the Millennium Bridge, 7% of people rightly said Rogers was the architect of the Dome and 8% were correct to say Nicholas Grimshaw designed the Eden Project in Cornwall.
The public also seems to be ambivalent about the role of architects in society. When asked which three professions they most value, it is doctors, teachers and social workers who lead the way with architects trailing down the list with only 5% recognition, amazingly even lower than lawyers.
When asked whose work they least value, architects just couldn't compete with the usual suspects. 41% named estate agents, 31% said journalists and 19% thought accountants were the least valued profession. Surprisingly, there was also antagonism towards town planners with 24% of people putting them down as one of the least valued professions. Architects were least valued by 9% of respondents.
The survey aimed to find out how much people valued the buildings and public spaces around them and their interest in the way they have been designed and constructed.
The findings of the MORI report were announced today at the launch of the CABE Corporate Strategy. This sets out CABE's plan of action for the next three years, to create better buildings and spaces across England.
The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) is the national champion for better place: places which work better, feel better, are better. It is funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions.
Topline Results
- A face-to-face survey was conducted with residents in England between 19 March and 15 April 2002.
- Results are based upon 1,018 completed interviews
- Data are weighted by age, gender, ethnicity and working status to the known profile of England.
- Where figures do not add up to 100%, this could be the result of computer rounding, multiple answers, or the exclusion of don't knows / not stated.
- An * indicates a score less than 0.5%, but greater than zero
- Responses are based on all, unless otherwise stated.
Q1 First of all, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the overall appearance of your local area?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Very satisfied | 17 |
| Fairly satisfied | 54 |
| Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied | 9 |
| Fairly dissatisfied | 14 |
| Very dissatisfied | 6 |
| Don't know | * |
Q2 How important would you say the appearance of the local area was to you when deciding to live here?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Very important | 48 |
| Fairly important | 35 |
| Not very important | 10 |
| Not at all important | 4 |
| Don't know | 3 |
Q3 Still thinking about the area where you live, please look at this list and tell me which, if any of these in your opinion are important in making your area a pleasant place to live?
Q4 Which one of these is most important to you? Base: All who mention more than one aspect as important in making one's area a pleasant place to live (969)
| Q3 | Q4 | |
|---|---|---|
| All | Most | |
| % | % | |
| Appearance of local buildings | 39 | 8 |
| Appearance of streets and pavements | 53 | 14 |
| Good scenery and views | 39 | 6 |
| Lack of congestion | 37 | 7 |
| Proximity to city / town / village centre | 38 | 12 |
| Proximity to parks and / or open spaces | 36 | 6 |
| Proximity to shops | 50 | 10 |
| Proximity to countryside | 33 | 8 |
| Quiet area | 60 | 25 |
| Number of trees and shrubs | 33 | 3 |
| None of these | 1 | 0 |
Q5 Overall, would you say that this area has got better, got worse, or stayed about the same over the last three years?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Better | 15 |
| Worse | 34 |
| About the same | 45 |
| Don't know | 7 |
Q6 Thinking about the overall appearance of your local area, what single change would you like to make to improve the overall look of the area where you live?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Improve general cleanliness of the area | 22 |
| Improve traffic management | 11 |
| Improve road and pavement maintenance / street lighting | 9 |
| Improve local environment | 6 |
| Provide more shopping / leisure facilities and amenities | 5 |
| Improve building appearance | 5 |
| Improve parking and enforcement | 4 |
| Provision of more places / facilities for young people | 3 |
| Reduce vandalism / graffiti | 3 |
| Renovate / modernise / improve housing quality | 2 |
| Improve policing / crime reduction | 2 |
| Demolish derelict buildings | 1 |
| Reduce noise pollution | 1 |
| Tenants keeping houses / gardens tidy | 1 |
| Better quality / standard of tenant | 1 |
| Improve refuse collection service | 1 |
| No need for change / like area the way it is | 3 |
| Other | 13 |
| Don't know | 8 |
| None / no answer | 17 |
Q7 Now thinking specifically about each of the things on this list, which two or three, if any, need to be tackled to improve the area where you live? Just read out the letters that apply.
| % | |
|---|---|
| Upkeep of streets -- cleanliness / pavement and road repairs etc | 61 |
| Traffic / congestion | 38 |
| Limiting street clutter -- fewer / better-designed signs, railings, bins, road markings, kiosks, etc | 31 |
| Quality of parks, squares or other public open spaces | 24 |
| Street lighting | 18 |
| Appearance of buildings | 14 |
| Quality of housing | 12 |
| Number of trees and shrubs | 12 |
| None of these | 7 |
| Don't know | 1 |
Q8 Would you be prepared to pay an extra £20 per year (38 pence per week) more in Council Tax if you knew it would be spent on improvements such as these in your local area?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Yes | 55 |
| No | 37 |
| Don't know | 8 |
Q9 Could I just ask whether you voted in the last local council elections?
Q10a If the environment in your area significantly improved or declined in the next three to four years, do you think this alone would make you more inclined to support a different party at the next local council election? Base: All who voted in the last local council election (643)
Q10b If the environment in your area significantly improved or declined in the next three to four years, do you think this alone would make you more inclined to vote in the next local council elections? Base: All who did not vote in the last local council election (355)
| Q9 | Q10A | Q10B | |
|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | |
| Yes | 62 | 45 | 42 |
| No | 36 | 42 | 40 |
| Don't know | 2 | 8 | 12 |
Q11 Now I want to ask you a couple of questions about shopping. In which one of these locations would you most prefer to shop?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Local supermarket | 42 |
| Town centre high street / shopping area | 23 |
| Out of town shopping centre | 15 |
| Local shopping street | 13 |
| Outdoor market | 3 |
| Other | 1 |
| None of these / don't shop | 3 |
Q12 Why do you say that? Base: All who have a preference for shopping at a specific location (988)
| % | |
|---|---|
| Cheaper / better prices | 12 |
| Supporting local business / community | 8 |
| Friendly atmosphere / personable staff | 8 |
| Poor local facilities | 2 |
| Freedom of movement / open space | 2 |
| Personal preference | 2 |
| Out of habit / tradition | 1 |
| Due to disability | 1 |
| A pleasant day out | 1 |
| Other | 5 |
| Don't know | 1 |
| None / no answer | 5 |
Architecture & The Built Environment
Q13 Can you now tell me the two or three groups of people on this list whose work you most value?
Q14 And the two or three groups of people on this list whose work you least value?
| Most respect | Least respect | |
|---|---|---|
| % | % | |
| Accountants | 4 | 19 |
| Architects | 5 | 9 |
| Civil Servants | 6 | 14 |
| Doctors | 88 | 1 |
| Engineers | 12 | 4 |
| Estate Agents | 1 | 41 |
| Journalists | 3 | 31 |
| Lawyers | 8 | 13 |
| Social Workers | 32 | 13 |
| Teachers | 69 | 2 |
| Town planners | 8 | 24 |
| None of these | 2 | 9 |
| Don't know | 2 | 7 |
Q15 Now I'd like to ask you some questions about your views on the built environment. By this I mean buildings, streets and public spaces. Firstly, how interested would you say you are in the way buildings and public spaces look and feel to use?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Very interested | 34 |
| Fairly interested | 47 |
| Not very interested | 15 |
| Not at all interested | 2 |
| Don't know | * |
Q16 I'm now going to read out some general statements about buildings and I'd like you to tell me to what extent you agree or disagree with each of them. First of all ...?
| Strongly agree | Tend to agree | Neither agree nor disagree | Tend to disagree | Strongly disagree | No opinion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| On the whole, I like new buildings | 8 | 40 | 21 | 24 | 6 | 1 |
| Most new buildings are eyesores | 8 | 23 | 22 | 39 | 6 | 2 |
| New buildings should be adventurous and different, even if they shock or offend some people | 7 | 23 | 19 | 32 | 18 | 2 |
| Architects should concentrate on designing buildings which appeal to as many people as possible | 27 | 53 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 |
| Young people need to be taught more about the built environment at school | 27 | 48 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 2 |
Q17 And to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
| Strongly agree | Tend to agree | Neither agree nor disagree | Tend to disagree | Strongly disagree | No opinion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| Well designed schools improve children's education | 28 | 42 | 12 | 13 | 4 | 1 |
| UK house builders build well-designed homes | 3 | 34 | 28 | 23 | 6 | 4 |
| The design of hospitals makes no difference to how fast patients recover | 7 | 22 | 15 | 35 | 17 | 3 |
| Well designed houses will increase in value quicker than average | 17 | 55 | 15 | 8 | 1 | 3 |
| How streets look and feel makes no difference to crime rates | 5 | 17 | 10 | 40 | 26 | 1 |
| People work more productively in well designed offices | 25 | 52 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 |
| The Government should not get involved in promoting improvements to the built environment | 4 | 17 | 19 | 39 | 16 | 5 |
| Public money should be spent on promoting good buildings and public spaces | 18 | 52 | 16 | 9 | 3 | 3 |
| Better quality buildings and public spaces improve people's quality of life | 30 | 55 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| The quality of the built environment makes a difference to the way I feel | 30 | 55 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
Q18 Now please look at these pictures of houses and tell me which one you would most like to live in?
Q19 Looking again at these pictures of houses, please tell me which one you would least like to live in?
| Q18 | Q19 | |
|---|---|---|
| Most | Least | |
| % | % | |
| Victorian terrace | 16 | 1 |
| Modern apartments (red brick) | 1 | 2 |
| Council housing (low-rise flats) | * | 2 |
| Bungalow | 30 | * |
| Modern apartments (glass front) | 1 | 5 |
| Village house | 29 | * |
| Council housing (tower block) | 0 | 84 |
| 70s terrace | * | 2 |
| Modern semi detached house | 14 | * |
| Modern social housing (flats) | * | 2 |
| Modern social housing (terrace) | 1 | * |
| 1930s Semi detached | 6 | * |
| None of these | 1 | 0 |
| Don't know | * | 0 |
Q20 In your opinion, which two or three things on this list are most important to consider when designing homes for people to live in.
| % | |
|---|---|
| Security against crime | 59 |
| Built to last | 56 |
| Safety against accidents / fires | 45 |
| Easy to maintain | 41 |
| Uses energy (gas / electricity etc) efficiently | 35 |
| Looks good | 27 |
| Flexibility to meet changing needs | 14 |
| Other | 1 |
| Don't know | * |
Q21 And, in your opinion, which two or three things on this list are most important to consider when designing public buildings such as libraries, schools, hospitals, council offices etc?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Accessible to people with disabilities | 55 |
| Safety against accidents / fires | 44 |
| Pleasurable to use or visit | 34 |
| Easy to find your way around | 32 |
| Security against crime | 27 |
| Built to last | 22 |
| Flexibility to meet changing needs | 15 |
| Uses energy (gas / electricity etc) efficiently | 15 |
| Easy to maintain | 13 |
| Looks good | 12 |
| Liked by local people | 12 |
| Other | 0 |
| Don't know | 1 |
Q22 For each feature that you have said is important, please tell me to what extent you agree or disagree that public buildings, such as libraries, schools, hospitals, council offices etc, built in the last 10 years (since 1992) in your local area have achieved these things ...?
| Base | Strongly agree | Tend to agree | Neither agree nor disagree | Tend to disagree | Strongly disagree | No Opinion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| Security against crime | (279) | 6 | 33 | 16 | 17 | 4 | 21 |
| Safety against accidents / fires | (443) | 8 | 41 | 11 | 5 | * | 26 |
| Flexibility to meet changing needs | (149) | 5 | 30 | 18 | 12 | 4 | 26 |
| Built to last | (219) | 7 | 33 | 18 | 13 | 4 | 19 |
| Easy to maintain | (138) | 3 | 33 | 17 | 12 | 2 | 25 |
| Uses energy (gas / electricity etc) efficiently | (149) | 4 | 25 | 14 | 10 | 5 | 36 |
| Looks good | (127) | 7 | 36 | 13 | 13 | 4 | 16 |
| Easy to find your way around | (329) | 8 | 41 | 11 | 11 | 4 | 17 |
| Pleasurable to use or visit | (342) | 10 | 36 | 14 | 9 | 2 | 19 |
| Liked by local people | (120) | 4 | 34 | 24 | 9 | 2 | 14 |
| Accessible to people with disabilities | (562) | 14 | 40 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 20 |
Commission For Architecture And The Built Environment
Q23 Have you heard of the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, also known as CABE?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Yes | 10 |
| No | 88 |
| Don't know | 1 |
The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment -- CABE for short -- is the champion for architecture in England. Its main aim is to promote high standards in the design of buildings and in public spaces, but also to make the general public more aware of how good design and architecture can improve daily life.
Q24 I am now going to read out a list of the various functions of CABE, and I would like you to tell me how important you think each one is?
| Very important | Fairly important | Not very important | Not at all important | Don't know | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | % | |
| Commenting on the architectural and design quality of proposed developments to local authority planners | 30 | 54 | 6 | 1 | 8 |
| Campaigning for better quality buildings and the built environment | 43 | 45 | 5 | * | 6 |
| Undertaking research into the design of buildings and the built environment | 37 | 48 | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| Working with the Government and public bodies, such as local authorities, the NHS and schools, to improve public buildings and spaces | 55 | 36 | 3 | * | 5 |
| Increasing public awareness and appreciation of good design in buildings and the built environment | 27 | 50 | 15 | 1 | 5 |
| Encouraging more public involvement in the design of public buildings and spaces | 32 | 45 | 14 | 3 | 5 |
| Working with schools to make young people more aware of the built environment | 39 | 43 | 10 | 2 | 5 |
| Helping architects, town planners and other professionals to improve their skills and knowledge | 42 | 44 | 6 | 1 | 6 |
Q25 Which public buildings, if any, can you think of that have been built in the last 5 years in your area?
| % | |
|---|---|
| NONE | 54 |
| Museum | 2 |
| Library | 4 |
| Leisure attraction | 9 |
| Theatre | 1 |
| School | 5 |
| Hospital | 8 |
| Art gallery | 1 |
| Offices | 5 |
| Supermarket / Retail outlet | 13 |
| Other | 14 |
Note that 54% of respondents did not give a response to this question. 432 Respondents gave 635 responses between them.
Q26a And which public buildings, if any, can you think of that have been built in the last 5 years anywhere else in Britain? -- Building Type
| Type | Any Mention |
|---|---|
| % | |
| Leisure attraction | 38 |
| Art gallery | 8 |
| Museum | 5 |
| Library | 4 |
| Offices | 4 |
| Supermarket / retail outlet | 4 |
| Hospital | 3 |
| Theatre | 2 |
| School | 1 |
| Other | 17 |
| None | 38 |
| Not stated | 1 |
Q26b And which public buildings, if any, can you think of that have been built in the last 5 years anywhere else in Britain? -- Building Name
| Name | Any Mention | First Mention | Second Mention | Third Mention |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | |
| Millennium Dome | 34 | 26 | 6 | 1 |
| Tate Modern | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| Eden Project | 8 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| The Millennium Bridge | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| The London Eye | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| British Library | 2 | 1 | * | 0 |
| Lowry Gallery / Centre | 2 | 1 | * | * |
| Millennium Stadium | 1 | * | * | * |
| Canary Wharf | 1 | 1 | * | * |
| Commonwealth Games Stadium | 1 | * | 1 | * |
| The Trafford Centre | 1 | * | * | 0 |
| Law Courts | 1 | * | * | 0 |
| The Deep | 1 | 1 | * | 0 |
| West Quay | 1 | * | * | 0 |
| Portcullis House | 1 | * | * | 0 |
| Parliament building / offices | 1 | * | * | * |
| Others | 15 | |||
| None / Not Stated | 44 |
Note that 44% of respondents did not give a response to this question. 567 Respondents gave 887 responses between them.
Q26c And which public buildings, if any, can you think of that have been built in the last 5 years anywhere else in Britain?- Location
| Location | Any Mention |
|---|---|
| % | |
| London | 45 |
| South West | 10 |
| North West | 5 |
| North East | 4 |
| South East | 4 |
| West Midlands | 2 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 2 |
| East Midlands | 1 |
| Eastern | 1 |
| Scotland | 1 |
| Wales | 1 |
| Merseyside | * |
| None | 38 |
| Not stated | 4 |
Q27 Can you name any living architects, British or foreign?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Yes | 16 |
| No | 83 |
| Don't know | 1 |
Q28 Which ones? Base: All who named a living architect (162)
| % | |
|---|---|
| Norman Foster | 32 |
| Richard Rogers | 18 |
| Basil Spence | 4 |
| Christopher Wren | 5 |
| James Sterling | 3 |
| Edwin Lutyens | 2 |
| Renzo Piano | 3 |
| Terry Farrell | 2 |
| Frank Lloyd-Wright | 2 |
| John Nash | 1 |
| Michael Hopkins | 1 |
| Alvar Aalto | 1 |
| Frank Gehry | 1 |
| Nicholas Grimshaw | 1 |
| I.M. Pei | 1 |
| Gaudi | 1 |
| Richard Meier | 1 |
| David Chipperfield | 1 |
| Oscar Niemeyer | 1 |
| Terence Conran | 1 |
| Robert Adam | 1 |
| Dennis Lasdun | 1 |
| Le Corbusier | 1 |
| Will Alsop | 1 |
| Mies Van Der Rohe | 1 |
| Chris Wilkinson | 1 |
| Berthold Lubetkin | 1 |
| Other | 33 |
| Not Stated | 9 |
Q29 Can you match the following buildings with their architects?
| Nicholas Grimshaw | Richard Rogers | Norman Foster | No / Don't know | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | |
| The Eden Project, Cornwall | 8 | 5 | 4 | 83 |
| The Millennium Dome, Greenwich, London | 5 | 7 | 6 | 82 |
| The Millennium Bridge, London | 4 | 4 | 13 | 79 |
| % | |
|---|---|
| None Correct | 82 |
| One Correct | 13 |
| Two Correct | 2 |
| All Correct | 4 |
