Architectural Design Quality Indicators for Educational Built Environment in the Indian Context

Abstract

Quality is one of the triple considerations in any project; the other two are namely time and cost. While there are measuring tools for both time and cost, quality remains unmeasured in an objective manner. The building is a product of design and the quality of building depends on the quality of design. It is important to measure the quality of design in different stages of the project life cycle to understand how the building is performing when in use. In India, several standards, codes, and different green building rating systems are used to judge different design aspects. However, there is a need for a unified framework to measure design quality objectively. The education sector in India has experienced growth in the last few decades. With different flagship schemes, Indian schools are all set for Information and communication technology-enabled education systems. Investment in the education sector has increased, therefore, there is a need for physical spaces to make this investment work efficiently. The purpose of this study is to identify the criteria affecting the design quality of educational built environment and to assess their relative importance. A quantitative approach using a questionnaire survey has been used to collect data. The survey intended to elicit feedback on the suitability of the significance of design quality indicators in the context of educational built environment in India.