Accelerating Action in Social Value

Social value is at the heart of creating change. Why did you get involved with social value at AWW, and how has this shaped your role?

When we first embarked on this Social Value journey as a company, I wasn't entirely sure what Social Value was and what it meant to us as a business. We were increasingly being asked to demonstrate how we were delivering Social Value in public sector bids, and while we were already undertaking many relevant initiatives, we lacked a clear strategy for monitoring and recording our impact. As architects and interior designers, we inherently seek to impact communities and enhance the quality of life for building users through our projects. However, we don’t always capture how we do this or analyse the opportunities to maximise our impact.

In 2021, we began working with Social Value Business to define what Social Value meant to us as a company. This led to the development of a set of pledges aligned with KVI metrics, allowing us to record and hold ourselves accountable for our commitments. We defined our mission statement as:

Our goal is to deliver high-quality architecture and interior design by:

(E) Creating a net gain environmental impact.

(S) Enhancing people’s quality of life.

(G) Building relationships and developing partnerships that align with our core values, improving our ability as designers and advocates to effect positive change.

We were the first architecture practice to achieve the Social Value Quality Mark bronze accreditation, followed by silver, and we are now working towards gold. We have also established an ESG team, which is embedding social value across all areas of the business. It has been a privilege to see the tangible impact we are making, both in the way we govern as a business and through our projects, as we continue striving to expand our influence.

What barriers still exist in embedding social value into the built environment, and how can we overcome them?

The public sector has traditionally led the way in embedding Social Value, and this will be further reinforced with the new Procurement Act. However, we are now seeing increased interest from private sector clients looking for opportunities to deliver Social Value on projects. Where there is alignment with clients who are committed to maximising social value impact and achieving a net gain environmental outcome, there is a significant opportunity. We have developed a Social Impact Tracker, which allows us to set benchmarks at the outset of a project and work collaboratively with the wider consultant team to track and maximise Social Value impact.

Additionally, our increasing focus on Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) connects us with end users and clients once a building is operational. This helps us learn valuable lessons, both as designers and for clients undertaking future projects. Our POE captures the Social Return on Investment (SROI), providing both qualitative and quantitative data that can be invaluable for marketing, funding bids, and future development strategies.



What role does collaboration play in accelerating action for social value?

As architects, we never work in isolation - successful projects are built on strong collaboration between clients, consultants, and contractors. Similarly, delivering meaningful social value requires a collective effort. Each discipline has its own way of contributing to a project’s success. For example, on the Mary Ward Centre project, the Structural Engineer's ability to analyse the existing structure allowed us to develop a retrofit solution, significantly reducing the project’s carbon impact. The clients’ connections resulted in extensive stakeholder engagement and local partnerships ensuring the scheme met the specific needs of the area.

Collaborative design - engaging with end users, stakeholders, and local groups - creates buildings that reflect local character and instil a sense of ownership. This not only enhances the design process but ultimately ensures that projects deliver real, long-lasting benefits for the people who use them.



Can you share a project where you’ve seen tangible Social Value impact?

Mary Ward Centre delivered £1.51million in Social Value impact. The project had extension stakeholder engagement with 200 hours dedicated to consultation and wide engagement and input. The project adopted a retrofit approach, which retained the existing frame to reduce the carbon footprint. In addition, 90% of the construction waste was diverted from landfill, contributing to sustainability. Furthermore, the centre was relocated to a more deprived neighbourhood, extending its reach to an area with significant need. Notably, 61% of the students now come from Newham, helping to address educational inequalities in the region.