Abstract:
Design quality is an elusive counterpart in achieving successful outcomes in architecture. Design guidelines are a mechanism that are used to influence those outcomes, yet not utilised to their full capacity in contributing to design quality. This thesis is a study on finding parameters for improving design quality for new medium density residential subdivisions in New Zealand. This is achieved firstly by studying the theoretical definition of design quality, secondly by analysing a select number of existing design guidelines and their outcomes, thirdly by attempting to apply the precedent findings to a real-world development site and lastly by re-writing a set of existing design guidelines for the project site to implement the findings of the thesis. The objective is to discover a method to guide design quality. The design project is used as a methodology to arrive at the outcome of a revised and workable set of design guidelines. It is a means of testing a hypothesis, it has a functional purpose and is only developed to a necessary point of preliminary design for this reason: the design project is not the main thesis outcome, it is a means to the thesis goal of determining effective design guidelines for the project site. The main findings of the thesis have resulted in five outcomes, i) to provide a theoretical premise for understanding and determining design quality, ii) to outline an overview of the parameters that make existing design guidelines successful in creating design quality, iii) to develop a workable design proposition for an existing development site to use as an example, iv) re-writing a set of existing design guidelines for the proposed site to incorporate the findings of the precedent review and design proposition, and v) establishing that design itself is essential toward the development and assurance of design quality in design guidelines. It is hoped that this thesis will offer a contribution to knowledge in the field of architecture, and that with this research, design guidelines can more specifically enhance, protect and create an enduring future of design quality in architecture.