Collective creative approach
Engagement Overlay to the RIBA Plan of Work, published by the RIBA in January 2024, states:
A collective creative approach is making, designing and creating with people using participatory and collaborative methods. It emphasises leveraging a specific group's collective expertise and creativity to achieve a desired outcome. The collective approach involves designing together, fostering relationships, promoting collective thinking, shared consensus decision-making, and creating partnerships. Also, importantly tackling power imbalances between different stakeholders, design, and client teams.
To enable co-design, structures and partnerships should be established to give individuals agency and facilitate active participation in designing together. Ideally, an interdisciplinary collaboration should involve architects and other built environment professionals who possess the skills to facilitate a collective engagement process. For example, a collective creative approach can inspire and assist young people from underrepresented, disenfranchised, or historically marginalised communities. It is important to note that a genuine collective creative approach begins before any decision-making process has commenced.
Other descriptions of co-terms include collaborative design, community design, cooperative design, co-planning, co-deciding, co-evaluation, co-delivery, and co-build.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
Featured articles
Check out some of the best features and news from Designing Buildings as well as key stories from around the web.
Construction Management, 8 July
NEETs crisis drives interest in trades, but apprenticeships barriers remain.
Passive fire protection webinar
MEP services penetration seals.
Where its at podcast (and video) - The role of the Architectural Technologist as an Expert Witness.
More than 200 remarkable buildings added to SAVE’s Buildings at Risk register.
Government scraps pre-application consultation for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects.
Historic England and infrastructure
New projects offer opportunities for the historic environment and local communities.
Construction Management, 2 July
Construction deaths halve in two years.
Green Book changes to drive investment in all parts of UK.
Minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES)
CIAT briefing on response to consultations for privately rented non-domestic properties.
Connect, collaborate, shape the future
Registration now live for UK Construction Week Birmingham.
CIOB announces Saul Humphrey FCIOB as new President for 26/27 term.
A quick, simple, and zero-bills solution to prevent overheating.

















