Getting buildings right at the time of hand-over is a necessary part of the required improvement; but is this sufficient to meet — let alone exceed — customer expectations? Even the most carefully briefed, specified, constructed and commissioned building may need fine-tuning to support what the occupants really want; and to deal with any unexpected behaviour.

Paper 1: Right First Time?

David Adamson, Director of Estates, Estates Management & Building Service, University of Cambridge

Paper 2: Right First Time?

John Armitt CBE, Chief Executive, Costain Group

Paper 3: Some messages from surveys of buildings in use

Bill Bordass , William Bordass Associates and a member of the Probe Team

E-commerce is having a profound effect, but what is it?

This debate focused on the impact of the city, and in particular, the City. It focused on the impact on the city as a product and a place, rather than the construction of buildings in the city as a process. The debate looked for insight into a range of questions, such as:

• Is e.commerce just another new business, which, like its predecessors, needs space for its employees, a supportive and vibrant business community, accessible homes, relevant education, and an effective transport system?

• Is it just the latest vehicle for investment capital to capture the minds of traditional city institutions?

• Or does e-commerce threaten, in some way, the structure, density, vibrancy, social cohesion, or life-force of the city?

• If spatial, the criterion of proximity is less important, does that in turn threaten the investment value of property in the city centre?

• Do markets based on e-trade need a place in space or just a place in virtual space?

The discussion took the form of invited speakers each presenting short summaries of papers that were circulated. Chris Colbourne, a former director of the Education Department at the RIBA, an architect and a director of a Property Company, Masterworks, chaired the event.

The speakers were:

Paper 1: E-Commerce and the design of the City - The impact on the City as a product and a place

Judith Mayhew, Chair Policy & Resources in the Corporation of London and a lawyer with Clifford Chance

Paper 2: E.Com and the design of the City

Alexander Reid, Director General of the RIBA and an expert on the impact of telecom and IT on our cities and communities

Paper 3: E.Com and the design of the City

Charles Leadbeater, Independent writer, author of Living on Thin Air - the New Economy has been Labour Editor and Industrial Editor of the Financial Times. He is a member of the government’s competitive Council and an adviser to Tony Blair’s Downing Street Policy Unit.

This debate focused on the fact that large parts of the engineering industry feel perpetually short-changed by the educational system since there are not enough engineers.

This raised questions about the numbers of intelligent people coming through the education system. The argument is that the system of selection is based on wealth and not on intellect, and that it is failing 40% of pupils. Is it a question of people with the right aptitude (in this case, to be engineers) not getting past first base?

There is another set of questions on the relative appeal of engineering as a career. A simple compare-and-contrast model looks at architecture and asks why are these courses are over-subscribed at universities and engineering ones are not? There are many reasons for the differences — some profound and others merely cosmetic.

The discussion took the form of invited speakers each presenting short summaries of papers that were circulated. Paul Hyett who is an RIBA Vice President for Education, and a partner with Hyett Salisbury Whiteley, chaired the event.

The speakers were :

Paper 1: Designing Tomorrow’s Designers

Michael Dickson, Buro Happold/University of Bath

Paper 2: Designing Tomorrow’s Designers

Leonie Milliner, Director of Education at the RIBA

Paper 3: Designing Tomorrow’s Designers

Sonny Masero, ABS Consulting

Action points generated on the night