Redistributing social gains in a commercially-driven environment: a law and architecture study
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Leicester
Department Name: Law
Abstract
We live in a market-driven society where the provision of goods and services to people is often perceived as oriented towards the maximisation of profit at the expense of other social gains. This project proposes an innovative vision of society: one embedding social value as a core element of a thriving marked-driven society. It addresses the question: how can the social gains embedded in commercial activities be better redistributed in society?
The 2015 Social Value Act does not contain a clear definition of social value. Nor does it establish criteria for measuring the social value impact of commercial activities on society. Effectively, law provides only limited guidance to redress the problem of redistribution of social gains in society.
Architectural projects - especially renovation projects of public/communal spaces - face the same redistribution problem while delivering commercial value to the clients. Therefore, this project focuses on creating areas of porosity - knowledge exchange, skills development and cross-mobility - between the fields of law and architecture.
Hawkins\Brown is a world-renowned architectural firm based in London and Manchester pioneering the creation of architectural projects that deliver both commercial and social value, effectively monetising social value as a means for creating more inclusive societies. A secondment at Hawkins\Brown is crucial for me to understand what social value means for architects. Critically evaluating their past and planned projects will enable me to gain insights into the economic wellbeing of places. I will subsequently apply the newly acquired knowledge and skills to tackle an emerging problem in my specialist area of research, space law - namely, how to use the new space economy (e.g. satellite services) to create more inclusive societies here on Earth. This is an area currently unregulated by law on which the UK government is heavily investing.
The project will achieve four objectives:
1. Creating porosity between sectors:
A secondment at Hawkins\Brown will allow me to acquire new knowledge on the history of architecture and the specialized literature on redistribution of social gains as well as develop my research skills through exposure to techniques (theoretical and empirical) needed to conceptualise, measure and assess the production of social value in the target community.
In return, I will advise Hawkins\Brown on issues relating to the legal interpretation of the concept of social value contained in the Social Value Act 2015 and explore policy implications.
2. Boost the career of the secondee:
A secondment at Hawkins\Brown will open up new career prospects for me by integrating me in the network of architects and researchers working in the field of social value and redistribution gains. It will also allow me to apply the newly acquired knowledge about the monetisation of social value and related impact assessment techniques to further research on the extent to which the commercial activities of the satellite industry generate social redistribution gains.
3. Produce innovative outputs:
The planned outcomes of the secondment include:
- an interdisciplinary research paper revisiting the concept of benefit sharing under the Outer Space Treaty (1967) in the light of architectural theory and practice.
- outreach activities: a workshop in London to share the findings of my secondments with architects, social value researchers and the wider society; a workshop in Leicester with the academic and space business community.
4. Adding value to architecture as a sector
The secondment will directly contribute to the conceptualisation of redistributive (social value) gains embedded in the design of architectural projects delivering value for money to clients. It will also contribute to the documentation and critical evaluation of a discrete aspect of the history of architecture in the UK.
The 2015 Social Value Act does not contain a clear definition of social value. Nor does it establish criteria for measuring the social value impact of commercial activities on society. Effectively, law provides only limited guidance to redress the problem of redistribution of social gains in society.
Architectural projects - especially renovation projects of public/communal spaces - face the same redistribution problem while delivering commercial value to the clients. Therefore, this project focuses on creating areas of porosity - knowledge exchange, skills development and cross-mobility - between the fields of law and architecture.
Hawkins\Brown is a world-renowned architectural firm based in London and Manchester pioneering the creation of architectural projects that deliver both commercial and social value, effectively monetising social value as a means for creating more inclusive societies. A secondment at Hawkins\Brown is crucial for me to understand what social value means for architects. Critically evaluating their past and planned projects will enable me to gain insights into the economic wellbeing of places. I will subsequently apply the newly acquired knowledge and skills to tackle an emerging problem in my specialist area of research, space law - namely, how to use the new space economy (e.g. satellite services) to create more inclusive societies here on Earth. This is an area currently unregulated by law on which the UK government is heavily investing.
The project will achieve four objectives:
1. Creating porosity between sectors:
A secondment at Hawkins\Brown will allow me to acquire new knowledge on the history of architecture and the specialized literature on redistribution of social gains as well as develop my research skills through exposure to techniques (theoretical and empirical) needed to conceptualise, measure and assess the production of social value in the target community.
In return, I will advise Hawkins\Brown on issues relating to the legal interpretation of the concept of social value contained in the Social Value Act 2015 and explore policy implications.
2. Boost the career of the secondee:
A secondment at Hawkins\Brown will open up new career prospects for me by integrating me in the network of architects and researchers working in the field of social value and redistribution gains. It will also allow me to apply the newly acquired knowledge about the monetisation of social value and related impact assessment techniques to further research on the extent to which the commercial activities of the satellite industry generate social redistribution gains.
3. Produce innovative outputs:
The planned outcomes of the secondment include:
- an interdisciplinary research paper revisiting the concept of benefit sharing under the Outer Space Treaty (1967) in the light of architectural theory and practice.
- outreach activities: a workshop in London to share the findings of my secondments with architects, social value researchers and the wider society; a workshop in Leicester with the academic and space business community.
4. Adding value to architecture as a sector
The secondment will directly contribute to the conceptualisation of redistributive (social value) gains embedded in the design of architectural projects delivering value for money to clients. It will also contribute to the documentation and critical evaluation of a discrete aspect of the history of architecture in the UK.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Rossana Deplano (Principal Investigator) |
| Description | The single most significant achievement from the Innovation Scholar award is the elaboration of an original Social Value Quality Management Plan (SV_QMP) for architectural firms. It is the first of this kind in the UK - business-oriented and culturally-sensitive. It has potential to be applied in the architectural sector as well as other areas, as it forms a blueprint on how to embed social value considerations in any business plan (wit required adaptations to meet the expectations of different sectors). I am currently working on how to adapt the SV_QMP to the needs of the space industry. I am currently working with a space mining company, which has accepted to be a pioneer in sharing the benefits of space mining activities - hence producing social value. Developing the SV_QMP has also greatly enriched my research methods skills. I found particularly beneficial the guidance received on how to make my ideas about social value compatible with the profit-oriented logic of an architectural firm. I can re-use the new skills acquired during the secondments in a range of academic and impactful activities at my institution. Generally speaking, I feel a more complete academic now that I am equipped with a set of skills I would not likely have acquired otherwise. I believe I have fully met the award objectives. The only objective I am still working on is the writing up of an interdisciplinary academic paper, the reason being the funding covered only the finalization of the draft outline of the paper by the end of the secondment. I hope that the findings of my paper will make an influence in the scholarly literature and the SV_QMP will be relied on by the architectural firm where I was seconded, thus setting a new standard in that field. |
| Exploitation Route | 1. The SV_QMP could be relied on by the architectural firm where I was seconded, thus setting a new standard in the architectural field. 2. The logic of the SV_QMP can be transplanted to other commercial sectors. I am currently trying to adapt the SV_QMP to the needs of a space mining company, which has agreed to work with me on embedding social value practices in their forthcoming mission on the Moon. 3. I intend to work with/train legal consultants specialising in space law and business. The SV_QMP is an innovative way of implementing the principle of benefit sharing set forth in Article I of the Outer Space Treaty (1967). I am putting together a number of impact activities to reach this goal. |
| Sectors | Other |
| Description | During my secondment, I have developed from scratch a Social Value Quality Management Plan (SV_QMP). This is articulated around the RIBA plan of action for architectural projects, which is widely accepted in the UK, and is business oriented. Specifically, the SV_QMP does two things at the same time: 1. It aligns business considerations with social value considerations by embedding the latter into an architectural firm's business plan. 2. It gives flexibility to individual architectural firms to incorporate social value considerations without altering their established business models and practices. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2024 |
| Sector | Other |
| Impact Types | Cultural Societal |
| Description | Workshop on Space Resource Utilisation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | The aim of the event is to get an insider view from the space industry, governments and international organizations on their perceptions about the value of the Artemis Accords as a principled framework to conduct sample extraction activities in support of scientific research and, in perspective, as a basis for the lawful extraction of space resources for profit (e.g. commercial space mining). Issues of sustainability and benefit sharing are not directly covered by the Accords. Therefore, they invite further thinking about the sustainability of future space mining practices, also in the light of their role in producing social value on Earth. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |