The Food Place - update on the brief and our expectations

We now have a model of the Food Place and some fine graphics and photos to get our message across! We need to tell the story and to identify a bottom line in terms of what we can do plus a vision and wish list. We could use architects who have been involved with the centre before; ask some of the cafes and places we have visited which professionals they used; find someone sympathetic to working with community groups and will engage with the process and use local networks.

I read 'Inclusion by Design' which is produced by CABE, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, and was impressed by what it said about inclusive design.

Think about how a place will work in the future, what it will look like, what it will feel like, how people will use it and how will it be different from other places. The impact of bad design is more likely to be felt by disabled people and older people, people from minority cultures and faiths, carers with young children ... The management and use of places have a significant effect on whether we find them friendly and welcoming, and whether they generate a sense of belonging. 

·         a place that is affordable

·         a place that isn’t stuffy

·         a place that you can use with dignity and free from anxiety

·         a place where you aren’t talked down to

·         a place where you can linger if you want to

·         a place you can get home from safely

·         a programme that stimulates your interest

·         management that knows that comfort is important

·         management that uses up-to-date technology to maximise participation