Sarah Fitton
Sarah Fitton
Openness encourages engagement. Improve the dialogue between clients, stakeholders and end-users to ensure lasting social value
Openness encourages engagement. Improve the dialogue between clients, stakeholders and end-users to ensure lasting social value
“The built environment should respect the people that live and work in it. People must have their say. The industry must learn to listen.
People should have opportunities to shape and influence the outcomes that will impact their lives.
Put people first to design for outcomes that benefit communities and stakeholders to improve the built environment.
We should embed social value in all projects. The engagement process is critical to this. It must be integral, not a bolted-on, box-ticking exercise.
Openness encourages engagement. Improve the dialogue between clients, stakeholders and end-users to ensure lasting social value."
Sarah is the founder and director of Aurora Engagements, a specialist consultancy for the built environment looking at social value and stakeholder engagement. She helps her clients understand, measure and report the key values and needs that will allow their projects to provide more far-reaching benefits.
Q&A
Q&A
Which is more important, being creative or being practical?
I don’t think you can have one without the other. It's a similar dilemma to the theory/practice gap. So often the theoretical grounding of a lot of academic work doesn't translate in practice. It's important to understand how you can implement academic theory practically. This takes time and effort. Creativity is essential for built environment development to produce fresh, exciting, innovative, socially sustainable places. But it needs to be practically implementable. Collaboration and multidisciplinary working are key to achieving creative and practical solutions. It’s not about trade-offs, it’s about working together.
Which is more important, being creative or being practical?
I don’t think you can have one without the other. It's a similar dilemma to the theory/practice gap. So often the theoretical grounding of a lot of academic work doesn't translate in practice. It's important to understand how you can implement academic theory practically. This takes time and effort. Creativity is essential for built environment development to produce fresh, exciting, innovative, socially sustainable places. But it needs to be practically implementable. Collaboration and multidisciplinary working are key to achieving creative and practical solutions. It’s not about trade-offs, it’s about working together.
Which is more important, being creative or being practical?
I don’t think you can have one without the other. It's a similar dilemma to the theory/practice gap. So often the theoretical grounding of a lot of academic work doesn't translate in practice. It's important to understand how you can implement academic theory practically. This takes time and effort. Creativity is essential for built environment development to produce fresh, exciting, innovative, socially sustainable places. But it needs to be practically implementable. Collaboration and multidisciplinary working are key to achieving creative and practical solutions. It’s not about trade-offs, it’s about working together.
If you could change one thing in the built environment, what would it be?
Development should be more people-focused. We design housing, infrastructure and places but don't engage or even interact with the people we’re creating them for until well into the design stage, if not later. I would love to see the built environment designed and created collaboratively — by those with the technical skills AND those who will be living working and playing there. This isn’t easy and it takes a mindset shift from all parties, but I believe it’s possible… one day, hopefully.
If you could change one thing in the built environment, what would it be?
Development should be more people-focused. We design housing, infrastructure and places but don't engage or even interact with the people we’re creating them for until well into the design stage, if not later. I would love to see the built environment designed and created collaboratively — by those with the technical skills AND those who will be living working and playing there. This isn’t easy and it takes a mindset shift from all parties, but I believe it’s possible… one day, hopefully.
If you could change one thing in the built environment, what would it be?
Development should be more people-focused. We design housing, infrastructure and places but don't engage or even interact with the people we’re creating them for until well into the design stage, if not later. I would love to see the built environment designed and created collaboratively — by those with the technical skills AND those who will be living working and playing there. This isn’t easy and it takes a mindset shift from all parties, but I believe it’s possible… one day, hopefully.
What’s the best advice anyone’s ever given you?
My research is based predominantly on stakeholder engagement and social value and how we can improve them in built environment projects. Ultimately, this means doing things differently and changing behaviours. It requires courage to change how things have been done for so long. I had a crisis of confidence when I finished my PhD. I was trying to work out how I could make my mark on the world. A very wise person said to me, “Be as disruptive as you can in the world and leave your mark, otherwise you will regret it.” I believe in this. Whenever I must have a difficult conversation or justify my existence or project cost, I return to those words. If I don’t try and change things, I’ll regret not trying.
What’s the best advice anyone’s ever given you?
My research is based predominantly on stakeholder engagement and social value and how we can improve them in built environment projects. Ultimately, this means doing things differently and changing behaviours. It requires courage to change how things have been done for so long. I had a crisis of confidence when I finished my PhD. I was trying to work out how I could make my mark on the world. A very wise person said to me, “Be as disruptive as you can in the world and leave your mark, otherwise you will regret it.” I believe in this. Whenever I must have a difficult conversation or justify my existence or project cost, I return to those words. If I don’t try and change things, I’ll regret not trying.
What’s the best advice anyone’s ever given you?
My research is based predominantly on stakeholder engagement and social value and how we can improve them in built environment projects. Ultimately, this means doing things differently and changing behaviours. It requires courage to change how things have been done for so long. I had a crisis of confidence when I finished my PhD. I was trying to work out how I could make my mark on the world. A very wise person said to me, “Be as disruptive as you can in the world and leave your mark, otherwise you will regret it.” I believe in this. Whenever I must have a difficult conversation or justify my existence or project cost, I return to those words. If I don’t try and change things, I’ll regret not trying.
Is it better to break the rules or follow them?
Both! Rules are needed to a certain extent otherwise chaos would ensue. We need regulations to govern the industry. However, if we never broke rules how would we grow, develop and try new things? Rules can constrain us — they don’t deal with uncertainty or account for differences. Doing something different can sometimes work and it can sometimes fail. But when it works, it can demonstrate how things can be done differently and even more successfully. Breaking the rules in design can shake things up and breathe life into a place or project. The same goes for stakeholder engagement — we need to do things differently, engage early, co-produce, co-design, listen and empathise with our stakeholders. Our current process is stale and not fit for purpose.
Is it better to break the rules or follow them?
Both! Rules are needed to a certain extent otherwise chaos would ensue. We need regulations to govern the industry. However, if we never broke rules how would we grow, develop and try new things? Rules can constrain us — they don’t deal with uncertainty or account for differences. Doing something different can sometimes work and it can sometimes fail. But when it works, it can demonstrate how things can be done differently and even more successfully. Breaking the rules in design can shake things up and breathe life into a place or project. The same goes for stakeholder engagement — we need to do things differently, engage early, co-produce, co-design, listen and empathise with our stakeholders. Our current process is stale and not fit for purpose.
Is it better to break the rules or follow them?
Both! Rules are needed to a certain extent otherwise chaos would ensue. We need regulations to govern the industry. However, if we never broke rules how would we grow, develop and try new things? Rules can constrain us — they don’t deal with uncertainty or account for differences. Doing something different can sometimes work and it can sometimes fail. But when it works, it can demonstrate how things can be done differently and even more successfully. Breaking the rules in design can shake things up and breathe life into a place or project. The same goes for stakeholder engagement — we need to do things differently, engage early, co-produce, co-design, listen and empathise with our stakeholders. Our current process is stale and not fit for purpose.
What’s the most effective way of collaborating?
Listening, then talking — in that order. Collaboration can be challenging, especially if there are differences in opinions. However, when it works, the results improve significantly over projects produced in silos. There’s no blueprint for collaboration. You need to understand who you’re working with, their needs and ways of working. Shape the approach to work for all parties. Listening is key — it’s as important as talking and doing. By listening to and understanding your collaborators, you’ll have much more authentic and fruitful conversations.
What’s the most effective way of collaborating?
Listening, then talking — in that order. Collaboration can be challenging, especially if there are differences in opinions. However, when it works, the results improve significantly over projects produced in silos. There’s no blueprint for collaboration. You need to understand who you’re working with, their needs and ways of working. Shape the approach to work for all parties. Listening is key — it’s as important as talking and doing. By listening to and understanding your collaborators, you’ll have much more authentic and fruitful conversations.
What’s the most effective way of collaborating?
Listening, then talking — in that order. Collaboration can be challenging, especially if there are differences in opinions. However, when it works, the results improve significantly over projects produced in silos. There’s no blueprint for collaboration. You need to understand who you’re working with, their needs and ways of working. Shape the approach to work for all parties. Listening is key — it’s as important as talking and doing. By listening to and understanding your collaborators, you’ll have much more authentic and fruitful conversations.
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Patn Studio
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Salford M3 7FB
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Find us
Patn Studio
x+why
Embankment East Tower Cathedral Approach
Salford M3 7FB
Subscribe to our newsletter
Find us
Patn Studio
x+why
Embankment East Tower Cathedral Approach
Salford M3 7FB
Subscribe to our newsletter
Find us
Patn Studio
x+why
Embankment East Tower Cathedral Approach
Salford M3 7FB
Subscribe to our newsletter
Find us