Closing Keynote: Getting giants to dance - what can we learn from designing large and complex public infrastructure?
Summary
Airports are vital pieces of national infrastructure. They cost billions, and can take decades to design and deliver. We expect them to meet the day to day needs of millions of users, operate totally reliably, survive changing climate conditions, whilst providing a return on investment for their owners and operators. Stephen Pollard from Arup will explore the past present and future of a major airport in London, looking at challenges and successes to understand how best to manage design at the nexus of people, process, technology, and large complex assets.
Key Insights
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Design practice has evolved from creating buildings to delivering national visions and economic investments.
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Collaborating with economists, planners, and specialists enriches design strategy and execution.
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Heathrow Airport’s financial model heavily influences design constraints and decisions, notably the flat landing charges.
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Designers must go beyond execution and influence organizational strategy and economics.
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Organizational culture and explicit value alignment are critical success factors in large-scale design delivery.
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The transition from open partnerships to structured program management and business case gateways redefines design roles.
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Design ops is emerging as a central discipline for ensuring quality and value in complex projects.
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Early informal experiences and relationships shape perspectives that influence professional design thinking.
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Pre-booking carry-on baggage into overhead lockers illustrates innovative thinking in future airport design.
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Active engagement in strategy conversations allows designers to contribute meaningfully to business outcomes.
Notable Quotes
"Can we just hang out, get on the tube, and hang out at Heathrow? He looked at me very strangely."
"We’ve moved from simply delivering the design that’s in front of us to influencing the strategy itself."
"The landing charge is the key thing airlines look at and that needs to stay flat."
"Organizational culture and values have been essential to ensuring successful delivery."
"Design ops is at the heart of how we can achieve outstanding quality and value in design."
"This client project is very deliberate and explicit in focusing on culture and values."
"If you could pre-book your carry on baggage into the overhead locker, wouldn’t that be great?"
"We must talk like business people, not just designers."
"There’s been a steady evolution starting with delivering buildings to delivering national economic visions."
"I am so glad to be part of this new design ops community and wish you all the best of success."
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