Architectural design review is a method of environmental management which is widely used bv governmental agencies in both the United States and in Great Britain. Because design review is a governmental function, there is a major need to assess how well it works Research covering over 29,000 respondents and 5,600 environmental scenes suggests that scientific protocols can be adapted to provide an accurate and efficient design review protocol. The protocol uses preference experiments to find the standardized mean difference ([Formula: see text]) between a proposed project and a random sample of existing projects. Values of d will indicate whether the project will increase, maintain, or diminish the aesthetic merit of the sampled area. The protocol is illustrated by applying it to the case of design review for a single residence. Implications for further implementations are discussed.