12 Architects Workshop
Opening up our work to constructive review, challenge and enquiry is one of the many distinctions that sets Urban Place Lab apart from conventional design practices. Taking our cue from the successful Design South-east Summer School event series that invited several practitioners to work on a two-day residential design session with students and LPA officers, Urban Place Lab designed a two-day residential masterplan charrette to consider the masterplan for the new town centre at Whitehill & Bordon, and test it for placemaking, architectural robustness and a sense of ‘civitas’ (the right buildings for the right use on the right places).
Inviting fellow design studios including Duggan Morris, Sterling Prize Winners Maccreanor Lavington, Ash Sakula and nearly ten other practices, the two-day ‘greenhouse’ atmosphere generated camaraderie, competitions, debate and analysis not seen before.
Teams produced physical models, 3D sketches and copious amounts of drawn output that had clients querying why they had not embarked on similar exercises previously. Involving the Local Planning Authority, lead clients (board level), the local MP and local council members in the process, ensured it was both inclusive and locally grounded, yet benefited from international practice and perspective.