Approach
Understand the place. Reveal the opportunity. Unlock the value.
Every project starts with measurement. Here is what we measure, how we explain it, and what you receive.
We gather data to understand the existing context
Road networks, terrain and slope, hazards, land use, population and points of interest, plus what we see and count on site. The data is public where it can be, and checked on the ground.
We use different methods of analysis to reveal opportunities
Street-network analysis, catchment and travel-time mapping, visibility studies and land yield tests. Each method answers a different question, so we usually run several together.
We harness evidence to guide strategy and unlock value
The findings set the brief: what to build, how much, where on the site, and in what order. Then we plan and design to that brief.
Our methods, in plain words
What we measure and why it matters.
Street network analysis
How well each street connects to every other street.
Streets that connect well carry more people and more trade. We measure this for the whole town, not just the site, so we can say which frontage will be seen and reached most. The method is known as space syntax. Our managing director trained in it at University College London.
- Answers
- Where should the entrance, the shop fronts and the anchor go? Which road will bring the most passing trade?
Catchment analysis
How many people can reach a site, and how long it takes them.
We map how far people can travel in 5, 10 or 15 minutes on foot or by road, then count the population and the shops, schools and workplaces inside that area. We compare the result with competing locations before a site is chosen.
- Answers
- Is this site's catchment big enough? Who else is competing for the same people? How much footfall can we expect?
Site suitability and land yield
What the land can carry.
We map slope, drainage, hazards and existing trees to find the buildable ground, then test how many lots, rooms or square metres the site can hold under the rules that apply. Where a site sits near a fault or on steep ground, the plan starts from that.
- Answers
- Which parts of the site can be built on? How much can it yield? What will the roads and earthworks cost us in land?
Visibility analysis
What can be seen from where.
Inside a building or across a public space, we map every point that can be seen from every other point. It shows where people will naturally gather, where they can be supervised, and where a display or a reception desk will be noticed.
- Answers
- Where should the collaboration areas, the sales counter or the security post sit? Which corners will feel hidden?
User and foot traffic studies
How people actually move through a place today.
Before we change a place, we count and trace the people who use it: where they enter, where they pause, which routes they avoid. The counts check the network model against what happens on the ground.
- Answers
- Is the model right for this town? Which entrance really gets used? Where do queues and crowds form?
Context and historic research
Why a district works the way it does.
Cities keep the shape of their history. We read old plans and the present network together to understand which streets were always the main routes and which enclaves were built to be walled off. The findings tell us what a new plan can change and what it should keep.
- Answers
- What made this district lively or dead? Which old routes should a new plan reconnect?
What you receive
From a first appraisal to construction drawings.
Each stage is a document you can act on. You can stop after the study, or carry on with us through planning and design.
Site appraisal and strategy
Network, catchment and land yield findings, with a recommended brief: what to build, how much and where. Sustainability options under EDGE and BERDE with our certified partner.
Master plan and guidelines
Concept and schematic master plans with options compared, land use and yield tables, phasing, and where needed a deed of restrictions and design guidelines.
Architecture through construction
Schematic design, detailed architecture and engineering coordination, construction drawings, bidding support and site inspection until turnover.
Next step
Tell us about the site.
Send us a location and what you are thinking of building. We will reply with what a first study would cover and what it would cost.
Contact the studio →