Understanding what it takes to makes great Places is at the heart of what we do at Define. Reflecting on then 10 years of practice in 2022, we set about formalising our methods, to more systematically record, analyse and compare our understanding of places.

What an amazing experience and a great lead up to International Women’s Day to have met around 200 Year 10 female students last week and to talk with them about raising female aspirations to work within the built environment and in other industries that are so often underrepresented by women, particularly at senior level.

Continuing our Place Research approach, we visited and analysed the residential redevelopment of the former Oxford University Press site at Wolvercote Mill.

As part of our ongoing Place Research, we took a look at Upton urban extension. Once a test bed for approaches and aims that have since become standard practice, this strategic, the development set a template for incorporating key layers of sustainability from Social Diversity, to Environment, Long-term Biodiversity, Local Identity and Liveability.

We are delighted that our plans for the Major Urban Park South in Whitecliffe were approved unanimously at planning committee last week. We have developed the detailed plans for this significant project in Ebbsfleet Garden City on behalf of our client and the landowner Henley Camland.

Introducing three new members to our Define team.

As part of national inclusion week 2024 we are celebrating all the women that work in our office. Define is committed to promoting a culture of inclusion and value diversity positively, creating a better workplace in which everyone can feel comfortable as themselves.

Our Define team members Andy, Rachel, Sophia, Megan, Helen, Joe, Maria and Tim joined St Mowden’s 2024 Charity Run, raising £1000.00 for LandAid whose mission is to end youth homelessness in the UK. Well done team Define!

Park(ing) Day is a global movement that transforms ordinary parking spaces into vibrant, multifunctional areas, promoting community well-being and environmental sustainability.

As part of our ongoing process of Place Research, our live case study analysis, we took the whole office on a walking tour around three established housing developments. We visited Upton, Northamptonshire, followed by Wolvercote and Barton Park Oxfordshire. In mixed-discipline groups, we looked at what made each of the places work well and which aspects might be improved in future areas of design practice.

Following Earth Day, back in April this year, I headed to day one of the Trees, People and the Built Environment conference at Edgbaston Stadium. This conference brought together professionals from many disciplines within the built environment including arboriculturalists, landscape architects, planners, urban designers, highway and drainage engineers and many more.

As it is International Dog Day 2024 and Define is a dog friendly office, we thought it is the perfect day to celebrate our canine companions who bring us much love and joy in our busy office …..

We are delighted to announce that Rugeley John Taylor Academy has been given the go ahead by Lichfield District Council following the successful negotiation of a reserved matters application.

A few weeks ago Ana and Maria from Define took part in a bespoke two day training course learning about Space Syntax in London. Successful and unsuccessful spaces were visited to test the principles how people move, interact and perceive changes in visual fields within the city were observed.

We are delighted that the Brooklands College development in Weybridge, Surrey, has now formally received planning approval from Elmbridge Borough Council following the committee decision in December last year.

Originally located within the grounds of Brooklands House, a II listed building country house, Accordia is part of a brownfield development in Cambridge of 9.5 hectares, including 378 homes. Visiting Accordia and its surroundings, we aimed to understand its transformation and to define what makes this area of Cambridge so distinctive.

In May 2023, members of our Place Research team conducted research to understand the essence of this dynamic place. Being located at the southern-eastern edge of the Jewellery Quarter, we had an opportunity to reflect on our regular experience with the neighbourhood.

Balsall Heath was originally agricultural land between Moseley Village and the city of Birmingham. Community action, has led to recognition, including visits by a former prime minister. Most recently, Basall Heath was a finalist in the Academy of Urbanism Great Neighbourhood awards 2023 . We set out to delve into what makes Balsall Heath work as a great neighbourhood.

We are delighted to announce that we’ve recently produced an online StoryMap, on behalf of UKAEA, to help develop the vision, enable discussions and influence early stage design for STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) at West Burton, Nottinghamshire.

We are delighted that Hemel Hempstead Crematorium has been Highly Commended by the Civic Trust at their Awards Ceremony 2024. This is a really sensitively designed scheme within the Green Belt and the award is well deserved.