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We are delighted to announce that we have moved into our new studio at 18 Bowling Green Lane, London, on one of the City's most creative streets - next door but one to CZWG, down the road from Zaha Hadid and Wilkinson Eyre and round the corner from Ian Simpson Architects. The move gives us space to grow and a presence on the street - follow us over the coming months as we begin to put our wares on show!

James King and his team have been joined by new graduates Luke Whitaker and Caroline Lord, our intern from the University of Copenhagen (they both got Distinctions so you will spot the smiles from across the street!).

After 12 months in the planning, we have completed their transition from a Limited Company to a Limited Liability Partnership. As a result, the staff and skills of our sister company Virtual Planit will become part of the wider creative place-making offer.

A simplistic, bold and ultimately usable piece of artwork at Manchester's Velodrome. From our cardboard maquette and sketches, to development with Peter Saville, fabricated by Chris Brammall, to a film featuring legendary street trials pro rider Danny MacAskill. We just wish we could do the 360!

We all know about the chronic shortage of housing across the UK, indeed even Radio 4 are airing programmes dedicated to how hard it is to buy land! Most people blame the planning process for the shortage of supply, though as many again blame the same process for granting permission in places where they don’t consider it appropriate.

So what is the problem with housing? – it appears we all need it but few seem to want it next to them. In truth the later tend not to want it on the open countryside or Green Belt next to them. Is this a genuine evidence-based reaction or simply an innate human characteristic that fears change? Or is it perhaps that many people see the large, volume house builders as the ‘baddies’ peddling poor design AND putting it in the wrong place.

Over the past three months, we have secured permission for over 1000 homes, many of which are to be built on the edge of settlements and in some cases in open countryside. We have, as ever, adopted a landscape-led approach to these projects – ensuring that the place leads the response and the outside spaces drive the masterplan. We have had to negotiate with a myriad of Local Authorities and communities, but even in those places where they simply rejected our proposals in principle, they had to agree they were driven by the character and characteristic of the place, and may result in good places to live – just not near them.

Contrast this with what may be our finest hour for totally different reasons. Last week Communities Secretary Eric Pickles rejected a housing proposal on the edge of Colne in rural Lancashire by one of our major volume builders. Agreeing with all of the findings of the Inspector that heard the Inquiry, he supported our conclusion that poor design trumps everything else when it comes to the NPPF. We examined the proposals for Pendle and gave evidence on their behalf as to how basic some of the mistakes really were. He agreed that the scheme had ‘little evidence of a design-led approach’ and ‘little attempt to connect the housing into its countryside setting’. The Inspector summed it all up when he said: -

‘Poorly designed development is not sustainable and should be refused permission. To say otherwise would mean that in the very considerable number of Council areas across the country in which a 5 year housing shortfall cannot be demonstrated, housing schemes of poor design quality, which do not fulfill the tenets of sustainable development, would be thrown up by volume house builders.’

Pendle is a small, poor Council that has suffered from the public sector cuts more than many, but they took on the giant and he was slain!

So the lines have been re-drawn – no longer will lack of housing land supply be an over-riding reason to grant approval, and likewise the ‘presumption in favour of Sustainable Development’ only works if it has good design at its foundations.

Whether this ruling stops all poor housing remains to be seen – we doubt it given that so few local government officers are suitably versed in design skills. But perhaps the increased use of Design Review Panels by the smaller authorities will give them the confidence to say no to bad proposals from people who should know better. After all, when was the last time you saw a billboard advertising a new development that said ‘Come and live here – its crap!’.

Opportunities for Landscape Architects in London, Manchester and Copenhagen.

As the scale and geography of our projects grows, so in turn do the opportunities to grow our team. Once again we are looking to make a number of key appointments across our two studios, as well as a foundation appointment within our soon-to-be-opened Danish office.

Planit IE is a creative studio of Landscape Architects and Urban Designers based in Clerkenwell, London and Altrincham, Manchester.

We are seeking talented Landscape Architects with creative flare who share our design ethos and are committed to delivering design excellence to our growing list of clients on our internationally recognised projects. We require four Landscape Architects, two based in our London studio, one based in Manchester and one in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Chartered Landscape Architect (CMLI+2) London

Working across our studios but primarily based in London, our ideal candidate must have excellent illustrative skills, the ambition to lead, and the desire to assist in the development and continued growth of our London studio. We are seeking a Landscape Architect that is as confident and skilled in the creative process and as they are pitching for and presenting work to new and existing clients.

This is a key appointment for us, and we are looking for a very specific blend of skills and experience.

Essential:

Post-graduate degree in Landscape Architecture, 2 years plus post-chartership of proven experience in developing landscape designs in conjunction with complex architecture and masterplanning projects, across all scales;

Excellent communication and coordination skills, especially the ability to draw!;

Experience of being a valuable collaborator within large multi-disciplinary teams;

Advanced CAD (2D and 3D) and Adobe Creative Suite skills,

Fluency in English – both written and spoken.

Beneficial:

Experience of working in a European Landscape Architecture office with project experience on mainland Europe as well as in the UK;

Knowledge of project management and site supervision of public realm projects within the City of London and surrounding Boroughs;

Chartered Landscape Architect [CMLI+2] LVIA specialist Maternity Cover; Manchester

Our Masterplanning and Urban Design team has experienced unprecedented growth over the last 6 months and we require a Chartered Landscape Architect to work with them during the early stages of our large-scale projects. This is not a job for the non-designer – the successful candidate must see the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment process as integral to the design process. Whilst this is initially a 6 month contract, it is highly likely that the right candidate will be offered a permanent post at the end of this period. 

Essential

Min 2 years post-CMLI;

Experience of large-scale, residential & sports-led masterplanning, with associated LVIA and photomontage skills;

Advanced CAD (2D and 3D) and Adobe Creative Suite skills,

Exemplary writing skills – you must appreciate and be driven by the craft of the English language.

Graduate Landscape Architect London

Resourceful and driven individuals to support our Project Landscape Architects and Studio Leaders. Willing to pitch in at all stages of our projects, must have excellent graphic skills and be used to working under pressure and to challenging deadlines.

Chartered Landscape Architect Copenhagen

Following our appointment to deliver the public realm associated with Denmark’s National Arena, we have a number of new project opportunities that require us to have a permanent presence in Copenhagen. This is a major strategic decision for Planit and so this appointment is a pivotal one for us. Whilst we are looking for a Chartered Landscape Architect, this is as much about the right person for the job as it is the qualifications. We are seeking an exemplary Landscape Architect who is as resourceful and skilled in all stages of the creative process, in particular when working as part of large multi-disciplinary teams.

Essential:

Post-graduate degree in Landscape Architecture, 2 years plus of proven experience in developing landscape designs in conjunction with complex architecture and masterplanning projects, across all scales;

Excellent communication and coordination skills, especially the ability to graphically present proposals at both the concept and detailed stages;

Experience of being a valuable collaborator within large multi-disciplinary teams;

Advanced CAD (2D and 3D) and Adobe Creative Suite skills;

Fluency in English and Danish.

Beneficial:

Experience of working in a European Landscape Architecture office with project experience on mainland Europe;

Knowledge of project management and site supervision.

Please provide a compelling cover letter, CV and illustrative examples of your work (max 8 A3 sheets), in a single PDF to Matthew Warner, Practice Manager - [email protected]. Please state the word 'Recruitment' and the position you are applying for in the subject of the email.

Planit Intelligent Environments are an Equal Opportunities Employer.

Closing Date: Friday 31st October 2013.

Do you know anywhere that has a ‘Cloudburst Strategy’? Well Copenhagen does!! I found this out when I attended the Copenhagen 2025 Climate Plan conference at Ramboll’s amazing world HQ, just across from the Arena Copenhagen site last week.

This plan has been formulated in response to a major ‘cloudburst event’ (cue Jerry Bruckheimer type explosions and Dennis Quaid!) that happened in 2011, when it rained A LOT, nobody knew it was coming and about €5 Billion of insurance claims were made. In true Danish fashion, their response is a series of considered, joined up initiatives – from the major (retiring two carriageways of Copenhagen’s main N/S highway to create a massive Swale) to the subtle (reducing the level of one of the City’s inland lakes by 1m to increase flood storage). What was common to all strands of the strategy was the importance of the landscape and public realm in making it happen. Yet their plans are not one thing or the other, they are both – every element and aspect must have two jobs. Whether that is a public park that operates as a water holding area during extreme rainfalls, or swathes of street planting close to thresholds that will arrest the flow of water and reduce ingress into buildings. It is still only a plan, there are issues of ownership and management to overcome – but at least they have a plan!

Copenhagen is a city with a huge stock of historic buildings and a clearly defined grid of generous streets. Yet within this constrained pattern, the Danes are able to thread innovative, considered infrastructure elements that ADD to, rather than damage, the quality of the City.

The CPH 2025 Climate Plan aims to make Copenhagen a carbon-neutral city by 2025, and this goal runs through everything they are doing during the next decade of growth. The population is predicted to increase by 100,000 and top of the list is…. More bike lanes, as the current ones are too congested at rush hour!

If only our government at a national and local level was simply able to join the dots a bit better – how many times do we have conversations about common sense getting in the way of policy??

As the Arena takes shape over the next two years, our footprint in Scandinavia will grow, but it is our hope that from a carbon-perspective it may actually shrink!

Last week we revealed our 15-year vision for the major redevelopment of Brockhole, the Lake District Visitor Centre on the shores of Windermere for the Lake District National Park Authority.

The plan will transform Brockhole into an exciting taster hub for all the national park has to offer. The 30 acre park on the banks of Lake Windermere already attracts more than 230,000 visitors a year and new plans aims to enable Brockhole to attract 400,000 visitors a year and become financially self-sustaining by the end 2014.

We fell in love with this place when we started designing the award-winning Jetty - to be involved in such a scheme of great national and international significance in one of the most beautiful places in the world is a great honour for us. Plans include restoring the historic Thomas Mawson designed Arts and Crafts garden to its former glory, developing a purpose-built watersports centre offering starter sessions, and building a brand new, all-weather visitor centre to inspire people to explore and celebrate the Lakes.

All of this will add to the already popular attractions such as the Treetop Trek, pony rides, boat hire and hundreds of activities hosted by Brockhole all year round.

Adam Thomas, Brockhole Programme Director, has said: “Brockhole is the jewel in the crown for the Lake District National Park. I’m excited by the potential of the masterplan because it will help raise the profile and boost the economy of the area. “Our role with partners is to help attract more people to the Lake District and inspire them to explore this awe-inspiring landscape.

The Queen picked a perfect summers day to visit Brockhole last week, and we're proud to see she arrived via our beautiful new jetty!

10 Hammersmith Grove officially opened today. The Hammersmith Grove public realm scheme has been delivered by our Clerkenwell based Studio and we were delighted to see it opened today at a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by Sir Edward Lister (Major’s Chief of Staff & Deputy Mayor), Cllr Nicholas Botterill (Leader of London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham) and Julian Barwick (Development Securities Development Director).

Situated in the heart of Hammersmith’s commercial centre in West London. The site previously encompassed an NCP car park with Hammersmith Grove to the west and Beadon Road to the South. Hammersmith Station is located to the east of the site with a residential area to the north. The site is adjacent to Lyric Square which lies to the south and home to the Lyric Theatre, which is shortly to undergo a £30m renovation.

Within the new public realm a carpet of granite paving unites the Hammersmith Grove and Beadon Road sides of the new building whilst referencing Lyric square’s colour palette. Limestone plinths peel up from the ground to create seating perches. When sat in the space we want people to forget about the road traffic and enjoy the new surroundings. Planting plays a vital role in this; clipped angular hedges contrast with softer herbaceous, scented and architectural forms and a grove of multi-stem hornbeam trees create shade and shelter.

This is the first project we have delivered from our London office and there’s plenty more in the pipeline, so watch this space…..

We thrive on the variety of our projects, but this one is something all-together more exciting than normal!!

Our clients at Conwy Adventure Leisure (CAL) plan to create the UK’s first ‘Wavegarden©’ inland surf lake and this week we submitted the project for planning.

The masterplan for Surf Snowdonia proposes the reuse of the former Dolgarrog Aluminium Works in the heart of the Conwy Valley for a water-based leisure and activity park.

The Wavegarden© concept has been developed over the last seven years by a group of Hydrological, civil and mechanical Engineers – who also happen to be passionate surfers! We have visited them on numerous occasions and all I can say is they are the real deal! R&D investment totalling €7m has been spent, leading to the construction of a full-sized prototype late last year in Northern Spain. The facility has been tested by some of the Pro-Tour’s greatest surfers, to rapturous approval. Wavegarden have recently released their latest video showing the facility and surfer’s testimonials - click to view.

The Wavegarden© at Surf Snowdonia is likely to be the first up and running in the UK, and possibly the world. Projects are being developed across the globe from locations as diverse as Barcelona; Berlin; Australia and …. Hawaii. Why Hawaii you may ask? Well, apparently its too dangerous to learn to surf!

Although the major attraction, the WaveGarden© will be complemented by a cable wake board lake; activity lagoon; lodge accommodation and a central Hub building – designed by Seven Architecture.

Our client, Colonel Steve Davies MBE, Managing Director of CAL, set up the company with Andy Ainscough – son of Martin the site owner and well-known Crane Mogul!! These guys are something else – if only more of our clients had never done the thing they were doing before…

Steve, Andy and Martin have real vision and genuine passion for the project, yet every decision we have made is grounded in commercial reality. The sensitive setting, close to the Snowdonia National Park boundary, makes the landscape-led approach the obvious way forward.

The project has come together relatively quickly, yet we have been looking at options for the site for over three years. The introduction of Wavegarden to the equation was a game-changer – as it will be for Dolgarrog and North Wales. This is not another cheap and cheerful water park – it is a world-class surfing facility, able to generate the perfect 2m high wave, day in day out, all year round, catering for beginners and experts alike.

We have some exciting projects on the books – but this is by far the most exciting and in closest harmony with our core values. We can’t wait to get the wetsuits on and start surfing!’

Looks like an ordinary clay block doesn't it - but it's not. The history, process, economics and environmental story behind it are fascinating...

We have just returned from a visit to the Wienerberger factory in Pannerden close to the Dutch/ German border, on the banks of the Rhine, with our clients Genr8 Developments, architects RHWL and Hardscape. The weather was grey, the subject matter seemingly equally so... or at least that's what we thought.

Holland is wet, or rather would be very wet (indeed underwater) were it not for the extensive network of levees and the constant dredging of the rivers along its edges. This perpetual battle to fight Mother Nature produces a valuable by-product - perfect alluvial clay. So here is the clever bit: -

1. Get paid by the Government to dredge the river;

2. Blend the clay;

3. Bake the blocks (600m per annum) then;

4. Sell 50% back to the Government to pave Holland's cities, towns and villages - job done!

So as we look to use a mere 4000m2 for the Stoke CBD, our clients should sleep soundly knowing they have 120 years of heritage behind them, an inexhaustible (and totally consistent) source of supply for future phases, and an incredibly sustainable solution - for once not shipped across the world from China.

Yet back home, the product is seen as 'novel' with very little specified, in the main due to lasting memories of ubiquitous, monotone 1980's 'pedestrianisation' schemes across middle England. The trip has taught us all we need to know, that this is not a fad; it has a crisp 'business-like' edge to rival cold granite and perhaps most importantly that the 'clay revolution' should begin in the birthplace of the world ceramics movement - Stoke-on-Trent.

Our pitch to Genr8 was based around the 'craft' of the Landscape Architect, and about founding our scheme around what makes Stoke unique. The clear narrative from natural base material to a warm, textural, flexible clay block is so very fitting for the CBD.

We are seeking a talented urban designer, with creative flare, who shares our design ethos. Working within our dedicated urban design/ masterplanning team, in our Manchester studio, the ideal candidate must have excellent illustrative skills, and the ambition to learn, develop and to be able to challenge standard design approaches. Ideally, we are looking for candidates with an urban design related qualification, and preferably one years post qualification experience.

Planit-ie are award-winning practice of landscape architects, masterplanners and urban designers. Working across our studios in Manchester and London, we create healthy places to live, work, and play. Beyond design, we are constantly exploring new models of stewardship and consequently our involvement in projects is long lasting and rewarding.

We are currently working on a number of exciting high profile projects across the UK and Europe, which encompass a variety of scales - from regional strategies, large scale visionary masterplanning through to city squares, streets parks and gardens.

Please provide CV's and illustrative examples of your work to Fiona Brindley: [email protected]

Closing date: Monday 20th May 2013

We are delighted with the artical in the latest Landscape Institute Journal, discussing Planit's involvement in making Brockhole the heart of the Lake District National Park. Visit the Landscape Institute website to read the article in full.

Liverpool was finally showing the first signs of spring today and the wraps have started to come off the sparkling facade of the Lewis' Liverpool building.

With the first tenant taking residence (Adagio Aparthotel - excuse the pun) all that is missing to complete the picture is the elevated piece of public realm to tie it all together. Perseverance on the part of the Design Team and Merepark Construction have created what is sure to be one of Liverpools prime retail and leisure destinations.

The steelwork for the plaza is on site, the granite paving dockside - watch this space for some interesting updates on what is surely Planit's first floating public square!