Sustainability - Plan

We review national and local vision and take an approach to urban planning which engages all stakeholders in design, applying frameworks such as LEED Neighbourhood Developments, BREEAM Communities, QSAS Neighbourhoods and Estidama Communities wherever appropriate. To enhance our approach further we have developed our own sustainable built environment tool called SuBET, developed in conjunction with professors from the University of Dundee and the University of Reading. Working in conjunction with urban designers this structures the creation of city designs which are adaptable, scalable and liveable, while enabling wealth through economic growth and stability.

Collaboration with planners and architects is central to our process. Working with the client and project team, we examine more than just environmental stewardship features such as transport infrastructure, land use, ecology, water conservation and energy efficiency; we also incorporate social diversity, cultural identity and economic vision.

Our schemes improve diversity by interweaving commercial and retail centres near transport facilities to create employment opportunities, with priority given to local businesses. Or we make better use of land through mixed-use developments featuring housing, retail, health and school buildings. Intelligent street design between old and new areas might increase social networking and, coupled with diverse public transport and well-planned cycle and pedestrian routes, reduce car reliance, congestion and vehicle pollution, with a consequent boost in public health.

Long-term sustainability is the product of painstaking design which scrutinises every possible environmental, economic and social factor, and strikes a harmonious balance. We create safe, vibrant and inclusive communities which are adaptable and offer broader prospects, and which are therefore less likely to fall victim to boom and bust.