Design
Euston Station
Client advisor for design matters in relation to the comprehensive redevelopment of Euston Station. Masterplanning the long term regeneration of a complex, over-station site, needing to comply both with planning policy and rail safety standards. Our role on the project has included:
Stakeholder Engagement
Masterplanning & Interchange Design Lead
Landscape and Public Realm Design
Tall Building Visual Impact Assessment
Expert Witness Testimony - including preparation of statement of case to Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber).
Design Co-ordination & Review.
Landscape & Visual Impact Assessment
We are experts in undertaking Landscape and Visual Impact Assessments of a wide range of types of development, both as standalone reports and as part of a wider Environmental Impact Assessment. We are also able to provide expert witness services, and have supported both public and private sector clients in planning enquiries.
We also undertake Townscape Impact Assessments and have experience in preparing tall building strategies.
Hatton Garden
Working with Momentum Transport Planning and Benedetti Architects, Urben prepared a design guide and spatial strategy for the Hatton Garden Business Improvement District. The 17 Hectare site area has numerous historic buildings and is a hub for the jewellery industry - our guide was a comprehensive strategy for all of the area’s streets and spaces, addressing key issues such as parking and servicing.
Crossrail, Farringdon
Whilst in a previous role, Urben team members prepared a design guide and detailed drawing package for the public realm surrounding each of the Farringdon Station entrances for Crossrail. Working with the City of London as Local Highway Authority at Farringdon (east), our design balanced the needs of station users with the wider neighbourhood, whilst responding to the sensitive townscape context adjacent to the historic Smithfield Market.
Design Review Panels
As a champion of the value of Design Review, Urben Director Paul Reynolds sits on a number of Design Review Panels, including as Chair of the London Borough of Hackney Panel, and also provides advice on landscape and urban design matters to the Northern Ireland Ministerial Advisory Group on Architecture and the Built Environment.
Bird Street
While working at a previous company, Urben Director Paul Reynolds developed the concept for a number of ‘Oasis Spaces’ on the side roads of Oxford Street, one of the busiest streets in the UK. In order to test the concept, funding was secured from the Transport for London Future Streets Incubator programme to transform Bird Street into “the UKs smartest street”. The landscape design incorporated a number of features to create a quieter, calmer space seemingly enveloped by nature despite being in the heart of the city. Linear seating and planting features were used to screen views from the outdoor dining area of an adjacent restaurant, a green wall was also placed at the entrance to the street to mark its presence. The trial used paving able to harness energy through the kinetic movement of pedestrians and included custom designed pop up retail units. Visitor numbers and use of the street were studied as a part of the project, with findings indicating a significant increase in footfall.
Verdo, Kew Bridge
Working with Octink, Urben designed a welcoming courtyard garden for the marketing suite of Verdo, a new residential development by EcoWorld at kew Bridge. The role required coordination with a range of specialists including lighting designers, structural engineers and metal fabricators. We delivered to a rapid three month programme for design and construction of landscape, whilst also responding to site constraints around access and scale. The finished courtyard has a lush feel, finished with natural stone and a bespoke water feature.