WEBINARS

National Design Guide: opportunities and obstacles

To help promote the new National Design Guide, we are running a series of free webinars. Our webinars provide an overview of the National Design Guide, including demonstrations of best practice and reflection on the post-covid19 world. We also cover the opportunities and obstacles that the National Design Guide presents.

The sessions will be interactive, with the Panel using questions and comments from the audience to help shape the discussion. We will also be asking you, the audience to provide us and others with insight into how your practice is being influenced by national and global events.

The webinars will be helpful to Councillors, and practitioners in the public and private sector, and anyone interested in delivering high-quality, well-designed places. Our panellists have extensive careers in both public and private practice and will be sharing their experience and perspectives.

The sessions will be delivered by Creating Excellence, and Design Midlands who manage the Design South West Review Panel and Midlands Design Review Panel and design enabling services. As Design Network partners, Creating Excellence and Design Midlands are providing this support as part of a programme being delivered across England by the Design Network, supported by MHCLG.

Feedback will be collated after the events.

National Design Guide Overview

Webinar 1: Climate and the National Design Guide

Tues 2 June 11-12

WATCH NOW

You need to register for this webinar, so please click the link prior to the event in order to be sent the password for attendees.

In this first session, the Panel discusses design issues around climate. Good design must take into consideration the challenges of both adapting to and mitigating against climate change. We will cover topics such as the need to reduce travel and make travel more sustainable, energy efficiency within the construction sector, and the role of landscape and water management in the future of our places.

OVERVIEW

Climate Emergency, has it been given the prominence it deserves? Still a reliance on government to deliver climate change. What does zero carbon really mean - at what level can this be genuinely be delivered? The benefits of tree planting in terms of carbon and biodiversity.
COVID is forcing changes in travel and people are experiencing health and wellbeing benefits, valuing quietness, the lack of pollution and being able to wander through streets. How will society respond during the post COVID recession and global reduction in energy use? COVID has re-emphasised need for decision making on climate.
Planning, the National Design Guide focuses on plot levels; climate and biodiversity change needs to be embedded strategically and more holistically. Strategies needed for sites to achieve zero carbon; to make greater use of what we have: refurbish existing buildings to conserve carbon and in terms of landscape and brownfield sites, the existing value of green infrastructure and biodiversity.
Health and wellbeing interdependency, biodiversity and climate - positive, multi functional responses can be achieved through skilled design and planning;

PANEL:

Garry Hall, Urban Designer (Facilitator), Prof. Peter Clegg, Architect (Design:SW Chair), Sarah Jones Morris, Landscape Architect, Doug King, Energy & Sustainability Consultant

Doug King

An internationally recognised pioneer in the field of sustainable construction, Doug King brings a scientific approach and environmental sensitivity to projects.

Sarah Jones-Morris

Sarah is a multi-award winning landscape architect, urban designer, and director of Bristol-based Landsmith Associates.

Peter Clegg

Peter Clegg is Chair of Creating Excellence’s South West Design Review Panel.

Garry Hall

Webinar 2: Character and the National Design Guide

Tues 16 June 11-12

WEBINAR LINK

You need to register for this webinar, so please click the link prior to the event in order to be sent the password for attendees.

Our second event tackles the thorny issue of character. The Panel will discuss current issues with design that relate to character. We will also explore how to make developments more characterful using more than just the design of buildings.

PANEL:

Garry Hall, Urban Designer (Facilitator), Joe Holyoak, Architect (Design:Midlands Vice Chair), Fiona Heron, Landscape Architect
Emily Walsh, Transport Engineer

Garry Hall

Fiona Heron

A landscape architect with over 25 years’ strategic and detailed design experience in public and private sectors, Fiona has won urban design awards and international garden design competitions.

Joe Holyoak

Joe is an architect and urban designer, practising from the Custard Factory in Birmingham. He was previously Director of the MA(Urban Design) course at Birmingham City University. His practice is primarily concerned with masterplanning and regeneration.

Emily Walsh

Emily is a Transport Planner and Urban Designer at SYSTRA where she leads a team who work at all scales to plan and design transport and streets to enhance places.

Webinar 3: Community and the National Design Guide

Tues 23 June 11-12

WEBINAR LINK

You need to register for this webinar, so please click the link prior to the event in order to be sent the password for attendees.

Good design puts the community at its heart. However, communities often feel excluded from the decisions that most affect them. In this session the Panel discusses how we can better-engage people so they can help shape their place.

PANEL:

Garry Hall, Urban Designer (Facilitator), Chris Twomey, Architect (Design:Midlands Chair), Peter Neal, Landscape Architect, Laura Alvarez, Urban Design, Community Facilitator

Laura Alvarez

Laura is the East Midlands Convenor for the Urban Design Group and was amongst the first recognised urban design practitioners in the UK.

Peter is a landscape architect, environmental planner and ecologist with over 30 years’ experience.

Chris Twomey

Chris is a chartered architect with 30 years’ experience, including a year in practice in Australia.

Webinar 4: Movement and the National Design Guide

Tues 7 July 11-12

WEBINAR LINK

You need to register for this webinar, so please click the link prior to the event in order to be sent the password for attendees.

In this last session, the Panel discusses design issues around movement including walkable neighbourhoods and retrofitting or designing in at the outset sustainable transport options.

PANEL:

Speakers include Phil Jones: Phil is Chairman at PJA and is a Chartered Engineer with over 30 years’ experience in the planning and design of highway and other infrastructure, with particular expertise in transport planning for sustainable modes. He is part of the team that produced Manual for Streets for the Department of Transport, a comprehensive guide to the design of urban and residential streets published in March 2007. Phil has recently contributed to the updating of Government guidance on cycle infrastructure.

Garry Hall, Urban Designer (Facilitator), Joe Holyoak, Architect (Design:Midlands Vice Chair), Fiona Heron, Landscape Architect
Emily Walsh, Transport Engineer

Phil Jones

Phil is Chairman at PJA and is a Chartered Engineer with over 30 years’ experience in the planning and design of highway and other infrastructure, with particular expertise in transport planning for sustainable modes.