The beginning of the year saw the open consultation for the proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) following on from the Building Better Building Beautiful Commission “Living with Beauty” report. The consultation also sought views on the new National Model Design Code, which provides further guidance on the production of design codes, guides and policies to promote successful design. We consulted with our internal planning team, some local authority friends, and expert consultants to formulate our official response to the consultation. We have summarised some of our key points below.

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During these cold, dark winter months of lockdown 3, we all have yearnings for sunnier times involving travel and adventures. It seems all too easy to take our local neighborhoods for granted however, so we have been out and about searching for inspiration on our doorsteps – we weren’t disappointed.

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Large tracks of land next to railways remain under-developed but full of potential. Unlocking these sites has the opportunity to create many thousands of new homes and help ease the housing crisis. So, how do we address the main development challenges involved to create enduring places of value and well-lit, peaceful homes that residents enjoy?

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To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, we take a look at the benefits of apprenticeships as an alternative, but complementary, route to architectural education and qualification, combining practical experience in an architectural practice with academic training from a university.

We spoke to our project architect Gemma, who undertook her Part 2 RIBA Office Based Examination (OBE) at Oxford Brookes (now known as RIBA Studio), and our associate Laura who heads up the studio’s recruitment programme, to discuss the benefits and challenges of apprenticeships.

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The White Paper, Planning for the Future, was published on 9 August 2020 and promises a new planning system that is easier for the public to access, transforms the way communities are shaped and builds the homes the country needs.

We took part on the recent consultation process which ended on 29 October 2020 and we would like to share some of our thoughts on the proposals

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It’s been a challenging year so far, with many of us having to embrace an entirely new way of working and communicating with one another. We have been reflecting on how we have been able to get through these difficult times as a team.

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