Urban Design Summer School Training

September 12, 2014

The School of Music and Fine Art, University of Kent, The Historic Dockyard, Chatham

The Kent Design 2014 Summer School offered amazing learning opportunities with some of the UK’s leading practitioners. Our intensive day and a half course allowed participants to gain detailed knowledge about masterplanning high quality, well designed and sustainable housing schemes.

Learning from the award-winning St Mary’s Island, participants used a live site on the Island to:

• gain a detailed understanding of the site and context to develop a vision and concept for a successful place
• communicate ideas in 2D and 3D drawings, diagrams, and illustrations
• develope the concept into a comprehensive masterplan that relates to its context and provides an attractive place to live
• design detailed housing layouts that are environmentally and socially sustainable
• gain an understanding into ways to engage positively with communities throughout the masterplanning process
• consider different ways to deliver housing schemes.

This course was designed to help planning and housing officers, urban practitioners, Councillors, housebuilders, Registered Social Landlords and community groups optimise their practical skills to engage in bringing about successful housing schemes.

Speakers and tutors included:

• Hendrik Heyns (Director, Allies and Morrison)
• James Gross (Director of Masterplanning, Barton Willmore)
• Gabor Stark (MA Urban Design subject leader, University of the Creative Arts)
• Marcus Wilshire (London Masterplanning Lead, IBI Taylor Young)
• Andy von Bradsky (Chairman, PRP)

The Summer School package included dinner and overnight accommodation, offering outstanding networking opportunities to participants.

“Design South East events are always informative, engaging and topical, with good speakers and a good opportunity to engage with others concerned to ensure we produce high quality development of the right kind and in the right places.  The summer school 2014 provided an excellent opportunity to learn by participating in an exciting design exercise with young designers and planners from across the region, led by acknowledged experts, and was one of the best events I’ve attended in over 30 years – so much so that I’m coming back to take part in the 2015 course as well.”Chris Blundell, Director of Development & Regeneration, Golding Homes