Levitt Bernstein

At a panel discussion organised by The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) last night, Director Jo McCafferty discussed the main design elements that characterise safe and healthy spaces for children and their caregivers. Using a snippet of the film she co-produced - ‘The White Flats’ - Jo presented architect Peter Tábori’s design of Highgate New Town as a reference for how good design and high-quality architecture can contribute to the healthy development of young children. “I think there’s real value in going back and revisiting older housing. As a practitioner, I reflected on how, when we're working on projects and designing new housing—particularly on regeneration projects—we engage with communities and invite residents to see other developments we've built. We only tend to discuss and showcase housing estates that are about 10 years old, but we rarely look back to estates that have been lived in for 50 years. We don’t talk about the success of those older communities or explore how we might incorporate some of the elements that foster a sense of community and active social spaces into new developments. Why is that? I think we need to look back in order to look forward and consider what truly fosters high-quality housing.” She was joined by Dinah Bornat, Director at ZCD ARCHITECTS LTD and Jacob Willson, Head of Design at The Guinness Partnership. Thank you to David Madden, Associate Professor at LSE Cities, for chairing. #Urban95Academy #housing #inclusivity #community

On Tuesday, our Managing Director, Matthew Goulcher, Associate Georgina Revell, and Project Landscape Architect ,Alex Light, attended The Housing Forum's National Conference: Delivering Homes for the Future, which also celebrated the Forum’s 25th anniversary. The event sought to address the current and upcoming demands of the Housing sector to meet the government’s 1.5 million new homes target, alongside a focus on topics like design quality, safety, future proofing homes, and climate resilience within our housing stock. An insightful panel discussion chaired by Lord Richard Best, brought to the forefront how lateral thinking and cross-sector solutions are essential to take steps toward solving the homelessness and temporary accommodation crises that blights our local authorities. Huge thanks to Stephen Teagle, who chaired the event. #THFNationalConference2024 #housing #development

Ready to start your retrofit journey?   To support residents in understanding how can they make their homes more energy efficient, less carbon intensive, comfortable and healthier, our Sustainability Studio, in partnership with Etude and Prewett Bizley Architects, have developed a series of retrofit guides for the ESSA Conservation Area association, with support from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.   The guidance provides context on the Net Zero objectives in the ESSA conservation area, as well as specific focus on each of the main housing typologies in the area: a Victorian house, block of flats/mansion block and a modern house.   The documents are highly visual and are written as far as possible in non technical language, aiming to demystify what can feel like a daunting and complex subject.   While the guides were designed to respond to the housing typologies in ESSA, they provide useful retrofit guidance for homeowners across London.   You can download them here: https://lnkd.in/gxybq3Gb Clare Murray Rania Kapitani Belen Alemany Mark Fineberg #retrofit #conservation #sustainability #design

At a recent event with Architecture Today, Senior Architect Mark Fineberg and Dan Hilder, director at Apex Security Engineering spoke about the challenging transformation of Bristol Beacon from a historic concert hall into a contemporary music venue. "The project addressed both the historical legacy of the space and the evolving social context of Bristol, including the cultural shift triggered by events such as the toppling of the Colston statue. This backdrop added depth to the architectural narrative, making the renovation more than just a technical task." Read more: https://lnkd.in/ej-CjKHf #conservation #technical #facades

Our project at Deansgate Gardens for Placefirst sits on the site of the former ‘Velvet Walks’, a row of workers’ cottages that supported nearby textile manufacturing. Topping off the ground floor is a subtle decorative reference to this part of the site’s history: a cross section of the velvet manufacturing process described in wienerberger UK glazed brick that reveals itself when the light is just right. Levitt Bernstein Taylor Maxwell Caddick Construction Limited

Great to be able to visit Bonham Court as part of #OpenHouseDublin on Saturday in beautiful sunshine. The rear raingardens were looking particularly lush, even in its infancy. Fantastic to also see the visits so well attended, including residents from the site itself! Thank you to the Irish Architecture Foundation for a wonderfully curated set of tours and site visits. Dublin City Council ABK Architects Levitt Bernstein #socialhousing #Dublin #residential #architecture #landscapearchitecture

What makes urban housing good for young children and caregivers?   Next Thursday, 24 October, Director Jo McCafferty will be sharing a panel with Dinah Bornat, Director at ZCD ARCHITECTS LTD and Jacob Willson, Head of Design at The Guinness Partnership, chaired by David Madden, Associate Professor at LSE Cities.   The discussion will explore the universal concepts that make living environments supportive of children and young people and the opportunities and challenges in delivering this in housing today.   You can join online or in person - book your place here: https://lnkd.in/e9PwcMQU   #Urban95Academy #housing #architecture #placemaking #communities

Last week, Lotta Nyman and Alexis Kalli took members of the London Borough of Waltham Forest planning committee on a tour of our Sutherland Road scheme. They explained how they designed in quality communal experiences throughout the scheme, with open courtyards and cores, and shared communal terraces on walkways, which residents have now taken ownership of as additional amenity. They also discussed the virtues of double and triple aspect homes. Those who attended said they were impressed by how such a dense scheme managed to feel so open and welcoming - and also said that the red metal houses within were a ‘jolly’ surprise! #housing #placemaking #communities

This Saturday, as part of Dublin’s Open House festival, our Bonham Court housing development will be free to visit.   The tour will showcase the 57-home scheme, which we co-designed with ABK Architects - one of Dublin City Council’s first social housing projects that uses a range of innovative construction processes, prioritising off-site manufacturing.   Secure your spot: https://lnkd.in/ekwjPnE5 #openhouse #socialhousing #residential #architecture #design

This Thursday, our Managing Director Matthew Goulcher will be speaking at Royal Town Planning Institute’s Planning and Design Hybrid Seminar, in collaboration with RIBA South West.   You can join in person or online, more details here: https://lnkd.in/ejaNZabb #design #planning #architecture #masterplanning