Mihail Bila’s Post

My piece on the controversial new planning application for No. 1 Undershaft in the City of London is published this morning in Building Magazine. Heritage significance is very heavily impacted by setting. Think of cities as theatre, so that if we destroy the mise en scène of a historic asset, its meaning drains away. In just this way, oversailed by a huge cantilever, the medieval tower St Andrew Undershaft no longer reaches for the heavens, becomes critically diminished, and the Grade I listed church loses the status it has enjoyed for half a millennium. The City’s primary concern in deferring judgement on the new scheme appears to be anxiety about the loss of accessible amenity space for city workers. I’d add that a new ‘public open space’ ten floors up is no substitute when the public have the right to access all areas at ground level with their feet firmly to the pavement. Viewing platforms are frequently offered as compensation for harm caused by development but how many such vantage points does the City actually need? Just as importantly, heritage adds value. It is an asset, not an obstacle in the creation of wealth and wellbeing. The extraordinary catalogue of listed buildings with provenance spanning 500 years to be enjoyed at St Helen’s piazza is a prime example. I hope the City of London planners will now weigh this civic value appropriately against the worth of extra square feet of lettable floorspace in development that threatens to consume public open space at ground level and block out the sky above.

Here are 5 key traits we're using to revitalise high streets and town centres for a sustainable future.

Revitalization in Action: Regent Park’s Transformation Continues Exciting progress is being made in the ongoing revitalization of Regent Park, one of Toronto's most ambitious urban renewal projects. Demolition is currently underway to prepare the site for Buildings 4B and 4C, set to rise 19 and 39 storeys respectively. These towers, designed by gh3 and developed by Tridel, Deltera, and Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC), will be key components of Phases 4 and 5—marking the final stages of this two-decade-long rejuvenation effort. With over a dozen new buildings to come, Regent Park is set to redefine the city’s east side and offer new opportunities for its community. #UrbanRenewal #TorontoRealEstate #RegentParkRevitalization #Architecture #CommunityDevelopment #TorontoCommunity #Construction #UrbanDesign #BuildingTheFuture #urbanToronto

Transforming Historic Mass. Landmark into New Mixed-Use Hub 🏠 As our communities continue to grow, the need for affordable and attainable housing becomes increasingly urgent. But what if we could provide this much-needed housing while preserving our historic landmarks? That's exactly what adaptive reuse and property conversions are doing across the country. 🚧 Take a look at the transformation of a historic mass landmark into a new mixed-use hub. By repurposing existing buildings, we can create unique and affordable housing options for our communities while also preserving our rich history. 🔨 These projects not only provide much-needed housing, but they also bring new life to forgotten buildings and revitalize our neighborhoods. It's a win-win solution for both our past and our future. 💰 With the rising costs of new construction, adaptive reuse and property conversions offer a more cost-effective solution for creating affordable and attainable housing. Let's continue to support and promote these initiatives to tackle the housing crisis in our communities. #affordablehousing #attainablehousing #adaptivereuse #propertyconversions #historicpreservation #communityrevitalization #housingcrisis #sustainabledevelopment #buildingenclosure #preserveyourpast #createyourfuture

Pleased to see from Architects’ Journal that landmark building The Point has been saved from demolition! My thesis design project involved the transformation of this building. The Point was Britain’s first multiplex cinema, and a project pivotal to the development of Milton Keynes as its first slice of entertainment. An Archigram-inspired ziggurat form complete with neon red trusses established The Point as an instant local landmark - one that should not be lost, especially in the context of a New Town's limited heritage. This decision helps maintain the link to the city’s forward-thinking past. In today’s architectural climate, we should be focused on preserving and retrofitting our existing building stock for future use. Milton Keynes City Council - Twentieth Century Society - BDP (Building Design Partnership Ltd)

We are pleased to announce that 1-3 Westbourne Grove has officially received planning approval. Concilio supported Valouran with the community engagement, working closely with local resients, businesses, and stakeholders to ensure that the development reflect the needs of the community. Through a series of public consultations, feedback sessions, and constructive discussions, we gathered valuable insights that have directly influenced the design and vision of 1-3 Westbourne Grove. Valouran's vision for 1-3 Westbourne Grove involves retaining and enhancing the existing facade, while constructing a new building behind it with combined floorplates, including a pub on the ground and basement levels, and high-quality residential units above. Additionally, they plan to deliver public realm improvements and incorporate environmental sustainability features into the refurbishment to enhance the local area. For more details about the project, visit the website here: https://lnkd.in/e3sb7r7w

Pruitt Igoe, The High Cost Of Modernism Today, we are taking on a tale about the challenges of modernist architecture in addressing urban housing needs effectively, making it the most complex example in our series. The Pruitt-Igoe Housing Project in St. Louis, Missouri, is widely regarded as an architectural failure due to a combination of poor design choices, inadequate funding, and broader socio-economic issues that plagued its existence. Some of the issues are Flawed Architectural Design: With High-Rise Configuration and Poorly Designed Common Spaces, this design did not foster community interaction but instead quickly became sites of crime rather than places for social interaction. Maintenance Issues: The project’s reliance on rent from low-income tenants made it vulnerable to financial instability and physical neglect. Crime and vandalism: Widespread opposition to public housing initiatives limited financial support and contributed to the negative perceptions surrounding projects like Pruitt-Igoe. The complex became a hotspot for criminal activity, with gangs and vandalism rampant, earning it a reputation as a dangerous and neglected area. Today, the Pruitt-Igoe site remains vacant, with plans for new development pending. The project’s complex history serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of considering broader social, economic, and political contexts when designing and implementing public housing initiatives. The Lesson: Focus on human-centered design, strong funding, and supportive policy to build safe, sustainable communities in public housing. #architecturefailures #architecture #webdesign #interiordesign #story

"Central Mixed Development" (CMD) combines multiple uses, such as residential, commercial, and recreational, into a single space. Carlisle | Wortman Associates has assisted the City of Clawson with the implementation of a CMD district with the "Downtown Clawson Urban Framework Design Plan." The plan preserves and enhances the commercial “main street” character of downtown Clawson and ensures that new development is compatible with the desired character. Follow this link to view further details: https://lnkd.in/dT4RS85V #planning #Michigan #downtown #development #design #framework #mainstreet

With the Government pushing hard for new #housing, including affordable and social, what will create the quality, along with the quantity, that we urgently need to see? Speaking at this year’s Landscape Institute #JellicoeLecture, LDA Design Chair, Frazer Osment, will argue that there is a need for strong and creative landscape-led spatial planning to underpin growth and delivery of the Government’s housing agenda. Get this right and it could also accelerate delivery.   The call to action is to put #wellbeing at the heart of all future housing plans. In this, the roles of landscape architect, urban designer and planner have never been more important. Together, they have the expertise to lead the charge for change, and their collaboration is key to creating better places. All three need to be visionary in their approach and focussed on the widest positive outcomes. But what are the challenges to success and what are the practical steps to overcoming them?   Frazer is involved in #planning for growth and #masterplanning at scale and has been involved in the design and delivery of some of the largest new settlements and urban extensions in the UK, including Welborne Garden Village. He is an advisor to Homes England on strategic growth, including between Oxford and Cambridge.   The Jellicoe Lecture, a highlight of the Landscape Institute's calendar, will be well worth joining. Alongside Frazer will be Carolin Göhler FLI President of the Landscape Institute; Tim Slaney, Interim CEO, South Downs National Park Authority; and Harriet Bourne Director BBUK Studio. A Q&A will be chaired by Noel Farrer of Farrer Huxley Associates. Register now. https://lnkd.in/e5paw5gZ #masterplanning #planning #urbandesigner #landscapearchitecture #landscapearchitects #agentsofchange #talklandscape #betterplacemaking #newhomes #development #bettercities #goodgrowth #socialvalue #netzero #lowcarbonplaces #spatialplanning #landscapeled #healthandwellbeing #wellbeing

In Vancouver, we have a vocal minority who just can't accept that Central Broadway - with the second highest concentration of jobs in the province - has grown to be an extension of the downtown . They just can't accept that new planning policy has been vetted and approved by Council after a multi-year public planning process. Minority opponents continue to produce crappy "birdshit-architecture" renders (borrowing a term from urbanist Jan Gehl) to fear-monger and complain about the development of new market and below-market rental housing, new local-serving shops and services, new childcares, improved streetscapes, places for people to socialize. I say consider the quality of the applications that are all available online, particularly the design at grade, the most important part of a building. In addition to thousands of new market and below-market homes, work spaces and social amenities like new daycares, I urge decision makers to consider the high quality of street-level design, landscaping, trees and public spaces proposed for the great majority of Broadway Plan applications as they all go through intensive City design review. MCM + HAPA's 2111 Main St is one example among scores of others that demonstrate very excellent public ream and streetscapes.