News
01.12.2006
New Boston office for Space Syntax
Space Syntax is happy to announce the opening of its Boston office, which will enable us to more easily respond to growing American interest in the Space Syntax Approach. The addition brings our number of offices around the world to seven.
The Boston office is under the direction of Noah Raford, who previously worked in the Company’s London office on a number of high profile projects, including the Strategic Planning Framework for the Municipality of Jeddah. Noah has also recently been appointed as a Research Scientist at MIT’s Laboratory for Mobile Learning, where his research focuses on innovation and competitive advantage for global cities.
28.09.2006
Space Syntax awarded Investor in People status for staff development
Following an assessment in early September, Space Syntax has been awarded Investor in People status. Established in 1990, the Investors in People Standard is a business improvement tool designed to improve performance and realise objectives through the management and development of a company’s people.
Ally Maughan, Space Syntax's HR Manager, said "We are delighted to receive the Investor in People award.
It is recognition of our belief in the value of staff training and development, good levels of compensation and company-wide participation in profit-sharing. Ultimately, we recognise the importance of career development and of a healthy work/life balance. We will now continue our efforts to make the practice a stimulating and professionally satisfying place to work."
14.09.2006
Book Launch - Urban Design Futures
Should Urban Design anticipate the future rather than recreate the past? A new book containing a series
of thought provoking scenarios has been compiled to review progress and explore emerging ideas with contributions from some of the leading practitioners and theorists, including Space Syntax Managing Director, Tim Stonor.
The book is structured around four themes; an overview of the key objectives that urban design addresses and the role and territories of the urban designer; the heart of urban design, the public realm and those for whom it is designed; the big issue of sustainability and how technology could be a means to achieve it through new building typologies; new forms of urbanism that are being created from the cross fertilisation of urban design with contemporary forces such as networking, branding, rapid change and uncertainty.
06.07.2006
Central St Giles, London
The London Borough of Camden today resolved to grant planning permission for the mixed-use redevelopment of St Giles Court in Central London. Space Syntax has been advising owners Legal & General on the public realm design of this major regeneration project.
Appointed in 2001, Space Syntax began developing public realm briefing guidance for the site in advance of the selection of architect, the Renzo Piano Workshop. This guidance advocated the creation of a central public space and the transformation of the Princes Circus open spaces to the east of the site. These spaces exploit the central urban location of the site and the associated potentials for high levels of pedestrian footfall and public space usage. Space Syntax subsequently worked alongside the Renzo Piano Workshop in generating and evaluating design proposals for the site - the final design adopts the Space Syntax public realm design recommendations and will radically transform the quality of what is currently a pedestrian "backwater".
Using baseline surveys of pedestrian activity patterns and urban form character, as well as predictive modelling of future pedestrian activity patterns, Space Syntax has supported the designs throughout the planning process.
The application will now be referred to the Mayor of London before planning permission can be granted.
16.06.2006
London Architecture Biennale
Friday 16th June saw the start of The London Architecture Biennale in partnership with London Architecture Week. As part of the week long public festivities, Space Syntax held two very successful events: a) a guided walk through the City of London where Space Syntax staff explained the basic principles of the theory to over 70 interested participants in seven groups and b) an evening seminar on the future of London's public realm after the Olympics. Space Syntax invited a number of speakers of related fields and the evening ended in a lively discussion over a glass of wine and food.
16.06.2006
Elephant and Castle team wins BEX masterplanning award
The Elephant and Castle development team secured a prestigious international masterplanning award on 8th June, at the Building Exchange symposium in Madrid.
The second place award was for Southwark Council's development framework for Elephant and Castle, which was adopted as supplementary planning guidance in February 2004 following an extensive public consultation in which 80% of respondents supported the plans.
Kura Perkins from the Elephant and Castle team received the award, thanking the council's professional consultant team that included Foster and Partners, Make Architects, planning consultants Tibbalds, Gehl Architects and Space Syntax. Full story
Read about Space Syntax's contribution to the Elephant & Castle project.
14.06.2006
Space Syntax - 'Race for Life' for Cancer Research
On Sunday 4th June a team of female staff members from Space Syntax took part in the City of London Race for Life. Their objective was to run/walk a 5km course around the City to raise money for Cancer Research.
Nearly 9000 women took part on the day, which created a wonderful atmosphere and a rewarding experience for the Space Syntax team.
We are delighted to announce that the team's target of £1,500 in sponsorship has been exceeded with a final figure of £1, 628.47.
Congratulations to the team and many thanks to everyone who has supported their fund-raising efforts!
24.05.2006
City of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Space Syntax proposes strategic planning recommendations for the overall development of Jeddah in the next 20 years
Space Syntax has recently completed a Strategic Planning Framework for the City of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The framework is built on rigorous analysis of the city’s land use, transport and urban layout characteristics using evidence-based planning tools.
The Strategic Planning Framework describes how the city’s emphasis on rapid, low density development along its motorways is drawing growth away from the city centre. The result is a weak central area, heavy car usage, poor quality public realm and an overall underutilisation of the city’s potential.
The strategic planning recommendations address these challenges and propose an integrated strategy for the city’s growth, a revised allocation of key land use-transportation corridors, a programme for the enhancement of the urban core, strategies for major regeneration sites - including the massive Old Airport and Waterfront areas - an improvement programme for Jeddah’s 50 unplanned settlements and a series of strategic design guidelines.
17.05.2006
Bluewater, Kent
Space Syntax prepares infrastructure masterplan for future development of major retail centre
Working closely with the Jerde Partnership in California and Lend Lease Developments in London, Space Syntax is helping to prepare a masterplan for Bluewater, the UK’s most successful retail centre, located in south-east England. Space Syntax’s work focuses on the urban infrastructure requirements of the masterplan: transportation, land use mix and spatial configuration.
12.04.2006
Society Guardian, Life on the open road
Mark Gould reports on what happened when when a council removed barriers between pedestrians and vehicles on one of the busiest streets in London - Kennsington High Street. The council embarked on a programme of works that involved "decluttering" its flagship high street of "furniture" that was originally installed to protect pedestrians. Guard railings between pavement and road were stripped away, kerbs were removed at junctions, and the number of street signs was reduced.
Richard Simmons, the chief executive of the Commission for the Built Environment, says Kensington is to be congratulated on what seem to be promising results, which have improved both the aesthetic of the street and safety. He says redesigning streetscapes is "all about changing the balance of power away from the motorist, slowing them down and putting them on the same level as other road users, the pedestrian, the cyclist and disabled groups. Space Syntax, a research company, has suggested that having cars on the streets makes them safer places. Having cars passing at frequent intervals means there is less chance of crime."
Full story
13.03.2006
City of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Space Syntax has been appointed by the Municipality of Jeddah to prepare a Spatial Planning Framework for the city. The draft plan was presented to His Excellency the Mayor of Jeddah in early February. Work is progressing towards completion of the first phase of work in April.
06.03.2006
Agora, Cities for People
After three years of pan-European collaboration, Space Syntax has helped to deliver the Agora, Cites for People research project to the European Commission. Agora is a methodology for studying and designing major walking routes in cities, focussing on their urban linkage characteristics, usage demographics, surface and urban furniture features and their signage. Space Syntax worked in partnership with the University of the Arts, London, Escola Elisava Superior De Disseny, Spain, Utrecht School of Arts, The Netherlands, The City of Malmo, Sweden and Lund University, Sweden.
01.02.2006
London School of Economics New Academic Building
Provisional planning permission has been granted for a new academic building at the northern entrance to the London School of Economics (LSE). Space Syntax worked closely with Nicholas Grimshaw Architects on their design for a major new building near Lincoln's Inn Fields. Space Syntax studied the movement patterns of different user groups in the area (including students, workers, tourists, and residents), and used an advanced agent-based spatial analysis model to uncover the hidden dynamics of this complex site. Space Syntax delivered key design advice on the layout of the public space in the forecourt of the building, which was found to be a key interface between the LSE campus and the larger public realm.