Connecting people and places through creative urban design brings a development to life and helps forge a sense of community ‘wholeness’. By creating a blueprint for long-term development, a well considered and appropriate masterplan is the key to unlocking the future potential in a new project. Working as part of an integrated engineering and design team, Buro Happold’s masterplanners bring an in-depth understanding of the many complex environmental, technical and regulatory issues involved.

With clients drawn from across the private and public sectors, Buro Happold has produced masterplans for a wide range of quality projects in the UK and around the world, from landmark buildings to urban regeneration schemes. We operate across the full planning spectrum, from the strategic to the local scale, looking at the future of the site. Our expertise ensures that creative, innovative and sustainable masterplans are achieved that meet both planning requirements and our clients’ objectives.

Buro Happold approaches every project with imagination and sensitivity. Our masterplans can be inspirational but always deliverable, taking into account likely implementation and procurement routes. Most importantly they are flexible, allowing for new uses and market opportunities based on predictions of how the site is likely to develop. We bring an acute awareness of both commercial realism and environmental best practice when designing our urban development solutions.

Engaging local communities and securing their ongoing participation is a crucial part of Buro Happold’s philosophy. We seek to formulate strategies that are both ‘bottom up’ and ‘top down’, seeking consensus and encouraging input while leading from the front with forward-thinking ideas and visionary planning. We always aim to work with, not against, the environment, so will advise on how to overcome site constraints and maximise development opportunities through sympathetic planning and design.