We shape places that enrich people's lives.

We’re an ambitious team of planners, urban designers, architects and landscape architects with a dynamic and collaborative approach that unlocks the full potential of our projects.

Our creative response to each site is inspired by its context in order to shape and realise exemplary communities and landscapes. Places with rich identities that respond to the needs of our changing society and the fight against climate change.

Our Ethos

  • Creative Goals

    We research, reflect, and evolve to ensure that we stay at the cutting edge and provide a blend of technical and creative perspectives across every project.

  • Collaborative Approach

    We work closely with our clients providing the highest quality of service and class-leading advice in all of our activities thriving on the strong relationships that we build with our clients, associates, and colleagues.

  • Conscious Outcomes

    Our intent is to shape and revitalise new and existing places that allow people to thrive whilst responding to the needs of our changing society and the fight against climate change.

Masterplanning

Defining an inspired vision of the future.

  • We believe that future growth should be planned and designed to create happy and healthy communities within beautiful and sustainable neighbourhoods.

    Masterplanning is key to that, but at Define it’s not simply the preparation of a single plan or strategy.  It’s the reconciliation of a wide range of spatial and thematic influences to creatively manage constraints and promote sustainable solutions which shape the delivery of special places.  Distinct places that are inspired by the character and history of the landscape, intimately integrated with their context, and designed at their heart with a focus on how people will experience them.

    We understand the big picture and our cohesive and creative approach is coupled with a proven understanding of delivery.  Our masterplans are robust and realisable, without compromising on their conceptual integrity or design ambition and draw from a combination of our planning, urban design and landscape capabilities.

  • We create and shape compelling and deliverable masterplans for the development of constrained and sensitive sites that realise our client’s aspirations for their land interests by:

    • Providing insight and cogent advice in respect of national and local policy and standards, the socio-economic, political and environmental geography, and development strategy, need and supply matters.

    • Analysis of place to understand its qualities, history and possibilities.

    • Identifying key opportunities, and actively manage constraints.

    • Effectively communicating a compelling vision.

    • Reconciling a diverse range of professional inputs to shape the proposals.

    • Conceptually exploring and evaluating options with robust capacity testing.

    • Shaping and refining solutions in parallel with technical studies.

    • Using innovative public realm and landscape design to enhance the sense of place, identity and legibility.

    • Proactively engaging and collaborating with stakeholders.

    • Directing the planning and implementation process to ensure future delivery.

    • Site analysis / audit

    • Capacity / feasibility studies

    • Concept vision

    • Vision promotion

    • Development Framework Plans

    • Masterplans

    • Design and Access Statements

  • Culham Science Village

    Ebbsfleet Garden Community

Our Services

Landscape Architecture

We believe that landscape architecture is both an art and a language.

  • Landscape is the raw material within which human activity takes place and to be fully understood it demands an understanding of its evolution, history, community, spirit and spatial qualities. Our design is the creative response to its possibilities.

    A successful landscape takes us away to another time, or shows us the present in a new light. It surrounds us by beauty, community and nature.  We are inspired by creatively shaping and designing landscapes; watching people living and playing in the places we help grow, brings us great joy.

    This perspective enables us to see the big picture. Whether this is how change can sit in a regional landscape, how regeneration should be shaped around people’s lives and societal needs, or how parks, plazas, and streets enrich urban places.

    Our work revolves around collaboration and the open exchange of ideas and possibilities, with clients, colleagues, stakeholders and communities to form new landscapes that function well and enable its users to inhabit and have a sense of ownership.

    A good, simple idea can unlock the potential of a space. We value and nurture the imaginative ideas of our team through sketch work, internal presentations and going on field trips to enjoy the work of our contemporaries through the shared love of Landscape.

  • We apply a creative and analytical approach to planning, designing and delivering change in the landscape at all scales, by:

    • Using innovative public realm and landscape design to enhance the sense of place, identity and legibility whilst maximising biodiversity and the human benefits of our designs

    • Undertaking an analysis of place to understand its qualities, history and possibilities,

    • Identifying key opportunities, and actively manage constraints;

    • Effectively communicating a compelling vision

    • Applying creative analytical tools to assess and communicate emerging ideas – both at a strategic and detailed scale

    • Reconciling a diverse range of professional inputs to shape the proposals;

    • Shaping and refining solutions in parallel with technical studies; 

    • Proactively engaging and collaborating with stakeholders;

    • Directing the planning and implementation process to ensure future delivery.

    • Conceptual ideas

    • Sketch design

    • Green Infrastructure design and landscape led masterplanning

    • Landscape & Visual Impact Assessments

    • Landscape Statements, Landscape Design Code chapters and Design & Access Statements

    • Detailed landscape information for planning

    • Tender documentation and construction drawings

    • Detailed planting design and management advice

    • 3D Animation and visuals

    • 3D modelling and augmented reality

  • Platinum Jubilee Park

    Brooklands College

Planning

Making distinct places with a clear and focused ambition.

  • Now more than ever we need planning to effectively facilitate the creation of new and revitalised places that address our society’s changing needs, whilst managing our delicate  relationship with the natural and historic environment, and rising to the challenge of climate change.

    But successfully navigating the planning system is becoming ever more complex.

    We use a cohesive approach that focusses on mediating the balance between social, economic and environmental interests to find sustainable opportunities, unlock challenging sites and deliver successful places.  Our blend of technical and creative perspectives offers both insight and inspiration.

    We apply this approach to every project, regardless of size, form or function, because we know that planning is the key to enabling development of the right type and quality in the right location.

    We recognise the importance of the process and the need to research, reflect and evolve in order to respond to changing planning practice and requirements, but our focus is ultimately on the outcomes: facilitating positive change over time to realise the aspirations of land interests alongside wider public benefits in our living and working environments.

  • We identify, define and promote strategic and complex development proposals through both forward planning and development management to realise our client’s aspirations for their land interests by:

    • Providing insight and cogent advice in respect of national and local policy and standards, the socio-economic, political and environmental geography, and development strategy, need and supply matters.

    • Identifying a bespoke strategy and tactics to promote each individual project.

    • Reconciling a wide range of considerations and professional inputs in order to make balanced value judgements that shape and guide the project.

    • Defining the opportunity and demonstrating capacity and deliverability. 

    • Proactive stakeholder engagement and relationship building.

    • Managing risk and change to expedite positive outcomes. 

    • Providing representation through the Development Plan process to ensure a favourable policy context. 

    • Ensuring delivery through the development management process.

    • EIA Management

    • Planning application co-ordination and submission

    • Planning permission negotiation

    • Section 106 Agreement

    • Planning appeals and expert witness 

  • Claverton Campus

    Mucklow Park

Urban Design

Facilitating positive change for future generations.

  • Successful places have a rich tapestry of spatial, physical and emotive qualities and we believe that can only be created through a clear vision and an inclusive approach.

    An understanding of the essence of a place is essential.  Whether it be a rich landscape, historic town or gritty neighbourhood, every place has a history and form that is unique.  We seek inspiration from within in order to enrich change, whilst shaping the form of buildings, streets and spaces to create a cohesive place that positively effects the health and well-being of the community.

    Our approach is relevant whether we’re shaping a new garden city, enabling urban regeneration, or guiding incisive interventions in the urban form as it recognises that people and places are part of a much wider ecosystem.

    Critically, we understand all placemaking decisions need to be sensitive to how the environment will accommodate change whilst successfully supporting the needs of our changing society.

  • Urban Design is the art of making places. It shapes the physical form of streets, spaces and buildings, but perhaps more importantly it directly influences the lives of its inhabitants. It is by its nature complex, multi-disciplinary and collaborative. Successful places have a rich tapestry of spatial, physical and emotive qualities and can only be created through a clear vision and a positive, inclusive approach, which for us involves:

    • Carrying out a rigorous analysis of place and function. This typically includes assessing a location’s history and evolution, topography, hydrology, townscape or landscape character (often through Lynchian analysis), movement, land-uses and destinations.

    • Researching current and future lifestyle patterns, low carbon solutions and health and wellbeing to understand how future users of proposed change can function to their optimum, with minimal environmental effects.

    • Establishing a clear vision, exploring innovative concepts and developing these ideas through teamwork into robust and deliverable options.

    • Engaging and collaborating with team members and stakeholders.

    • Communicating and illustrating our design work in an enticing way.

    • Robustly and persuasively advocating positive urban design outcomes and delivering these through detailed design and implementation.

    • Townscape assessment and analysis

    • Capacity / feasibility studies

    • Stakeholder consultation

    • Strategic urban design advice and frameworks

    • Urban design advocacy

    • Design codes and guides

    • Expert witness / planning appeals and audits

    • Outline and full planning application material – Design and Access Statements / Parameter Plans / Scheme Proposals

  • Stanton Cross

    Loves Farm, St Neots

Architecture

Creating and shaping spaces that inspire and endure.

  • Architecture is about more than just buildings; it’s about creating a place - founded from and inspired by its location. Each scheme is led by a commitment to understand its location, context, and unique characteristics, developing creative solutions that meet the project goals. Whether we are shaping a new neighbourhood centre, delivering a mixed use urban regeneration scheme, or repurposing existing buildings and structures, we recognise that people and place are fully interconnected.

    We see our role as holistically blending diverse requirements and disciplines in a creative process. We work closely with Clients, stakeholders, communities and the wider team, listening to ideas and incorporating feedback at every stage.

    We are committed to designing buildings that are sustainable at all levels; taking a fabric first holistic approach, from energy efficiency and material selection, to incorporating renewable sources. Our goal is to ensure that we engender positive change in the environment that will support the needs of our ever-evolving society.

    We stay at the forefront of architectural innovation, leveraging technology and research to create spaces with rich identities. We seek to utilise new technology in order to improve both our professional services and the quality of the places we create.

  • We apply a creative, inquisitive approach to architectural design by:

    • Undertaking an analysis of existing context, character and identity to understand qualities and possibilities

    • Identify key opportunities to inform an architectural design approach

    • Develop a conceptual approach, considering, exploring and evaluating alternative options

    • Establish a strong vision for each proposal

    • Reconcile and blend the diverse range of inputs, collaborating with the wider team
      Shape and refine architectural solutions informed by technical work

    • Positively engage and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure ideas are robust and deliverable

    • Support the planning and delivery process

    • RIBA Plan of Work Stages 0 to 7

    • Architectural advice, concept ideas & schematic design

    • Feasibility & sketch capacity studies

    • Vision Documents & strategic project definition

    • Existing building review & adaptability options

    • Concept / schematic design

    • Preparation of Outline and Full Planning Application (including design, graphics, visualisations, drawings, DAS, etc.)

    • Design development & management

    • Detailed & technical design

    • Project construction & delivery

  • Egley Road

    Hawkhurst

Our unique place research approach allows us to efficiently collect and evaluate data to understand the essence of place success. We provide an effective and speedy overall assessment of places where we identify and highlight the key physical and socio-economic factors that influence a place’s quality.

We use these evaluations to provide overall support to the planning and design process, supporting our depth of decision making and to pin-point areas for reflection on best-practice.

The Define Approach to Place Research