Bird’s Eye Show + Tell Social

VeloCity’s winning design for the Cambridge Oxford link competition

Our next Show + Tell Social considers design at the scale of the city. Bird’s Eye, on Monday 26 February, features architects and urbanists speaking about two specific examples of urban and infrastructure design.

Richard Lavington (Maccreanor Lavington Architects) will speak about the practice’s work on a new urban quarter of Cambridge; while Petra Marko (Marko and Placemakers) and Annalie Riches (Mikhail Riches) of the VeloCity team will present their winning idea for the National Infrastructure Commission competition for a Cambridge to Oxford growth corridor – an all-women collaboration which also includes Jennifer Ross (Tibbalds), Sarah Featherstone (Featherstone Young), Kay Hughes (Khaa) and Judith Sykes (Expedition).

Both talks will demystify what it means to design a masterplan, exploring the criteria for assessing a well designed neighbourhood, and that oft-used term ‘placemaking’. In the discussion we’ll consider the difference between designing urban and rural neighbourhoods; the integration of transport infrastructure, and how designers can shape the character of a place while leaving it open for growth.

The event begins at 7pm at Pilbrow & Partners, 2-5 St John’s Square, London EC1M 4DE. Tickets are free for LSA students, alumni, staff and members of the Practice Network (use the code provided).

Book here

Speaker biographies

Richard Lavington Richard established Maccreanor Lavington Architects with Gerard Maccreanor in 1991. Working from offices in London and Rotterdam the experience of the practice is extensive. He has led the practice on many award-winning projects including Accordia, Cambridge; Saxon Court and Roseberry Mansions, Kings Cross. Richard is a a Mayor’s Design Advocate, and sits on a number of London Design Review Panels. He has been a Studio Leader at the University of Bath where he was responsible for running the final year Masters studio.He is currently part of the LSA’s Design Think Tank exploring Adaptive Typologies and superdense living.

Petra Marko Petra is an architect, communicator and enabler of creative projects within the urban realm. She is co-founder of the London-based design and research consultancy Marko&Placemakers, combining creativity with hands-on facilitation and mediation. Following her architecture qualification, Petra completed a Masters in Creative Entrepreneurship at Goldsmiths, University of London, in order to develop her interest in city making as an entrepreneurial practice. She has been actively promoting research and entrepreneurship through her work and as a member of the RIBA Small Practice Group.

Annalie Riches Annalie Riches is co-founder of Mikhail Riches Architects which was established in 2005. The practice specialises in sustainable design and housing, both for private developers and housing associations. They won ‘Housing Architect of the Year’ 2009, and were runners up for Young Architect of the Year 2007. Annalie graduated from Sheffield University and North London University, and was selected for the RIBA Silver Medal for her Diploma work. She has worked for engineers RFR Peter Rice in Paris and Edward Cullinan Architects, before spending a year building her own house at Whatcott’s Yard in Stoke Newington.