The value of place making in construction and engineering

This episode focuses on the value of place making within construction and engineering projects.

Place making is the practice of ensuring that a project goes beyond functionality and delivers something that benefits the society in which it is being constructed. It is ensuring that there is space above and around it for public use, which will bolster a community with new resources.

Fitting in the requirements of a client while also providing wider benefit for the community can make place making feel like a difficult jigsaw, but it has wide-ranging knock-on effects that make it worthwhile. These include improved mental health, physical health, pride of place and economic uplift. These are long-term positives for a broad swatch of society.

We’ve seen plenty of placemaking within cities with the likes of the Battersea and Nine Elms developments around the Northern Line extension or the creation of MediaCity at the previously derelict Salford Quay docklands. However, these types of regenerative projects can also be smaller but just as transformational in smaller locations.

The guests joining NCE assistant news editor Rob Hakimian on this month’s episode have plenty of experience in place making initiatives.

Alex Scott-Whitby is the founder and director of Scott Whitby Studios, the architectural firm that walked away with the Place Making Initiative of the Year award at this year’s British Construction Industry Awards for its Jubilee Pool project in Penzance – a project that is discussed in the podcast.

Alongside Alex is Chris Short, iconic bridge director at Arcadis. Chris’ work also sees him sit on Arcadis’ infrastructure group, which focuses on urban development – something that he is passionate about.

In this conversation, Alex and Chris discuss the importance of place making and how it should be embedded into projects. They talk specifically about the ScottWhitby Studio’s Jubilee Pool and the benefits it has brought to the people of Penzance. They also discuss the makeup of the current urban landscape and how it can be redressed to better serve the public.

The discussion also takes a broader view to discuss the implementation of place making; who has the responsibility to make sure it happens and what is the best way for those working on a project to bring it into a design. Lastly, they look to the future to imagine what towns and cities might look and feel like in the future if place making is instilled in all future developments.