Pushing the Envelope: Density and Quality Issues for Taller Buildings and the Alternatives

On Thursday, 12 October 2006, the Urban Renaissance Institute (URI), University of Greenwich, will be hosting a one day conference, sponsored in part by DEGW, on the benefits and impacts of taller buildings and the potential alternative ways of achieving higher urban densities.

The conference is aimed at developers, architects, urban designers, planners, local authority officers, and councillors. Speakers will present different ways to deliver more homes and workspaces, manage city plans and/or strategies, enhance townscapes, support public transport viability and make liveable places.

Chaired by Professor Richard Hayward of the University of Greenwich, speakers will include:

• David Breeze, Reading Borough Council
• Julie Witham, Bristol City Council
• Lora Nicolaou, DEGW / URI
• Martin Aarts, Municipality of Rotterdam
• Klaus Bode, BDSP
• Steve Bee, English Heritage

Taster workshop sessions will explore the benefits that taller buildings and higher densities can bring and will be facilitated by Steve Watts, Davis Langdon; Lora Nicolaou with Selina Mason, Cabe; and Dr Joana Gonçalves, University of São Paulo.

URI is part of the SEEDA Regional Centre of Excellence - South East Excellence Development Agency - and has been established at the University of Greenwich. Its purpose is to enhance the quality of the built environment in the South East, through training, research and consultancy.

DEGW's experience and project work is extensive on issues relating to the more efficient and effective use of space across urbanism, masterplanning, strategic briefing and space planning projects. More recently we have advised the cities of Rotterdam, Dublin and London on their high buildings strategies and on managing the processes of intensification, innovation and change. We have also been working with developers and land owners to test policy implications through the use of masteprlanning and architecture.

Lora Nicolaou, DEGW Director of Urban Strategies, will deliver a presentation entitled 'Tall Building Strategies and their Alternatives - Setting Out a Strategic Approach to Taller Developments' (10.30 am) and facilitate, with Selina Mason of Cabe, the workshop 'Delivering Policies for Taller Buildings: Hands on Assessment' (12.45 pm).

Find out more information about this conference here.

Conference Details:

To register:

Catherine Moutell, Waterloo Brown
01664 454 270
uri@waterloobrown.co.uk