Graham Kelly, Managing Director at Okana, is driven by his passion for engineering and technology, with an eye on their environmental impact.

 

Ryder Architecture talked with Graham about how Okana is driving technological and environmental change across the global built environment landscape and why the time is right to start place shaping. 

 

''At Okana we are on a mission to ensure that we are the business and digital transformation partner that helps bring value to other businesses and grow the world through better thinking, resulting in a better built environment. 

 

The name Okana might be new to many, but our vision, passion and commitment stem from the legacy of BIM Academy. BIM Academy was created in 2010 with the purpose of disrupting the digital status quo in the construction industry, and for a little over a decade we were instrumental in the digital development of many leading businesses and landmark projects worldwide.

 

No longer simply a digital consultancy, we outgrew the name and transitioned to Okana. We have expanded our service offerings and our team. Now we are not only looking to the future for further strategic and technological development, but combing place shaping and economics to drive new efficiencies.''

 

''Place shaping goes beyond place making and urban design, it is Okana’s vison for a much grander scale of master planning! 

 

Drawing on our large scale knowledge of global projects and estates, we help public and private organisations develop powerful visions and strategies that can amplify and speed the transition of better, resilient and liveable net zero urban communities.

 

We provide transformational place shaping solutions, which can include vision, feasibility, strategy, planning, design and guidance for regions, cities, towns and estates. We are working with our clients to support in the development of best practice place shaping ideas for new projects as well as enabling stewardship approaches for existing places that require update and enhancement. 

 

Presently we are working on several urban area developments in the UK as well as greener, more walkable and future transit led cities in the UK and the Middle East.''

 

''In 2023, 57% of the world’s population lived in urban areas, a proportion that is expected to increase to 68% by 2050 according to the United Nations. 

 

Understanding the key trends in urbanisation that could unfold over the coming decades is critical to the implementation of sustainable development. As the world continues to urbanise, sustainable development increasingly relies on the successful management of urban growth.

 

Many countries will face challenges in meeting the needs of their growing urban populations, including the need for more and better housing, healthcare, infrastructure and energy - as well more education and employment opportunities.

At Okana we apply our global knowledge at a local scale,using our expertise to support individual communities. Having the ability to feed global knowledge into local town and cities is vital to understanding how these communities can benefit and grow.''

 

''For many years most cities evolved out of necessity and not a sustainability driven ideology, however this is changing with planet positive strategies leading the design process of urban evolution. 

 

But success lies with more than just the design process, there is a more important holistic view, making for a more reliable connection between nature and culture. 

 

The process of place shaping draws on this holistic view and helps to navigate complex place and urban challenges through robust and forward looking outcome based vision and strategies, emphasising the connectedness of people and places. We look beyond just buildings and their fabric to the intrinsic benefits built assets bring to society and how they support sustainable environmental and economic change.''