Wellbeing

Mass urbanisation and the rise of digitalisation are having a dramatic effect on our emotional, mental and physical health. We are permanently stimulated in an increasingly dense environment and therefore, it has never been more vital for us to rethink how we plan and build the city. How do we ensure London’s built environment and its individual buildings promote and encourage a healthy population?

This programme explores the juncture between London’s buildings and built environment and the emotional, mental and physical health of its citizens.

Across the year, the programme will profile best practice across the capital and investigate the impact of new ideas, policies and research. A think tank in May 2020 will bring together experts from across the built environment, policy and academia to identify key areas of focus for London and inform the shape of the programme over 2020/21.

KEY THEMES:

Mental health: urban design and its influence on mental health
Physical wellbeing: improving air quality, physical activity and health outcomes for Londoners
Social sustainability: impact of building quality and planning on the social needs of communities

PROPOSED UPCOMING ACTIVITY:

Think tank, May 2020
Breakfast talk, November 2020

Expert Panel

CHAIR
Heath Harvey, Project Play Lead, Argent LLP
Heath has had a 25-year career in the professional sports sector, with senior roles at Wembley Stadium, Saracens Rugby and, most recently, elite cycling events. He joined Argent in 2019 to oversee the strategic design and development of 50 acres of sports and wellbeing facilities at Brent Cross South, Argent Related’s north London town centre, where a reimagined London park will be home to an unrivalled multi-use sports hub, including 860,000 square feet of outdoor and 350,000 square feet of indoor facilities, e-leisure, sports retail and landscape design.

Alan Siggins, Managing Director, Airflow
Alan joined Airflow Developments in 2008 as Managing Director. Prior to this he served in various other industry sectors (IT, MP3, fabrics, retail).

James Matthews, Senior Sustainability Consultant, Avison Young

James is a Senior Sustainability consultant responsible for implementing Avison Young's Health and Wellbeing service. A qualified WELL Accredited Professional (AP) and Fitwel Ambassador, able to advise how best to implementing health and wellbeing strategies to the office space. James provides consultancy services for landlords, developers and occupiers around sustainability and wellness in the built environment; from integrating sustainability and wellbeing into property management activities to full certification services.

Jenny Buterchi, Partner, PRP

Jenny is an expert within PRP's later living team with extensive knowledge in designing enabling environments which promote wellbeing. She has delivered award winning housing, specialising in the provision for older people, mental health and learning disabilities. Her breadth of experience covers a range of typologies including intergenerational living, retirement housing and care homes. An outstanding architect of some 20 years, Jenny uses her experience and innovative approach to design, to deliver schemes which improve the wellbeing of all who live, work and visit them.

Lisa Woo, Head of Placemaking, Meridian Water

Lisa is the Head of Placemaking for Meridian Water, a pioneering regeneration programme led by Enfield Council to deliver more than 10,000 homes and 6000 jobs in North London. She directs the masterplanning process and placemaking strategies for the development with public interest at its heart. She studied Housing and Urbanism at Architectural Association School of Architecture.

Michael Dariane, Senior Sustainability Consultant, Hilson Moran

Michael is certified as a LEED Accredited Professional (AP), a Pearl Qualified Professional and a Project Management Professional. Michael is also works on sustainability aspects of Masterplans and he has led the certification of the highest-rated LEED building in the UK, 100 Cheapside.

In 2016, Michael also became one of the UK’s first WELL Accredited Professional. Michael led the team to certify the Hilson Moran Manchester office to the WELL Gold level. This was the first project outside of London to obtain WELL certification. He is currently leading the certification of 5 WELL projects.

Natalie Thomson, Buckley Gray Yeoman

Natalie is responsible for chairing Buckley Gray Yeoman's three internal Employee Forums, which focus on Sustainability and Wellbeing; Equality, Diversity and Inclusion; and Social and Cultural. She is trained as a Mental Health First Aider, leads BGY's mentoring and workplace experience programmes, and represents BGY as a partnering practice within the AR W Programme. Alongside this Natalie oversees architectural projects and in 2017 lead the redevelopment of UKs largest homeless resource centre which created psychologically informed spaces to assist with clients’ experiences of the building.

Olaide Oboh, Director of Partnerships, First Base
Olaide has been with First Base since 2011 and leads on establishing and nurturing relationships with public and private sector partners. A qualified project manager, Olaide’s experience is varied ranging from managing communications at Marks and Spencer to working on large scale regeneration in Hackney and leading the external relations for East Village, the new neighourhood on the Olympic Park. This varied background makes her role at First Base very broad. Olaide leads on communications and culture for all First Base’s projects, develops strategic relationships to help embed the company into new locations and builds crucial contacts with brands and emerging industries to play a part in developments.

Rory Olcayto, Writer and Critic, Pollard Thomas Edwards

Rory Olcayto is a writer and critic at Pollard Thomas Edwards. Previous roles include editor of The Architects’ Journal and chief executive of Open City, the organisation behind Open House London. Rory studied architecture at the University of Strathclyde, has worked in practice in Glasgow, Liege and Istanbul, and as a designer in the videogames industry. Publications include Sinan: The First Starchitect, The architecture of Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners: British Museum World Conservation and Exhibitions Centre and Brent Cross South: the handbook, for Argent.

Ruth French, Associate, Ryder

An associate at Ryder, Ruth has experience in London’s healthcare, commercial and residential sectors. Ruth believes that well designed buildings can improve lives – she is passionate about engaging closely with stakeholders to develop the brief, manage design integrity throughout construction and undertake post occupancy research.

Ruth leads Ryder’s social value strategy which defines how the practice and its projects deliver wider positive impacts.

Shaun Andrews, Executive Director, Nexus Planning

Shaun is a city planner and has a wealth of experience spanning approximately 25 years of advising both private and public sector clients. He was previously Head of Strategic Development at GL Hearn, Head of Planning & Sustainability at Cushman & Wakefield, and Head of London Planning at Donaldsons/DTZ. His expertise covers the formulation of masterplans and supporting the delivery of major complex developments. Whilst spending most of his career in the private sector, Shaun recently spent 6 months seconded to the Defence Infrastructure Organisation where he was interim head of estates.

Stephen O’Malley, Founding Director, Civic Engineers

Stephen O’Malley is Founding Director of Civic Engineers. The skills Stephen has developed to engineer healthy, active and attractive urban neighbourhoods are broad – civil, transport, highways, flood risk, drainage, utilities, structures, ground remediation engineering. Stephen’s fusion and practice of these skills enables the creation of inspirational public spaces that have a positive impact on the environment and enable people to lead healthier and happier lives. This broader, more creative, collaborative approach sets Civic Engineers apart and has seen Stephen recognised as an industry expert in his field.

Amanda Whittington, Partner, FCB Studios

Amanda joined Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios’ London office in June 2007 and was made a Partner in 2016. During her time at FCBStudios she has been involved as Lead Designer and Consultant on a number of key projects including a mixed-use, zero carbon housing development in Brighton and a regeneration project to provide office and arts space for a homeless charity in Oxford as well as the now completed Embassy Gardens in Vauxhall. Current projects include a number of buildings within the Circle Square development in Manchester and the Globe Point and Globe Square Offices development forming part of an overall master plan Leeds. As co-leader of our workplace sector, she reviews future trends and principles of good design and leads a number of high-profile commercial developments nationwide, focusing on sustainability, wellness and creating flexible new workspaces.

She has had extensive experience at all stages of design in a wide range of sectors from pre-planning through to completion on site. Amanda was nominated by her team and awarded the ‘Inspirational Leader of the Year’ at the BCO 2018 Next Generation Awards.

Wendy de Silva, Architect, Wellbeing and Mental Health Lead, IBI Group

Wendy is an architect and Mental Health Lead at IBI Group. She has worked with clients who are at the forefront of best practice in the delivery of mental health services and is passionate about service improvements. Wendy was also a career for a family member for many years so has first-hand experience of navigating her way across the existing silos of acute care, community-based care and social care and is a keen advocate of cross sector collaboration.

See all NLA expert Panels

Programme Champions

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

There are opportunities to become either a Champion or Supporter of this programme. To find out more about how you could get involved in the events and output across our platforms please get in touch with the Membership Team via membership@newlondonarchitecture.org

Prices start from £4,250 + VAT for 12 month support.