Open House Exemplar

Open House Exemplar is our design-awareness programme for built environment decision makers.
Planning Policy Statement 1 (PPS1) stresses that good design is indivisible from good planning, that mediocre design should not be accepted and that high quality design should be the aim of all in the development process.

Open House Exemplar provides a space in which those involved in planning and development can interrogate what ‘good design’ really is, the benefits it brings and how to ensure that  aspirations can become reality. The programme uses Open House’s expertise in architecture as a learning tool to equip participants with the tools and language to evaluate and argue for a high standard and appropriate design.

The programme has been running since 2005, and has welcomed participants from all of London’s 33 local authorities. It provides half day masterclasses for local councillors, exploring exemplar developments in London. These are professionally facilitated and are made up of four elements:

  1. addressing what is meant by design and design quality in specific contexts
  2. testing key design principles against real life examples
  3. analyse how drawings and plans translate into reality
  4. practising arguing for/against a proposal on design grounds

Recent masterclasses have explored Culverin Court, part of the Arsenal housing re-development in LB Islington, Tabard Square and Wansey Street housing in LB Southwark, and the award-winning Westminster Academy in the City of Westminster.

2009/10 season: Place Making
The new season of Open House Exemplar is underway, inspired by the theme of Making Places. We explore how the design of new development can contribute to the making of successful places for local communities, addressing not only how a new development in and of itself can offer a clear identity and sense of place, but also how it relates to a surrounding area, potentially acting as a positive catalyst and focus for change. There are four core events this season:

  1. 15th July 2009: Housing design (at Bourbon Lane, LB Hammersmith & Fulham)
  2. October 2009: School design (at Bridge Academy, LB Hackney)
  3. November 2009: Eco-development design (at BedZED, LB Sutton)

4. Jan/Feb 2010: topic tbc based on participant feedback
Individual places cost £175 (plus VAT) which includes a materials pack, light lunch and post-event report. We also offer a rate of £125 per place for block bookings.
For further details, or if you would like to see how Open House Exemplar could work to address the needs of your organisation, please contact Daisy Froud, London Exemplar Manager.


What people say about London Exemplar:
 “The tour of the site and the question and answer session with the client was fantastic. It was very interesting to hear, first hand, how the project was delivered. I am now able to take back to Islington the learning from today and apply it in our borough, knowing where to apply pressure having seen the precedent.”
Cllr Anna Berent, East Area Planning Committee Chair, LB Islington
“Being on site and having the opportunity to have walk around the completed project and hear firsthand about the problems encountered since build, but not foreseen in planning terms, was invaluable.”
Cllr Luke Clancy, Planning Committee, LB Croydon

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