PLACEMAKING

SE Faversham Market Place – Nathan Ottaway

Our approach to placemaking combines thoughtful architectural design with masterplanning expertise, ensuring that every project not only meets immediate needs of the clients but also contributes to the long-term identity and sustainability of a community. From residential developments to mixed-use spaces and heritage-sensitive projects, we focus on creating environments that are functional, memorable and deeply connected to their surroundings.

What is Placemaking architecture and masterplanning?

Placemaking architecture and masterplanning are essential approaches to creating exciting, functional and sustainable environments that respond to the needs of people and their communities.

At Clague, we use placemaking to design spaces that foster community interaction, well-being, and integration with their surroundings, creating functional, memorable places with distinct identities. Masterplanning involves planning larger scale developments with a focus on the relationship between spaces, buildings and infrastructure, ensuring sustainability and connectivity. Together, placemaking and masterplanning shape spaces that meet immediate needs and evolve into essentials parts of a community’s identity.

Our Placemaking Architecture and Masterplanning services

We specialise in designing residential communities, mixed-use developments and heritage-sensitive projects, ensuring each responds thoughtfully to its surroundings.

Residential Developments

For new-build homes, we emphasise traditional architecture that reflects regional character and integrates seamlessly into the local context. Our designs prioritise walkability, community and architectural variety, drawing inspiration from movements like Arts & Crafts and New Urbanism. Projects such as Kings Hill and Horsted Park exemplify our approach to creating enduring, place-rich neighbourhoods.

Mixed-Use Communities

In mixed-use developments, we focus on creating vibrant, sustainable environments that blend residential, commercial and communal spaces. Our designs aim to create a strong sense of identity and belonging, ensuring that each space serves the needs of its community.

Heritage and Conservation Projects

For heritage sites, we apply a careful approach to preserve and enhance historic assets. Our work includes sensitive restoration and adaptive reuse, ensuring that new interventions respect and celebrate the site’s historical significance.

Across all project types, our Placemaking services integrate architecture, masterplanning, and heritage expertise to create spaces that are not only functional but also enrich the communities they serve.

Our Placemaking Architecture and Masterplanning process

Our approach to traditional architecture and placemaking focuses on creating new buildings that harmonise with their local context, celebrating regional variations in design and materials. Our work covers private homes, infill sites within conservation areas and larger strategic housing developments across the UK. Drawing inspiration from the Arts & Crafts and New Urbanism movements, we aim to design characterful, tactile buildings set within walkable neighbourhoods that foster a strong sense of identity and belonging.

Surveying, Planning and Building Regulations in Placemaking

At Clague Architects, our surveying services and expertise in building regulations are integral to successful placemaking. Detailed site surveys inform designs that blend seamlessly with their surroundings, while ensuring compliance with safety, accessibility and sustainability standards. We navigate the complexities of planning permissions and regulations to create safe, vibrant spaces that enhance community life and long-term sustainability, ensuring our developments meet both legal requirements and local aspirations.

Why choose Clague Architects

At Clague Architects, we bring over 40 years of experience in designing places that truly matter- places where people live, work, and connect. Our strength in placemaking lies in blending creativity with context, combining a deep respect for heritage with forward-thinking design and sustainable solutions. Whether working on new residential communities, complex mixed-use developments, or sensitive heritage projects, we tailor each design to its setting and purpose.

What sets us apart is our collaborative approach. We listen closely, involve communities and work alongside clients, planners, and consultants to deliver projects that are both practical and inspiring. With in-house expertise spanning architecture, masterplanning, conservation and technical detailing, we offer a seamless, end to end service.

We’re proud to be a RIBA Chartered Practice, with a team that includes members of the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT), ensuring the highest standards of professionalism and delivery.

Book a placemaking consultation

Ready to bring your vision to life with thoughtful, community-focused design? Book a Placemaking consultation with Clague Architects today.

Our team of experts will work closely with you to create spaces that not only meet your communities needs but also enhance the identity and sustainability of the surrounding area. Whether you’re planning a residential development, mixed-use community, or public space, we’re here to guide you through every step of the placemaking process.

Our Placemaking Projects

1. The Duchy of Cornwall

The Southeast Faversham project, developed by the Duchy of Cornwall, focuses on creating a sustainable, mixed-use community with 115 homes, retail spaces, and green infrastructure. Clague Architects design emphasises traditional architecture, walkability and environmental sustainability, following the Duchy’s placemaking principles. [Read on our projects]

2. Horsebridge Quarter

The Horsebridge and Browning’s Yard redevelopment in Whitstable blends community, retail, and residential spaces around the striking Horsebridge Arts Centre. Featuring five shops, a restaurant, and 34 homes, the design respects the historic town layout with low-rise, vernacular-inspired architecture and durable materials suited to the seaside setting. [Read on our projects]

3. Beaulieu Park

Clague Architects helped shape Beaulieu Park in Chelmsford, a major urban extension of 3,600 homes with schools, parks, and commercial spaces. Their design for Zones D, E, and G includes 328 homes and a new masterplan, blending heritage with sustainability. The project has won awards for excellence in design and placemaking. [Read on our projects]

4. Horsted Park

Clague Architects designed the second phase of Horsted Park in Chatham, adding 265 homes that complement the award-winning first phase. The scheme includes varied housing types, green spaces, and pedestrian routes, with design elements that reflect the area’s heritage and landscape. It was nominated for the Kent Design Awards. [Read on our projects]

5. Wixams

Clague Architects has supported the Wixams development in Bedfordshire since 2007, helping shape a new market town of 6,000 homes, schools, and a town centre. Their work includes masterplanning, design codes, and layouts focused on placemaking and community identity across multiple village phases. [Read on our projects]

6. Kings Hill

Clague Architects has played a key role in the long-term development of Kings Hill in Kent, a mixed-use community of around 2,300 homes on a former airfield. Their work spans masterplanning and residential design, including the award-winning Lacuna scheme, all focused on integrating homes with green space, amenities, and strong pedestrian connections. [Read on our projects]

7. Prior Park

Our Prior Park project in Bath focused on restoring the 18th-century landscape garden, including reconstructing the historic cascade, repairing dams, and replanting native species. The work aimed to preserve and enhance the garden’s original features for future generations. [Read on our projects]

8. Guildhall Quarter

The Guildhall Quarter project in Canterbury involves redeveloping a former Debenhams store into smaller retail units and 70 residential apartments. The design preserves the site’s heritage while adding modern living and retail spaces, including additional apartments above existing stores, contributing to the revitalisation of the city centre. [Read on our projects]

9. Architectural and Masterplanning Accreditations

At Clague, our commitment to excellence in architecture and masterplanning is underpinned by recognised professional accreditations. We are proud to be a RIBA Chartered Practice, demonstrating the highest standards in design quality, client service and project delivery. Our team also includes members of the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT), ensuring a robust technical approach that complements our creative vision.

FAQs

1. What is placemaking?

Placemaking is a people-centred approach to the planning, design and management of public spaces. It is a collaborative process that combines public ambitions and thoughtful design to enhance community identity.

2. Why is placemaking important in architectural design?

Placemaking is all about putting people at the heart of design. At Clague, we see placemaking as the art of creating places that are not only functional, but welcoming and reflective of their community’s identity. Our placemaking architecture and master planning ensures that developments are more than just buildings, they’re places where people want to live, work and interact.

3. What makes placemaking architecture and masterplanning successful?

Successful placemaking creates environments where people and residents can embrace their community. Key considerations like walkability and accessibility, active public spaces, diverse land uses, community engagement and cultural and historical sensitivity all contribute to making a placemaking project successful. At Clague, we integrate these key principles with architectural quality and a practical understanding of how places evolve over time.

4. What types of clients benefit from placemaking and masterplanning services?

We work with a wide range of clients including Local authorities and planning bodies, private developers and landowners, housing associations and trusts and Education and cultural institutions. Our expertise spans everything from town centre regeneration and educational masterplans to new settlements and historic village expansion.

5. How do you incorporate sustainability into your projects?

We take a holistic, lifecycle-led approach prioritising fabric-first design to reduce emissions, reusing and repurposing existing buildings where possible, and enhancing natural habitats within our schemes. We also focus on longevity by using durable materials and designing adaptable spaces, while ensuring our work supports both environmental and social sustainability. Our placemaking work considers environmental, social and economic sustainability factors as essential.

6. Where is Clague based?

We are based in studios in Canterbury and Harpenden and have projects across the Southeast and wider UK. Whether urban or rural, local or national, our designs are always grounded in a deep understanding of place, context and culture.

7. What services does Clague Architects offer?

Clague Architects provides comprehensive services in architecture, masterplanning, and heritage consultancy. Our expertise covers residential developments, commercial projects, educational institutions, ecclesiastical buildings, and historic conservation. We are dedicated to creating designs that are contextually sensitive, sustainable and tailored to our clients’ visions.

8. How can I begin a placemaking or masterplanning project with Clague Architects?

It starts with a conversation. We’re always happy to review sites, respond to briefs, or explore early ideas. From there, we can offer feasibility studies, site appraisals and strategic guidance on how to take your vision forward. Simply reach out via the details on our contact page .