Design Philosophy

Design Philosophy

We use our collective knowledge in urban design, landscape architecture and heritage to push the boundaries on what’s possible in designing places that move people.

We believe places are more than the sum of their parts. We believe bricks, stone, grass and glass don’t make a place – people do. We look at the way places perform, look and connect with each other and how they should benefit the people who will live, work and play in them.

We are a visionary company that strives to create a legacy of world-renowned places that serve the communities that they are designed for. We have a mission for change to implement new ideas, smart technology and use ‘urban experiments’ to create delight and fun in the urban environment. We believe in doing the right thing, not just saying it.

Approach

We put people first. Putting people at the heart of everything we do means designing places that are practical and a joy to be in. We approach projects with an open mind and limitless possibilities. We leave no stone unturned in our research to ensure our projects make a lasting impact on the communities they are designed for.

Our approach is to think strategically and consider all projects as pieces of a wider jigsaw of place. We believe in appreciating the context of place, truly understanding local identity and articulating a strong vision and design principles before we develop the detail of a design. Through this process, we communicate a strong and clear design narrative that allows us to gather support from communities, local authorities and developers.

Techniques

Techniques

We use a range of techniques in our work, tailored individually to the specifics of each project. In particular, we believe in the value of techniques such as hand drawing and model-making as a means of inspiring creativity and to engage a wider audience in the design process.

Stakeholder

Stakeholder Engagement

We believe that truly successful places can only be created through engaging with the people that live and work there. We advocate engagement throughout the lifespan of our projects, from understanding the area, establishing a vision, gaining support for the principles of a scheme and through the development of design work.

Testimonial

Our Story

Our story: because you don’t really know where you’re going unless you know where you’ve come from.

Testimonial

Testimonial

Our design experience spans the private and public sectors. Our clients range from local authorities, charities and educational establishments to landowners, historic estates and housing developers, but our approach always remains the same: the places we design add positively to the experiences of the people who occupy the area. We always offer a personal and reliable service to our clients.

Read on to see what clients had to say about their Node experience.