LUC

🎁 It’s a Wrap! As we wrap up LUC’s 2024, we’re reflecting on an incredible year filled with meaningful achievements. From site visits and surveys to conferences, volunteering, policy development, careers fairs, exhibitions, mapathons, and client events - we’ve been busy across the UK, working toward a better future for nature, people, and places. This year has been about driving lasting, positive change, and we’re proud of the difference we’ve made. Our social media team will be taking a well-deserved break - returning the first full week of January. Season’s greetings – have a joyous and peaceful break 🎄

We're pleased to announce that West Dunbartonshire Council has approved the Phase 1 public realm proposals for the Artizan Centre redevelopment in Dumbarton. 🙌 This significant milestone sets the stage for transforming the area into a vibrant community space. The project will improve connections between Dumbarton Central Station and the High Street. Supported by Levelling Up funding, the approved Phase 1 plans aim to create a more accessible and attractive town centre. 🤝 LUC’s landscape architecture, ecology and arboriculture teams are collaborating with Threesixty Architecture Ltd, Civic Engineers, Atelier Ten, Savills and Turner & Townsend to deliver high-quality improvements. Our designs include a new public square, upgraded streets with premium paving, seating, play spaces, and raingardens with tree and shrub planting. The square will act as a central hub for community events, and façade enhancements are proposed for existing shopfronts. Placemaking and sustainability are central to LUC’s approach. 🌳 We are integrating existing trees and enhancing biodiversity to create green spaces that benefit both people and nature. The broader Artizan Centre redevelopment will follow a masterplan that combines retail, residential, and other uses with inviting public spaces. This vision aims to secure lasting economic, social, and environmental benefits for the area by fostering a dynamic, mixed-use town centre. With experience in urban regeneration projects like Shawfield National Business District and Newcastle Science Central, LUC is proud to partner with West Dunbartonshire Council. This collaboration will help shape a more sustainable and thriving Dumbarton, improving local quality of life and inspiring further town-centre improvements. #UrbanRegeneration #Dumbarton #Placemaking #UrbanPlanning #PublicRealm #LevellingUp #Architecture #SustainableCities #LandscapeArchitecture #TownCentre #Ecology #GreenInfrastructure #WestDunbartonshire

We're proud to share our role in bringing a visionary educational space to life. LUC has been instrumental throughout all three phases of the ARU Peterborough campus, most recently completing Phase 3 and transforming an ambitious vision into a tangible reality that will shape the city's future. Our landscape architecture team worked closely with Morgan Sindall Construction to create more than just a campus. We've designed a living, breathing space that connects students with their environment, provides flexible learning spaces, and celebrates Peterborough's unique character. The new MCW Living Lab building stands as a testament to innovative design, with a focal courtyard that invites collaboration, creativity, and community engagement. From individual study spots to event spaces for exhibitions and film screenings, every metre has been carefully considered. Linking previous phases through sheltered colonnades and linear rain gardens, we've created a seamless, intuitive campus that encourages movement and interaction. As the video beautifully captures, this isn't just about constructing a building. It's about creating opportunities, inspiring futures, and providing Peterborough with a world-class university it truly deserves. Discover more about this transformative project: https://lnkd.in/e2rsVe4u #UrbanDesign #HigherEducation #Sustainability #LandscapeArchitecture #Peterborough

🌿 The recent update to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) brings big changes to Green Belt policy, notably clarification of the 'grey belt' concept. This term refers to Green Belt land that comprises previously developed sites or areas that do not strongly contribute to specific Green Belt purposes, potentially allowing for more development opportunities. Over the past 15 years, LUC has assessed over a third of all Green Belt land in the country, across 65+ local planning authorities. Our latest insights delve into these policy changes, offering guidance on their implications for plan-making and development management in and around Green Belt areas. Read our comprehensive guide, authored by Josh Allen: https://lnkd.in/etG7D6Aa #GreenBelt #GreyBelt #PlanningPolicy #NPPF

Brighton’s Black Rock has taken a significant step in its regeneration journey with the opening of the Reading Room café and bar. ☕ Located on the iconic seafront, this newly restored Grade II listed building has quickly become a beloved community hub, offering food, drinks, and unbeatable sea views. The café’s launch marks a key milestone in the wider Black Rock rejuvenation project, a transformation led by LUC and Brighton & Hove City Council. LUC played a central role in restoring the Reading Room and designing the surrounding landscape. Built in 1835, this historic landmark once served as a refuge for readers and later as a potting shed. Now, after careful restoration, it is a vibrant café with floor-to-ceiling windows, a terrace, and stunning views along the new boardwalk and out to the English Channel. 💬 “The Reading Room café celebrates Brighton’s heritage while providing a modern, welcoming space for the community,” said LUC’s Jonathan Bannister. “We are proud to have contributed to creating a destination that balances history, ecology, and accessibility.” The Black Rock project showcases innovative approaches to regenerating coastal spaces. By combining heritage restoration, ecological habitat creation, and sustainable construction, the project sets a new standard for environmentally conscious development. The restored Reading Room, now a bustling café, symbolises the balance between preserving history and meeting modern community needs. The Black Rock regeneration project exemplifies how thoughtful design can breathe new life into neglected areas. LUC’s expertise has helped transform Black Rock into an accessible, sustainable, and vibrant destination that benefits both people and wildlife. The Reading Room café is now open to visitors, offering a unique opportunity to experience Brighton’s reimagined seafront while enjoying a meal in a setting steeped in history. #Restoration #SustainableDesign #Brighton #Regeneration #LandscapeArchitecture #LandscapeDesign #UrbanDesign

Yesterday, our LUC team embraced the festive spirit by participating in Christmas Jumper Day for Save the Children UK. Woolly reindeer, sparkling snowflakes, and jolly patterns filled our offices as colleagues came together to spread some cheer. Each team member made a donation, contributing to a meaningful cause that supports children during the festive season and beyond. From vintage knits to cleverly crafted homemade jumpers, our team showed both creativity and compassion. At LUC, we believe in making a difference – one festive jumper at a time. #ChristmasJumperDay #SaveTheChildren

LUC's ecology team has embarked on a fascinating project with The Royal Parks, revealing the rich and complex world of bat populations in some of London's most iconic green spaces. 🦇 Our recent ecological survey across The Regent's Park, Primrose Hill, and Brompton Cemetery has uncovered exciting insights into local bat habitats. At the beginning of this year, our ecologists conducted comprehensive ground-level assessments, carefully examining trees and buildings for potential bat roosting sites. The team's meticulous work identified an impressive 14 structures and hundreds of trees that could serve as potential bat homes. Key discoveries include: 🌳 Four tree species that provide over 50% of the potential bat roosting sites ❄️ Pipistrelle bats actively using bat boxes during the winter months in two parks Following our comprehensive habitat assessments, The Royal Parks will soon install additional bat boxes across the surveyed sites. Based on our detailed recommendations, these new boxes will be strategically positioned in areas with notable bat habitat potential, aiming to support and expand the local bat population. Our ecological exploration doesn't stop here. 🕵️ The team will extend its bat habitat assessments to Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park next year, continuing our commitment to understanding and protecting these fascinating nocturnal creatures. LUC brings unparalleled expertise to wildlife conservation. Our team includes several licensed bat ecologists capable of conducting both ground-based and aerial tree climbing surveys. We're not just observing – we're actively working to protect and support London's diverse wildlife. 💚 Stay tuned for more updates on our urban wildlife conservation efforts. #Winter #Ecology #BatConservation #Biodiversity #Nature #London #RoyalParks #Wildlife

We're proud to have played a pivotal role in the Muir Mhòr Offshore Wind Farm project, with Jo Wotton leading as the onshore EIA Project Manager. Our contributions also included ecology, ornithology, landscape, and graphics and visualisations support. This collaborative effort with the Muir Mhòr Offshore Wind Farm Limited team reflects our dedication to supporting sustainable and impactful solutions, leading up to the successful submission of the application. Congratulations to everyone involved in this milestone achievement! #Sustainability #RenewableEnergy #Teamwork

We're excited to share that our team in Cardiff has moved to a larger office at Room 1.12, 1st Floor, Brunel House, 2 Fitzalan Rd, Cardiff CF24 0EB. With room for up to eight people, this new space gives us more capacity to collaborate and serve our clients in Wales and beyond. Although we'll miss the distinctive announcements from Cardiff Queen Street station and our trusty (very loud) air conditioning, the extra room is a welcome change. We're looking forward to making the most of this new environment as our team continues to grow. A big thank you to colleagues for helping us get settled in and for the festive mince pies and cookies to celebrate the occasion. If you're ever in the Cardiff area, we'd love to have you stop by. Just give us a call at 0292 254 0920 and we'll put the kettle on!

Behind the screens at LUC! 💻 James Leonard, Associate Visualisation Consultant at LUC, recently spoke with Connecter about our approach to visualisation and innovation. In the interview, James highlights how our visualisation team supports complex land use projects with cutting-edge tools and techniques, including 360° content and real-time game engines. He also shares insights into our work on renewable energy projects, such as wind farms, and how we’re harnessing software like Connecter to streamline workflows. Read the full interview to discover how we’re using visualisation to shape sustainable futures: https://ow.ly/x7Eq50Uk53n #Visualisation #EnvironmentalConsultancy #Innovation