Urban Design

Concerns the arrangement, appearance and functionality of towns and cities

Following a workshop process that dates back to as early as 2009, Aaron was tasked to manage a 300-home development outside of Romsey. The project is inspired by traditional Hampshire settlements, which includes closely packed houses that overlook an irregular green area containing large historic trees. Design elements looked at parking options, paving details and residential edge conditions to help make the development unique. As an outcome, the Prince’s Foundation prepared a Design Code to help ensure that the developers carried out the design vision effectively.

Hoe Lane Outline Planning

Romsey, Hampshire, England

Tianjin CBD

Tianjin, Tianjin Province, China

Whilst working in China for EDSA Orient, Aaron was involved in the downtown regeneration of the industrial City of Tianjin - located approximately 150-kilometers from Beijing. This public sector project looks to play a key role in the future development of the Region’s economy. The project exposed him to public consultation in Asia for the first time and taught him the importance of using modeling software for large-scale urban design projects to express design vision.

Known for its relaxed attitude, its historic status and market character, the local community of Aylsham is looking to build upon these key strengths in a long term vision and sustainable growth strategy. In 2012, Aaron assisted the community in creating this vision by working with local stakeholders. We looked to create a growth strategy and local plan to be implemented by 2025. Aaron's main responsibility was to work on pre-workshop analysis and post-workshop diagrams - speci cally illustrating the regional infrastructure links and looking in more detail at a recreation ground expansion area.

Aylsham Vision Plan

Aylsham, Norfolk, England

Swansea University Bay Campus

Neath Port Talbot, Wales

Swansea University is situated on a 65-hectare former BP transit site on the eastern approach into Swansea. The facility was decommissioned in 2008, underwent site clearance work in 2009 and in 2012 removed all containments on site. The Prince’s Foundation has worked alongside Porphyrios Associates since 2010 to carry out numerous design workshops and detailed design for Phase One. Aaron's specifc role over the past few years has been to provide technical drawings for the Outline Planning Application (OPA), including the design of a new campus and innovation park, which obtained planning approval in March 2013. Phase One is currently under construction and is estimated to be complete in April 2017.

Coconut Farm Outreach

Coconut Farm, Freetown, Sierra Leone

Like many neighbourhoods in Freetown, Coconut Farm is a vibrant community with a mix of small houses, poorly constructed community buildings as well as a range of permanent and other ad hoc structures. As part of the Enabling Team at the Prince’s Foundation, Aaron's responsibility was to carry out baseline mapping identifying community buildings, businesses and industry, housing and open space. The project provided a solid education in international site analysis where data is sometimes limited and fieldwork becomes paramount.

Bury St Edmunds OPA

Suffolk, England

Since 2012, the Prince’s Foundation has been engaged with Hopkins Homes Ltd to create a master plan for up to 1,250 new homes in Bury St Edmunds. As the Project Manager, Aaron was tasked to lead the community consultation process and prepare an illustrative masterplan report to guide developers in creating a plan that reinforces the original vision of the local residents. The creation of a ‘relief road’ through the site was debated heavily, but eventually was viewed as an offer to develop a new mixed-use local High Street for the area. Landscape and ecology also played an important part of the project, and using Aaron's background as a Landscape Architect, was able to feed into green infrastructure strategies on the scheme. The most instrumental outcome of the project was the masterplan (approved by the Council in 2014) and character area plans, which helped lead the architects into detailed design.

Mobile CBD

Mobile, Alabama, USA

With a multi-disciplinary team consisting of economists, transport engineers, housing specialists and historians, Aaron helped run a two-week workshop in Mobile, Alabama following Hurricane Katrina. The results were the formation of an Urban Design Plan and Economic Development Strategy for the Central Business District (CBD). Aaron's key role was to attend and help lead a series of public meetings and stakeholder interviews. Listening to the local community (particularly during a difficult time period for the residents), the consultant team developed ideas focused on building conservation and brownfield redevelopment. The experience was highly rewarding and exposed him to public consultation for the first time.

Prince’s Australian Terrace

Adelaide, Australia

Beginning in 2013, the Prince’s Foundation started working with Defense Housing Australia (DHA) to produce an eight- house terrace with four mews apartments. The development has obtained a six star green rating and serves as an exemplar for Adelaide. Aaron's main role was to lead the Urban Design Package, including a shared surface scheme and community garden. The design package also looked into building orientation and micro-climate issues at the ground level. In 2015, HRH The Prince of Wales (Prince Charles) visited the project following construction completion. The project has since went on to win numerous awards - including the Baksia Award for Sustainability in 2016.

Cap Cana Masterplan

Dominican Republic

Cap Cana Resort, underwent a large planning venture in 2007. Whilst at EDSA, Aaron worked extensively on the 160-hectare masterplan, which eventually went into design development and included detailed analysis throughout the site - including a housing study and planning scheme in the mountain village, which is now built. The experience was highly educational in understanding the planning process early in his career and allowed him to work alongside some of the best international planners in Central America.

Nicholson Drive

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

In the mid-2000s Nicholson Drive, a commercial street in Baton Rouge, experienced development pressures for predominately student housing. Whilst at EDSA, Aaron was responsible for developing form-based codes that would promote economic growth in the area, while at the same time protecting the consensus based vision of the residents. The project was very technically focused and allowed him to gain extensive experience in urban design principles early in his career.