海角视频

Summary

From football and cricket to tennis and basketball, sports are woven into the fabric of our lives, usually from school age. As one of our panel guests, Colin Byrne, brilliantly puts it: 鈥淚f you look back in cave paintings in France about 15,000 years ago, they’re depicting sprinting and wrestling matches. 

鈥淎nd that sums up that we’ve always been interested in, always been watching, always been reporting on sport. And I think that’s because these moments create these formative parts of people’s lives and their upbringings.鈥� 

Stadiums, the heart of these sports, create spaces for communities to unite. Yet, many of these iconic landmarks stand empty on non-match days.  

In our latest episode, 鈥楤eyond the Game: Energising Community Spaces鈥�, our 海角视频 experts explore how stadiums can be transformed for year-round use. 
 
Tune in to discover: 

• The future of stadia design and 海角视频鈥檚 Urban C:lab innovations 

• How the infrastructure around stadiums can create vibrant city hubs 

• Ways to utilise stadiums on non-match days for community benefit 

• The multi-functional uses of stadiums 鈥� from concerts to community outreach 

So, 鈥榢ick鈥� back and enjoy this episode, and if you enjoy this episode, why not subscribe to the whole series; Sometimes we鈥檒l tackle a subject head on, sometimes a sideways view – but always with curiosity, expertise and maybe even a dash of humour.鈥� 

Featuring 海角视频 experts

Colin Byrne

(to the left of the image)

In addition to his role as Infrastructure lead, Colin is our Cities Regional Development lead for both the North-west and North-east regions.

Specialising in complex brownfield redevelopment and greenfield urban extension schemes, he supports his team to deliver technical expertise for developments from masterplanning through to detailed design.

Colin and his team work on many of our high profile projects and focus on delivering sustainable solutions to complex engineering challenges to deliver climate resilient, community focussed and cost effective development infrastructure.

His experience ranges from large scale regional developments to localised high quality public realm improvements. He has also worked on city scale masterplanning and redevelopment schemes across Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Colin is a Chartered Civil Engineer with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).

Paul Eddleston (middle of image)

Paul  has a wide range of experience in global stadia design and construction. Paul鈥檚 specialist knowledge lies in the engineering and fabrication of lightweight and tensile membrane structures. He first gained this expertise while working for a leading tensile membrane contractor in Australia.  

As a Senior Structural Engineer, Paul began his role delivering the London 2012 Olympic Stadium Transformation Roof. Following this, he became a key member of the design team working on the Tottenham Hotspur Football Club (THFC) development. Paul spent four year on the project, working on the cable net roof design, primary structural steelwork and the South Stand delivery through to construction, where he spent 18 months in the THFC office adjacent to site. 

Paul then worked on the delivery of the cable net roof and primary steelwork for Education City Stadium for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup. He led the delivery of final construction information for the roof liaising with the main contractor. 

Between 2018 and 2020, Paul鈥檚 main focus was designing two replacement stands at Lord鈥檚 Cricket Ground with capacity for 11,500 spectators. He worked on this from the design stages through to final construction. He became the Job Leader for the structures discipline leading the delivery of information and liaison with the main contractor and all structural contractors. 

Since 2020, Paul has been part of the senior structural team on the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester. In addition to his project work, Paul has been actively involved in key aspects of our Sport and Entertainment sector, including Venue Performance Consultancy.  

Rob Amphlett

(to the right of the image)

Rob leads the UK Sport and Entertainment sector for 海角视频 and is responsible for the delivery of venues across the UK. He has also delivered designs and led teams for numerous sport and entertainment projects both in the UK and internationally. These include; Hampshire Cricket Club鈥檚 new ground in Southampton, Astana and Sochi Stadiums in Kazakhstan and Russia respectively, and the New Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

Rob believes that engineering is a key enabler in the design of stadia and developing a design is always an exciting and rewarding challenge for a project team. He applies this wealth of experience to all he does, whether this is coming up with new concepts for a long-span stadium roof, ensuring designs are fully integrated with all engineering disciplines to support the architectural design, developing new approaches to crowd dynamics to allow innovative seating bowl solutions to drive increased revenue generation, or developing detailed construction techniques for efficient site delivery.

Summary

Discover the surprising impact of our surroundings in this episode of 鈥楽andbox鈥�…  
 
Our internal environment can have a more profound impact on our productivity and wellbeing than you may think. From physical effects to reduced mental wellbeing, poor acoustics and lighting can significantly contribute to how we work, act and sleep.  
 
In the latest special episode of our 鈥楽andbox鈥� podcast, our panel of 海角视频 experts from the lighting and acoustic teams, explore just how important these two disciplines really are.  
 
Joining our regular host Andy Duncan in this episode are 海角视频 experts Lena Kalpakidi, Senior Lighting Engineer and Daniel Bailey, Associate, Acoustics and AV.  
 
Here are a few key discussion points covered in the episode, to pique your interest:  

• Mental and physical wellbeing: Our panel explores how bad lighting and acoustics can lead to poorer mental and physical wellbeing, including long term sleep disturbance and bad posture. 

• Creating diverse environments: The importance of creating neuroinclusive, adjustable spaces within a building that cater to a variety of requirements for occupants. The panel also discuss 海角视频鈥檚 Neurodiversity service offering.  

• 海角视频’s work: Lena and Dan discuss examples of the work they have been doing to improve acoustics and lighting within a variety of spaces, including commercial and cultural buildings.  

• Future gazing: Lena and Dan give their predictions on what the next 10 years could look like for optimised lighting and acoustics in our homes and offices.  

If you enjoy this episode why not subscribe to the whole series; Sometimes we鈥檒l tackle a subject head on, sometimes a sideways view – but always with curiosity, expertise and maybe even a dash of humour.鈥� 

Featuring 海角视频 experts

Daniel Bailey

(to the left of the image)

Dan brings extensive experience in providing acoustic advice to architects, contractors, user groups and local authorities across the UK and overseas.

He has worked on numerous residential and commercial projects, often in areas with complex external acoustic environments and unique challenges.

After relocating to London, Dan has contributed to prestigious projects including residential-led schemes and large infrastructure projects such as Leeds and Gatwick rail stations. His expertise includes measuring, analysing, modelling and displaying noise level information to assess environmental noise impacts.

Dan began his career as an Association of Noise Consultants tester, gaining hands-on experience in pre-completion sound insulation and noise validation testing. This practical background has been invaluable in successfully implementing his technical design input.

Lena Kalpakidi

(to the right of the image)

Lena is a Senior Lighting Designer (MSc, MA) with a strong background in Interior Design. She has excelled in various hospitality and retail projects, recognizing the pivotal role lighting plays in shaping our environments. With two Master’s degrees in Lighting Design, Lena joined 海角视频 in 2015 and has since contributed to a diverse array of cultural, commercial, stadium, and public realm projects. 

Passionate about creating visual identities and transforming spaces, Lena specialises in hospitality lighting. She believes that good design is about storytelling, striving to create designs that not only look beautiful but also tell a compelling story. Whether it’s a space or an artwork, Lena is dedicated to creating designs that evoke emotion, inspire action, and leave a lasting impression. 

Her diverse design portfolio also includes Photography, Illustration, Fashion, and Styling, driven by her desire to create “Total Artworks” that combine her varied interests and expertise.   

Summary

What does 鈥榮ustainable tourism鈥� actually mean and how can we all re-think the way we travel to create a more sustainable future?  

These questions and more were put to our expert panel in this week鈥檚 episode of Sandbox. 

There is nothing quite like the thrill of a holiday. From savouring new cuisines to exploring historic sites, many of us will hop on a train, plane or other modes of transport to discover new places. The discussion about sustainable tourism was so interesting this episode is slightly longer than others, so here鈥檚 a list of useful timestamps if you want to jump to a particular topic… 

• 4:43 – Defining sustainable travel.  
• 7:53 – Lindsay Horden鈥檚 travel experiences and her book Jakob鈥檚 Colours.  
• 13:25 – Balancing infrastructure, society, economy and the environment.  
• 15:51 – Engaging with local communities for a meaningful travel experience.  
• 17:47 – Personal choices and their impact on sustainable tourism.  
• 20:44 – Economic leakage and the ethics of tourism.  
• 26:49 – Sustainable travel as the next step in ethical consumerism.  
• 32:40 – Design sprint outcomes and discussing authenticity. 
• 37:52 – Predictions for the future of travel and tourism.

Our panel discuss it all; from more sustainable means of transport, to supporting local businesses as a tourist and fundamentally to leaving the places we visit better than when we arrived. Our 海角视频 experts also delve into the findings from a recent design sprint we hosted about sustainable tourism with Bath and North East Somerset Council.  

To find out more about 鈥榮ustainability鈥� in travel jump 鈥榦n board鈥� to our latest episode of 鈥楽andbox鈥�… 

If you enjoy this episode why not subscribe to the whole series; Sometimes we鈥檒l tackle a subject head on, sometimes a sideways view – but always with curiosity, expertise and maybe even a dash of humour.

Featuring 海角视频 experts

Graziano Di Gregorio

(to the left of the image)

Graziano is an experienced planner and chartered architect with expertise in delivering strategic planning and urban development projects across the UK and overseas. 

Throughout his career, Graziano has worked at all scales within the built environment, from buildings to master planning and strategic consultancy for public and private sector clients. He has been involved in multi-disciplinary masterplanning projects for large-scale urban developments, urban regeneration schemes, major infrastructure and industrial developments both in the UK and overseas. 

Graziano is currently an associate strategic planner within the urban strategies team at 海角视频, where he delivers projects that include sustainability guidance, policy documents and strategic frameworks for cities, regions and national levels. 

Gabriel Berti

(middle of image)

Gabriel recently joined 海角视频 after finishing his studies at UCL. He previously worked on a freelance basis for a charity in North London where he assisted with the development of community led initiatives.

Gabriel has also supported academics at the Bartlett School of Planning with research into the effectiveness of GLA residential regeneration policies, with particular attention paid to policy regarding the distribution of subsidies and public funds.

Since joining 海角视频, Gabriel supported the development of visionary strategies for local authorities in England. These include a regional development vision for the East Midlands and a sustainable tourism 鈥榙esign sprint鈥� for Bath and North East Somerset.   

Featuring our special guest

鈥疞indsay Hawdon 

(to the right of the image)

Lindsay Hawdon is a former Sunday Times and Telegraph travel columnist and a writer of fiction. She has travelled to over one hundred countries. Her travel column 鈥淎n Englishwoman Abroad鈥�, began in the Sunday Telegraph in 2000 and ran for seven years. Her articles for The Sunday Times, 鈥淗ave Kids Will travel鈥� followed an eighteen month trip travelling solo with her two young boys around South East Asia. Their next trip, featured in a monthly column for the Independent called 鈥淭he Rainbow Hunters鈥�, took them around the world for seven months to find the origin of colour, raising money for the charity War Child as they travelled. Most recently she and her two boys climbed Kilimanjaro for The Telegraph.  

She has also worked as a television reporter, filming undercover for C4鈥檚 Britain Undercover series on the UK鈥檚 quarantine system. The film won the Bridget Bardot Award at the Genesis Film Festival in LA.   

In 2015, her first novel Jakob鈥檚 Colours, which was shortlisted for The Authors Club First Novel Award, was published by Hodder and Stoughton. She is an associate lecturer in creative writing at Bath Spa University and lectures there in fiction, travel and nature writing. She is also an editor and creative writing mentor for Jericho Writers, Cornerstones Literary Consultancy and The Writing Coach.  

Summary

How can we re-think our cities to create the best possible conditions for the people who live and work there? Find out more in our latest 鈥楽andbox鈥� special… 

In a post-covid landscape, the way we live, work and operate in our cities has changed. London, as the UK鈥檚 capital, is a prime example of this transformation.

Due to a number of contributing factors, there is now less reliance on the city centre, with other emerging hubs providing living, working and leisure facilities for communities. This shift has prompted a re-evaluation of urban planning and development strategies. 

Discussing the future of the capital in more depth, in this special episode of 鈥楽andbox鈥�, our panel question: How London鈥檚 infrastructure could be revitalised to improve connectivity, how the city鈥檚 existing landscape could be primed for development to enhance experiences, and how can growth and connectivity be instigated whilst aligning with more sustainable principles?  

Listen to the special episode to discover more about the potential future of our cities, and how we can create environments that are not only functional but also enriching for all who inhabit them.  

Featuring 海角视频 experts

Lawrie Robertson

(to the right of the image)

Lawrie joined 海角视频 in 2006 to co-found 海角视频鈥檚 strategic planning and consulting practice.

As Head of Strategic Planning in our London cities team, he leads multidisciplinary city-regional planning, masterplanning, resilience, infrastructure, transport and environment projects working with national governments, regions, cities and developers across the world. He became a 海角视频 Partner in 2012.

Lawrie鈥檚 broad international experience has included leading 海角视频鈥檚 work on Detroit Future City, Future Riyadh Strategic Plan, Resilience Masterplan for Beirut and the Regeneration Plan for Pulomas II in Jakarta. He has also led regional and masterplanning projects for sensitive environments, including the Mimika region of Indonesia and the AMAALA project region in Saudi Arabia.

Lawrie studied architecture at the University of Cambridge and Architectural Association in London. He is a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects and Architects Registration Board.

In addition to his project responsibilities, Lawrie has contributed to a number of research projects and academic papers in the field of urban development and sustainability. He has acted as an expert witness to the UK Parliamentary Committee on Planetary Health as well as undertaking masters course teaching for the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London and University College London (UCL). Lawrie has supervised engineering doctorates at UCL, focused on urban resilience and the governance of sustainable systems, and post-doctorates on urban wellbeing in collaboration with the University of Cambridge.

Rainier Valcarcel 

(to the left of the image)

Rainier is a Chartered Civil Engineer with over 18 years of experience delivering large-scale civil infrastructure and development projects across the UK and overseas. 

Throughout his career Rainier played a key role in the delivery of several major highways and public realm projects including the Doha New Orbital Highway, Go Cycle Kingston Station and Stratford Cross as part the London Olympic Legacy projects. He has extensive experience in infrastructure design, project management and developing sustainable solutions to deliver client lead projects in the urban environment. 

Rainier is currently a Discipline Director in the infrastructure group at 海角视频, and acts as Project Director for a number of development and public realm projects. 

The infrastructure group delivers integrated highway, landscape/landform, drainage and utilities engineering solutions from masterplanning through to detailed design and construction. 

Rainier is actively involved in project delivery and is passionate about producing elegant, economic and sustainable engineering solutions. 

Summary

Do you have a favourite venue? If so, what makes it so special? Join us for our very festive and most recent episode of 鈥楽andbox鈥�, where our panel goes behind the scenes… 

In our latest podcast episode, 鈥楨choes and flow: the science of memorable venues,鈥� we dive into this question from multiple angles. Join our experts as they discuss how engineering helps to elevate experiences for both the performers and visitors alike. And for a special insight from both sides, our special guest, actor and stand-up comedian Alistair Barrie, shares his perspective from both the performer and visitor viewpoints. 

From perfect temperature control to optimal audience seating and smooth crowd management, many factors contribute to a venue’s success. But what makes a venue stand out and offer a unique, enjoyable experience? Tune in to the full episode for all the fascinating insights. 

Featuring 海角视频 experts

Christine Lowry

(to the far left of the image)

Since joining 海角视频 in 2001, Christine has honed her expertise as a mechanical building services engineer with over 20 years of experience, spending the majority of this time working at our Leeds office.  

She has a demonstrable track record in leading the successful delivery of commercial, civic, cultural, educational and scientific buildings for both private and public sector clients across multiple disciplines. 

Christine鈥檚 master鈥檚 in interdisciplinary design for the built environment, combined with her extensive experience, knowledge and hands-on approach has allowed her to deliver complex projects. These include commercial and residential mixed-use schemes, historic refurbishments, spaces with close environmental control such as galleries, exhibition spaces and archives, as well as quirky local schemes that spark engineering imagination and innovation. 

Dr Becky Hayward

(middle of image)

Becky is an Associate Director in 海角视频鈥檚 Analytics team, leading our consultancy which focuses on optimising the interactions between people, places and processes. Her consultancy work offers innovative approaches to provide effective, practicable solutions to complex problems.

Becky joined the practice in 2011 after completing her PhD in emergent systems in biology at the University of Bath. Since joining, she has led and executed crowd flow consultancy projects ranging from detailed design in educational buildings to operational management at conferences and large scale events. Becky also helps healthcare trusts, architects, and planners to model the interaction of people with hospital layouts and processes, with a view to optimising the design and operations.

Her aim is to improve the environment through optimising people circulation, user experience and process efficiencies.

Featuring our special guest

Alistair Barrie

(to the far right of the image)

Alistair Barrie is one of the most sought-after headliners on the international comedy circuit. His biting topical comedy has seen him perform all over the world including acclaimed performances at the Cape Town, Melbourne, New Zealand and Edinburgh festivals, where he has twice been nominated for best show. He is a regular at Glastonbury, on the BBC, Times Radio and a wide range of podcasts. 

He has also written for household names such as Frankie Boyle, Jason Manford and Jack Whitehall.   

Summary

Did you know that the same software used in the popular video game, 鈥楩ortnite鈥�, which has over 650 million registered users worldwide, is also used in engineering? What are Digital Twins and how are they being used by 海角视频? Find out more in this episode of 鈥楽andbox鈥�, where our panel explore how the digital future of the built environment is changing.

The digital world of engineering has grown exponentially over the last 20 years, from the use of Computer Aided Design (CAD) to Building Information Modelling (BIM), and now to Digital Twins, which are the digital replica of a physical entity.

This Digital Twin technology is now extending beyond entertainment, finding applications in fields such as the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industries. But what exactly is a Digital Twin? What are its benefits to the built environment, and what is the future?

In this episode, our panel discuss this, and more, and explore how companies, such as 海角视频, are integrating them into our digital capabilities.  

Featuring 海角视频 experts

Robert Moyser

(to the far left of the image)

Head of UK Advisory at 海角视频, Rob is a chartered civil engineer with over 20 years of experience in engineering.

Rob specialises in creating Smart City strategies, which aim to incorporate sustainable, resilient, and adaptable solutions through the introduction of technology. He understands the transformative power of digitisation, and its potential to turn operations and assets into intelligent, optimised, and sustainable systems. In his work, he aims to deliver tailored solutions that drive operational excellence and sustainable growth.

As a Partner at 海角视频, Rob works externally with high-level clients to define their vision and success factors, identifying opportunities for greater value and return on investment. Internally, he coordinates and leads multi-disciplinary high-performance teams to deliver the client鈥檚 vision and objectives. His extensive experience covers the full spectrum of a project lifecycle, from strategic planning to procurement, construction, and completion. He has deep expertise in infrastructure design and delivery, masterplanning, and urban regeneration, with a broad base of international experience in both public and private sector projects.

Miraj Patel

(to the far right of the image)

Miraj is an Associate GIS and Digital Twins Developer with a background in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence. As the Lead Digital Twin Developer in 海角视频’s Digital Labs team, Miraj Patel is advancing Digital Twin technology using Unreal Engine. He plays a crucial role in 海角视频’s innovation efforts, being instrumental in the design and implementation of cutting-edge Digital Twin solutions.

At 海角视频, he has developed robust backend and transmission components integral to 海角视频’s Unreal Engine Digital Twin platform. This development ensures that the digital twins are scalable, resilient, and capable of supporting advanced simulations. In his role, Miraj contributes to defining the development roadmap, ensuring that critical functionalities are delivered on schedule and aligned with strategic goals.

More than just a developer, Miraj Patel’s infectious passion for Digital Twin technologies is a driving force in his work. His enthusiasm sparks interest and excitement in the potential applications of Digital Twin technologies, inspiring understanding and enthusiasm among his colleagues, collaborators, and clients. 

Featuring our special guest

Simon Blakeney

(middle of the image)

Technical Account Manager Simon Blakeney is an Unreal Engine, Twinmotion, and XR expert at Epic Games. His thought leadership contributes to the evolution of Epic鈥檚 ecosystem of software products and the generation of publicly available resources for end users in the AEC community.

In his capacity as a dedicated specialist for Epic鈥檚 key AEC accounts, Simon helps firms successfully adopt cutting-edge real-time solutions. This includes providing guidance on the integration and scaling of the many software solutions under the Unreal Engine umbrella and how to produce interactive worlds with the advantage of AR, VR, and LiDAR technologies.

Summary

Retrofit, refurbishment, restoration… What actually is retrofit and how does repurposing older buildings keep them current and in use for future generations? Find out more in Episode 06 of 鈥楽andbox鈥�. 

Our buildings are integral parts of the places in which we live. Whether they are heritage buildings which have stood for hundreds of years, or newer buildings from the last decade, they are all embedded into the fabric of our towns and cities across the UK.  

Retrofitting is a hot topic of conversation in our industry at the moment. From material re-use and carbon savings to the 鈥榙omino鈥� effect of how a good retrofit can influence the regeneration of a whole area, there are many reasons why retrofitting is crucial. But what actually is retrofit and how is it implemented on a practical scale?  

Listen to episode 06 of Sandbox, 鈥楻evolution in retrofit鈥� to find out more.  

Featuring 海角视频 experts

Ana Araujo

(to the far left of the image)

For almost two decades Ana, a 海角视频 partner, has been surveying and providing design advice for existing buildings (of all ages) in Europe, UK and ME. Bringing her expertise to our facade consultancy team, she has been adding surveying, diagnostics and conservation expertise to the team鈥檚 highly specialised skillset, incentivising a new generation of consultants that combine complex design skills with the understanding of existing fabric and how to refurbish existing buildings of all ages.  

In her role, Ana leads teams working on a portfolio of existing building projects, providing advice to help clients manage, transform and upgrade their assets and is frequently engaged in the repair, recladding and extension of existing buildings, working on high-profile projects from Georgian to more contemporary buildings. 

She specialises in technical due diligence inspections, dilapidations, pre-purchase surveys and compliance monitoring, including new-build projects across all sectors to monitor the design, procurement, manufacture and installation in relation to employer鈥檚 requirements. 

Darren Conboy

(to the far right of the image)

Darren is an associate structural engineer at 海角视频, working between our Leeds and Manchester offices. He has experience across a range of projects but is a specialist in the reuse and refurbishment of existing buildings, and in conserving historic structures.  

Darren joined our Leeds office in 2012 as a graduate and has developed his engineering and construction knowledge in projects ranging from sports stadia and large commercial developments, to historic cultural venues and bespoke residential projects. 

He is passionate about collaborative, holistic design and about delivering pragmatic, buildable solutions. Much of this is founded on a deep experience of supporting projects all the way through their lifecycle 鈥� from concept design through to construction and delivery. Darren鈥檚 recent projects include the multi award-winning Hyde Park Picture House in Leeds, ongoing works at the National Railway Museum and Science + Industry Museum and the refurbishment of the Majestic in Leeds. 

Featuring our special guest

Gillian Darley OBE 

(middle of the image)

Gillian is a leading architectural historian, writer, and broadcaster with a background in conservation. She has been involved with Save Britain’s Heritage and the 20th Century Society for many years, as well as chairing the Society for Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB).  

Gillian鈥檚 contribution to various publications includes the Financial Times, the Observer, Architects Journal and Architectural Review, to name just a few. She has also written various books, including Excellent Essex, and has become a familiar voice on radio and face on television with shows including Channel 4’s Built in Britain and BBC2’s The Man Who Fought the Planners.  

Summary

From heatwaves to artic blasts, we鈥檙e seeing the more extreme weather events than ever before 鈥� so how can we keep warm in the colder winters, and cooler during intense heat, without falling back on fossil fuels? 

In Episode 5 of 鈥楽andbox鈥�, our panel examines the unpredictable and constantly changing weather in the UK. Although the UK’s summer of 2024 was cooler compared to previous years, June 2023 set records for heat, and 2022 saw the country鈥檚 highest temperature at 40.3掳C.  

Globally, heatwaves have been making headlines, and it seems the weather has been surprising everyone. And then, of course, more recently in the UK we had an 鈥榓rctic blast鈥� with temperatures falling to -2掳C in the Highlands, and 4掳C in London during September, compare that to September 2023, which was the warmest since records began (1884)! 

In order to prepare our UK building stock, and the inhabitants comfort, for this ever-changing weather and the continued effects of climate change, our guests discuss the situation at hand. The panel proposes potential solutions, from technology, to retrofitting our existing buildings, to heat networks and efficient energy conservation. They also discuss the role the individual can play in mutual cooperation, building physics education and introducing more sustainable energy sources into our everyday lives.   

Featuring 海角视频 experts

Lara Balazs

(to the far left of the image)

Lara supports our energy and sustainability offering for the built environment. Largely focusing on energy consultancy work, she supports projects to develop net zero carbon energy solutions. Her expertise lies in building retrofit, masterplanning, energy efficiency and infrastructure decarbonisation with a particular specialism in the Education sector.

Lara leads a wide range of UK and globally based projects at building, masterplan and city scale, delivering complex projects, analysing energy systems and considering impacts at both the building and regional level. Lara possesses a particular interest in the environmental and social impact of the construction industry and energy systems transformation and as a result she develops sustainable solutions for buildings and cities. 

Tom Newby 

(to the far right of the image)

Tom leads 海角视频鈥檚 Structural Engineering team in London, with significant international experience that spans 18 years. Tom started his career with 海角视频 in Bath and New York, working primarily on major stadium projects, before leaving in 2012 to work in international development and disaster response as Global Shelter Lead and then Head of Humanitarian for CARE International UK. Tom has worked on earthquake and wind storm responses in Haiti, India, the Philippines and Nepal, and on conflict and forced displacement emergencies in Jordan, Lebanon, Kenya and several other countries. 

Rejoining 海角视频 in 2019, Tom has a focus on leading high quality collaborative design, working with multi-disciplinary teams, and making best use of innovative design methods, to deliver the project vision. His leadership skills and multi-disciplinary technical understanding are particularly suited to complex, multi-faceted projects. 

Featuring our special guest

Smith Mordak 

(middle of the image)

As the UKGBC Chief Executive, Smith is a committed and passionate advocate for creating a fair and sustainable built environment where people, society, and nature can flourish.  

An architect, engineer, and writer, Smith鈥檚 career includes leadership roles in architecture and engineering firms 海角视频, Webb Yates Engineers, and Studio Weave, as well as authorship of several high-impact initiatives and reports, including to COP26 in Glasgow.  

Smith has also held a wide range of industry positions including as Board Member for the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy and as a nationally elected Councillor at RIBA. A prolific thought leader, Smith has contributed regularly to national and trade press including the Guardian, Financial Times, Dezeen, and The Architect鈥檚 Journal.   

Here鈥檚 a helpful navigation list to the full episode:

9:12 – Reimagining urban spaces and the role of nature.
12:37 – Water management solutions in urban areas.
13:31 – A multi-source approach to energy transition.
16:48 – Challenges and potential of the Electrify Everything Strategy
20:02 – Pros and cons of a two-tier water system.
27:20 – Nature-based solutions and multifunctional infrastructure.
29:47 – The power of collective curiosity in inciting real change.
36:28 – The shared responsibility we have as individuals.

Summary

Over the last three episodes of 鈥楽andbox鈥�, we have explored some of the main aspects of the fundamentals of life within the built environment; from water and its management in the UK, to biodiversity and re-greening our cities, and finally, to our third episode, which explores energy sources. The panels discussed what has led us to this crucial turning point, and what the future of truly sustainable energy could look like, without further damaging the only planet we have! 

Episode.04: 鈥楲ife鈥檚 Essentials: Water, Power and Plants鈥� covers unmissable moments explored in each episode so far, from why we鈥檝e got to where we are now, to what local authorities, professionals and even the individual can contribute to improving the situation we find ourselves in today.  

We each have a certain responsibility in this process. Even tiny changes of habits build exponentially with more people involved. Our experts and guests examine and propose potential solutions to the various challenges we face, and how we can create a better world focused on improved water management, nature-based solutions and more sustainable energy outputs.   

We also have two trailers below for our upcoming episode, 鈥榃eathering Heights鈥�. 

Featuring 海角视频 experts

Tom McNamara

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Dr. Tom McNamara is a scientist with a Master鈥檚 in Chemistry from Oxford and a Doctorate in Biomedical Materials from Manchester. He鈥檚 published work on everything from enzyme chemistry to acoustic modelling leading him into some very interesting areas and unusual locations. 
 
He currently leads FreeUP, a technology company he founded in 2017 that aims to democratise water quality monitoring and assist large organisations in making efficient and effective decisions in water quality management. He is passionate about creating real solutions to problems.

Tamsin Westhorpe

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Tamsin Westhorpe has been a hands-on gardener since the age of 18. She studied at Sparsholt College in Hampshire and went on to be a parks gardener and greenkeeper before entering the world of garden media. Her media career has seen her work as deputy editor of Amateur Gardening and editor of The English Garden magazine.

She is now gardener and director at Stockton Bury Gardens in Herefordshire and editor of the Horticultural Trade Association magazine. Tamsin has three books to her name, is an RHS Chelsea Flower Show judge and regular speaker. 

Featuring our special guest

Iwan Rhys Morus  

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Iwan Rhys Morus studied Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge and completed his PhD there in History & Philosophy of Science in 1989. He is currently professor of history at Aberystwyth University and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and of the Learned Society of Wales.

His latest book is How the Victorians Took Us to the Moon (Icon, 2022). He is a frequent contributor to radio and tv programmes on science and its history. You can also hear him talking about Victorian science on popular podcasts like You’re Dead to Me and History Hit.  

Summary

From as early as the 18^th century, many people, including sci-fi authors and engineers, have been posing thoughts on the future of energy – some ideas were more outlandish than others. In the UK, we already use a few of these early ideas posed in futuristic novels 鈥� including solar power, with the idea introduced in Robert A Heinlein鈥檚 鈥楲et There Be Light鈥� (1940) as 鈥楽unpower Screens鈥�. 

In episode three, 鈥楶owering On鈥�, our guests discuss how we have got to this point with energy sources in the UK, from the Industrial Revolution to the 鈥榁ictorian Grid鈥�, and what potential future methods we could be using to power our energy sources.  

Are the idea of energy islands the most efficient way for communities to decide how their local area is powered? Is hydrogen the future of transportation? Listen to this episode to find out… 

Featuring 海角视频 experts

Maddie McTaggart

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Maddie is an Associate Director in the 海角视频 energy team, leading a wide portfolio of projects at a building, campus, masterplan, and city scale and advising clients on energy policy, planning, feasibility, and procurement.

Maddie has also been developing Local Area Energy Plans (LAEP) and Smart Local Energy Systems (SLES) feasibility studies for a number of local authorities.

Benjamin Jones

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Ben Jones is an Associate Director with over fifteen years鈥� experience. He led the 海角视频 Manchester sustainability team for seven years, and now leads the Energy team. Prior to joining 海角视频 Ben spent seven years at another major consultancy practice working as a building services engineer in groups based in both London and Manchester.

Throughout his career he has worked on high profile projects within a range of sectors including cultural, leisure and residential and now leads the 海角视频 Manchester energy team, focusing on all things decarbonisation! 

Featuring our special guest

Iwan Rhys Morus  

(middle of the image)

Iwan Rhys Morus studied Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge and completed his PhD there in History & Philosophy of Science in 1989. He is currently professor of history at Aberystwyth University and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and of the Learned Society of Wales.

His latest book is How the Victorians Took Us to the Moon (Icon, 2022). He is a frequent contributor to radio and tv programmes on science and its history. You can also hear him talking about Victorian science on popular podcasts like You’re Dead to Me and History Hit.  

Summary

In 鈥楿rban Wonderlands: Grey or Green?鈥�, our guests explore the evolution of the urban landscape in our UK cities. Looking at city parks and other green spaces, the panel discuss why biophilia and biophilic design is key for urban development and assisting in addressing the climate crisis, and how it can be implemented through strategies such as Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG).

Listen in as our guests examine why green spaces in cities are so important – not just outside, but also inside our buildings. The discussion delves into why BNG is critical for our planet and also for human wellbeing. Our guests also suggest ways in which we, as individuals, can ‘do our bit鈥� in implementing more 鈥榞reen鈥� to our day-to-day lives.

Featuring 海角视频 experts

Colin Byrne

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Colin is a civil engineer leading our Civil Infrastructure teams in both Leeds and is also our Cities Regional Development lead for both the North-west and North-east regions. Specialising in complex brownfield redevelopment and greenfield urban extension schemes, he supports his team to deliver technical expertise for developments from masterplanning through to detailed design. Colin and his team work on many of our high profile projects and focus on delivering sustainable solutions to complex engineering challenges to deliver climate resilient, community focussed and cost effective development infrastructure.

Aaron Grainger

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Aaron is an Associate Director with 海角视频 with over 16 years鈥� professional experience in the UK, and is responsible for leading the UK Nature and Biodiversity Team. He has in-depth knowledge of legislation and planning policy relevant to biodiversity and has managed the ecological components of many large-scale development projects. This includes leading on nationally significant rail projects, renewable energy schemes, and commercial/mixed-use residential schemes across the UK.

Featuring our special guest

Tamsin Westhorpe

(to the far left of the image)

Tamsin Westhorpe has been a hands-on gardener since the age of 18. She studied at Sparsholt College in Hampshire and went on to be a parks gardener and greenkeeper before entering the world of garden media. Her media career has seen her work as deputy editor of Amateur Gardening and editor of The English Garden magazine.

She is now gardener and director at in Herefordshire and editor of the Horticultural Trade Association magazine. Tamsin has three books to her name, is an RHS Chelsea Flower Show judge and regular speaker.

Summary

In 鈥楾roubled Waters鈥�, we look at a topic that we can all relate to, especially with the recent flooding experienced across the country and the memory of last summer鈥檚 droughts fresh in our minds. We take a 鈥榙eep dive鈥� into the challenges we face today around water management in the UK.

This episode introduces you to Andy Duncan, who will be our regular host for this podcast series. Andy asks the questions that you want to hear the answers to and will help de-mystify some of the more technical terms mentioned, whilst perhaps enjoying dropping one too many puns along the way!

Listen in as our guests discuss potential nationwide solutions for our water management in the UK, and also suggest ways in which we as individuals can help in moving towards answers to this ever-increasing problem.

Featuring 海角视频 experts

Duncan Ker-Reid

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Duncan is experienced in leading water engineering input into the masterplanning process and its integration with the built and natural environment, including integrated water resource management, natural flood risk management, sustainable drainage and water harvesting and treatment, and has expanded 海角视频鈥檚 GIS capability.

Louise Clarke

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尝辞耻颈蝉别鈥檚 technical expertise lies in water resourcing and concept design for sewerage, recycled water, stormwater and flood risk management. Louise has worked on global projects involving water resource and strategic planning, pipe network analysis and surface water design within the tourism, government and urban development sectors.

Featuring our special guest

Tom McNamara

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is a scientist with a Master’s in Chemistry from Oxford and a Doctorate in Biomedical Materials from Manchester. He’s published work on everything from enzyme chemistry to acoustic modelling leading him into some very interesting areas and unusual locations.

He currently leads FreeUP, a technology company he founded in 2017 that aims to democratise water quality monitoring and assist large organisations in making efficient and effective decisions in water quality management. He is passionate about creating real solutions to problems.