Philosophical reflections on urban design (glorification)  Urban design, for me, is a field where people combine various ingredients (architecture, sustainability, planning) to create the perfect fragrance – a city where residents can comfortably and safely develop, work, relax, and raise children. It’s hard to imagine a more multifaceted and all-encompassing profession than urban design, and Read the full article…

With predicted figures in the event of migration to the urban space in future, an alternative way of addressing housing needs may not be satisfied only with limited land left for development (HSB, 2023). Therefore, the solution lies within the river basins linearly sprawling across the edge of many riverside city developments. Although, floating architecture Read the full article…

How do passive houses work? The Princedale Road project designed by Paul Davis and Partners, which is the first project in the UK to be certified as a fully passive house conversion (Bere, 2019). The design methodology of which the design methodology involves various aspects, including: 1 Insulation systems: in passive houses, the design focusing Read the full article…

Published by Georgina Walker on 28 March 2024   Getting Started Throughout the semester the module has focussed on self-directed meetings, peer-reviewing blogs, academic insights and gaining experience with the use of a short form content method of academic expression. As a MArch student, I have thoroughly enjoyed gaining knowledge and experience in urban design Read the full article…

Introduction With the global energy crisis, the reduction of energy consumption has become an important issue around the world, and passive house design plays an important role in reducing energy consumption. In fact, passive house design has been widely used in the urban design field to a large extent, and even in some places it Read the full article…

Blog entry published by Georgina Walker on 07 December 2023 [FIG. 1] Ventus Naturalised Gardens, Singapore (Joson, 2022) Theorists and urban designers, such as Ebenezer Howard, have long understood and promoted the benefits of the integration of nature into the urban setting to move towards a healthy urban environment. The benefits extend beyond the visual Read the full article…

Blog entry published by Georgina Walker on 10 November 2023   Understanding Child-Friendly Urban Design Child-friendly urban design is not a new concept, and neither is the variations in the definitions of what signifies ‘child-friendly’ design and how to measure the impact. However, as noted in the lecture by Dr Alkistis Pitsikali, the overarching connection Read the full article…

Published by Georgina Walker on 20 October 2023   I am in my final year at Newcastle University studying on the Master of Architecture course. The Urban Design modules were my chosen elective route as part optional specialism. During my urban design studies, I have enjoyed the importance the course places on theoretical reading. I Read the full article…

INTRODUCTION: Moving to a different country was a difficult, yet courageous decision I chose for myself. I left my comfort zone to learn, and experience other cultures. During the first week of September, I relocated to this wonderful city. The long-distance journey was exhausting. But the moment I saw Newcastle’s nightlife, it makes up for Read the full article…

The High Street is Dead, Long Live the High Street. Lockdown – March 2020. This mandate single-handedly halved footfall across UK High Streets (Enoch et al, 2021). However, the decline of our High Streets was a reality that predated the pandemic. The ‘death of the high street’ is a notion being used by many experts Read the full article…

  As Europeans have gradually lost their religious faith, countless grand and culturally interesting ecclesiastical buildings all over Europe have progressively become vacant and disused (Fiorani, et al., 2017). While these contain great heritage, numerous European countries have fought to maintain them afloat as expenses as well as other obstacles arise. As the quantity of Read the full article…

What are transition spaces ? The forces behind the creation of any space are careful consideration of context and its surroundings, along with community needs. These spaces are designed to serve a specific purpose and are articulated in accordance with the connectivity and privacy requirements of each space. However, there are different kinds of spaces Read the full article…