A masterplan is a document that provides a flexible conceptual layout to guide future development, setting out your ambitions for 5 years, 10 years, 20 years and beyond.
A masterplan tells the client the status quo, giving a whole-site view that no single person is likely to have. It summarises and evaluates the historical development of the site, which often feeds into what happens next. It marries a client’s vision with the physical constraints and opportunities the site offers, helping clients plan strategically and maximise their money and space.
It covers the buildings and the spaces around them, and it might cover more than you think: wellbeing, accessibility and sustainability can all be embedded in a masterplan.
Masterplans are completely unique to each site and client, though there are often recurring themes: making a good first impression, creating logical circulation, clarifying zoning, and putting things in the right places, e.g. deciding where the bins go (spoiler: they’re usually in the wrong place). We have completed more than 30 masterplans and masterplan reviews for sites of all shapes and sizes, including:
ACS Cobham, Surrey
ACS Egham, Surrey
ACS Hillingdon, Uxbridge
Bedales School, Hampshire
Bedford Modern School, Bedford
CET Caister Academy, Norfolk
Chapelton of Elsick, Aberdeen (masterplanning six schools in a new town)
Feltonfleet School
Godolphin & Latymer, London
Harold Hill Learning Village, Havering
King Alfred School, London - ‘critical friend’ to existing masterplan
The King’s School, Canterbury
The King’s Junior School, Sturry
Lady Eleanor Holles School, Hampton
Magdalen College School, Oxford - masterplan review
Murray Edwards College, Cambridge
Newnham College, University of Cambridge
North London Collegiate School
Packwood Haugh, Shrewsbury
Pembroke College, University of Oxford
Reigate Grammar School
Ryde School, Isle of Wight
Somerset College, South Africa
St Dunstan's College, London
St Olave's Grammar School
St Paul’s Boys’ School, London - masterplan review and amendments
Wycombe Abbey School
Yehudi Menuhin School
A good masterplan balances strategic thinking with creative cleverness. We don’t want to give away our secrets, but our approach to masterplanning is rigorous, ambitious for our clients and collaborative. It’s difficult to write about masterplans without going into too much detail, and they’re not as glamorous to present as our buildings, so the masterplan section of our website includes a few examples with key challenges and key moves.
We love working on masterplans because they are architectural puzzles worth solving; unlocking each site’s potential creates wonderful places for our clients to live, study and work.
