Enablers

Enablers

Paul Drew

Paul Drew

Paul Drew has a broad range of creative knowledge which has developed over 25 years. For the last 14 years he has worked as an Urban Designer and Masterplanner on new settlements, urban extensions and the regeneration of existing urban areas.

He began his career as a ceramic artist but his skills as a designer-craftsman soon encompassed other interests. One strand of creative energy was used for the conversion of historic farm buildings, usually into houses from redundant buildings within urban settings.

A sea change in Paul's career happened when he attended the first Prince of Wales Institute Summer School in Architecture in 1990. During that intensive summer, Paul was exposed to a wealth of teaching from eminent figures such as Christopher Alexander and Leon Krier. It was at this point that he set his heart on Urban Design and Architecture.

Following a degree in Architecture, then post-graduate studies in Architecture and Urban Design, he took a position as an Urban Designer at Llewelyn-Davies where he contributed towards best practice guidance such as 'Better, Places to Live' (DETR) and the 'Urban Design Compendium' (EP). He also worked on the Masterplan for Port Marine, Bristol, which later won the Building for Life Gold Award in 2004.

He founded Paul Drew Design in 2002. A major achievement in these years has been the Loves Farm Masterplan at St. Neots. Paul Drew Design saw this project through from the first hand drawn sketches, through landscape modelling, highway approvals and Housing Association partnerships, to Design Codes and developer briefing.

Much of the ongoing Masterplanning and Design Coding for Milton Keynes Western Expansion Area currently undertaken by Paul Drew Design are about encouraging stewardship in all those involved. Through this, the 'Vision', established through 10 years of policy support, is to allow people of different ages and economic status to be catered for as one, thus providing a number of important community benefits. This Masterplan has been designed as a place where streets and public spaces have a civic importance in their own right.

Paul has recently had the privilege of being joint author of 'Dwelling Accordia' published by Black Dog Publishing (2009). This is a book about Accordia, the Stirling Award winning housing scheme in Cambridge, which Paul calls home, and where he still finds time to write and create ceramics.

Email: pdrew@pauldrewdesign.co.uk ›

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