A one day summit of inspiration, debate and innovation in design.

This one day summit, held on Friday 11th of June, was part of South East Creatives, delivered by always possible in collaboration with Kent County Council.

The day consisted of five one-hour sessions via Zoom – a mix of networking, roundtable debate and webinar presentations.

Special guests from across design, architecture, visual art, sustainable innovation, construction, civil engineering and technology showcased new ideas and debated the future of the built environment.

EVENTS

Breakfast networking

An opportunity for people from across the design and build communities in Kent, and across the south east, to meet and connect over a virtual coffee, with previews of a full day of activity.

Net zero housing – a pipe dream?

A round-table discussion on the future of housing, planning and design – with diverse perspectives on the best way to achieve net zero habitation by 2050.

Speakers:

• Tam Landells – Partner, Ratliff Landells
• James Bailey – Chief Executive, Roadways
• Matthew Woodhead – Director, DHA Planning
• Tessa O’Sullivan – Manager, Kent Community Housing Hub
• Brian Horton – Founding Director, Horton Strategic

Construction and conservation: Kent’s creative mission

Three illustrated presentations on how cutting edge design, technology and place-making is leading to ground-breaking architecture whilst protecting Kent’s natural heritage.

Speakers:

• Sam Causer – Director, Studio Sam Causer
• Paul Hussey – Associate Director, chapmanbdsp
• Peter Cocks – Partner, Albion Incorporated

Download:

• Paul Hussey’s Engineering, Conservation and Sustainability presentation.

Check-out:

• ‘Waking The Giant‘ from Albion Incorporated

Reinventing the city: space, light, behaviour in the 21st century

A roundtable discussion with some of the most exciting new and established designers, artists and planners in Kent and the south east – exploring a better future for our urban landscapes.

Speakers:

• Louise Beer – Director of Lumen, super/collider, Pale Blue Dot Collective and Print Science
• Hubert Green – Director, Studio HE (S /HE)
• Eddie Kemsley – CEO, Dreamland
• Dan Thompson – Founder, The Empty Shops Network

Download:

• Louise Beer’s light and skies presentation.
• Images from Hubert Green’s presentation on rethinking urban spaces (below)

Circular design and the built environment: the shape of innovation

The materials we use, and our relationship to them, is changing. Interact in this session with experts and innovators who are ensuring we get the longest possible shelf-life out of everything in modern construction and design.

Speakers:

• Tam Landells – Partner, Ratliff Landells
• Steve Creed – Sustainability Coach
• Jaime Bishop – Fleet Architects

Download:

• Tam Landells’ Circular Home presentation.
• Jaime Bishop’s Holistic health hubs and the civic supermarket presentation

Check-out:

• Ellen MacArthur Foundation
• WRAP
• Circular Economy Toolkit
• The Circulars (global award scheme of the World Economic Forum)
• Sustainable Business Partnership
• The Circular Design Guide

About our guest speakers

James Bailey

Roadways has over 50 years’ pedigree in civil engineering and asphalt surfacing, but has recently become one of the UK’s leaders in sustainable material innovation and renewable concrete. The concrete carried in a single drum mixer truck typically involves as much CO₂ as driving 17,000 kilometres by car. Just ten wheelbarrows of concrete has the same carbon footprint as a flight from London to Madrid.

In 2021, Roadways opened a new research, development and innovation centre – working with technologists and scientists to develop a new generation range of scalable low-Co2 of concrete and asphalt.

Roadways have also won acclaim and awards for their approach to mental health and skills/employability in the construction sector.

Jaime Bishop

Jaime is a proven project designer, competition winner and studio leader. During his professional career he has been responsible for multiple projects with values ranging from £8-120 million and was one of three associate directors responsible for the management of a 65 person firm under a Managing Director.

He is an experienced all-round designer with specialist skills in healthcare and has sat on the executive board of Architects for Health (AfH) since 2006. He has been a visiting tutor at various universities since 2002 including Nottingham, Cardiff and London Metropolitan. Since 2012 Jaime and Richard have been teaching third year degree level at London South Bank University and established their studio, The Transpontine Laboratory, based at the university in 2014.

Peter Cocks

Peter Cocks has over 30 years experience in delivering art, entertainment, installations and events. A true renaissance man; his varied career has included interior design, performance art, TV writer and producer, and novelist.

Since 2010, he has been involved in a variety of regeneration projects on the South coast, including The Astor Theatre in Deal, Folkestone Harbour Arm, Dreamland Margate, Dover Marine Station, kick starting new cultures of music, art, entertainment and hospitality in these places as an independent producer.

In 2019 he joined a partnership Albion Incorporated, to undertake a Year of Engagement at Fort Burgoyne in Dover under the Pioneering Places scheme.

Steve Creed

Steve Creed is a leading voice in sustainable economies, and a coach to business and public sector leaders on design and low carbon manufacturing. First, Steve was a qualified engineer in his native Canada before moving into marketing, planning and business development in global civil and structural engineering firms.

His interest in sustainability amplified in the 1990s, with Steve eventually becoming a Director of the UK Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) for over 16 years. Recently Steve has become involved in local circular economy movements on the south coast, and is helping to develop a community land trust.

Louise Beer

Louise is an artist and curator who lives and works in Kent. She grew up in Aotearoa, New Zealand until moving to the UK in 2002. In 2020, Louise was awarded a grant from South East Creatives to contribute to the cost of setting up a new studio, Bright Island Studio, in Thanet.

In 2021, Louise has been awarded a grant from Arts Council England to develop her studio practice, and the North York Moors Dark Skies Residency which includes a solo exhibition. Louise is a director of Lumen, super/collider, Pale Blue Dot Collective and Print Science.

Sam Causer

Sam Causer is a Conservation Architect and Director of Margate-based architecture practice Studio Sam Causer, who specialise in the adaptation of complex and historically-sensitive buildings and sites. In 2016 he co-founded Margate Coastal Park Promotion Group, a not-for-profit organisation whose aim is to celebrate and conserve the coastal landscape and heritage of Margate.

Current building projects include the conservation of Jane Austen’s grade I listed house in Hampshire, Modernist Max Fry’s grade II* Kensal House Community Rooms in London, and various historic houses in East Kent.

Hubert Green

Studio HE (S /HE) is a boutique design studio based in London & Margate-UK, working within the fields of Architectural/Interior Design and Installation/Art.

It is founded by Director Hubert Green who has over a decade of industry experience specialising in high end bespoke residential (AONB/Green belt, Conservation Areas & Listed Buildings). The nuance of subtle details & focus on the craft of the built environment & design are key proponents.

Brian Horton

Brian has over 30 years of professional experience in the Housing and Development sector. As Strategic Housing Advisor at SELEP Brian works with all the local authorities across Kent, Essex and East Sussex to promote the delivery of housing and share best practice.

As Strategic Housing Advisor at Kent County Council (KCC), Brian worked with the 14 local authorities in Kent to develop and implement the Kent and Medway Housing Strategy.Prior to joining KCC Brian worked with AmicusHorizon Housing as Chief Executive of Swale Housing Association and Executive Director Kent.

Brian is a Board Member at West Kent Housing, Co-opted Member Kent Housing Group Executive Board and recently stood down as a member of AmicusHorizon’s (now Optivo’s) East Kent Area Panel.

Paul Hussey

chapmanbdsp is an owner-led business with UK offices in London, Birmingham and Kent – specialising in all aspects of building services engineering and environmental consultancy. They use the power of creative design and intelligent engineering, with agility and an assured approach, to lead small to large scale projects across a range of sectors.

In 2021, they launched The chapmanbdsp Sustainability Charter, with a commitment to becoming a net zero carbon business in the UK by 2025. Projects include the restoration of Chatham’s Historic Dockyard, the London 2012 Olympics Velodrome and the ADIDAS HQ in Dubai.

Eddie Kemsley

At the age of 23, Eddie Kemsley became General Manager to a £3m turnover business. Soon after, becoming one of Evening Standard’s five most influential event organisers.

A team member that devised ‘LOVEBOX WEEKENDER’ she created a sell-out, multiple award-winning event. She then relaunched Camden Palace as KOKO, becoming an award winning, multi arts venue. She ran a myriad of multi arts festivals (5000 -100,000 capacity), and successfully launched a variety of restaurants and night clubs, including award winning BED and NYLON.

As Festival Director of troubled Beach Break LIVE –25,000 capacity music festival, she won Best Medium Sized Festival. She then spent 7 years as Group Head Communications & Development at Howletts & Port Lympne Animal Park / Aspinall Foundation and then CEO to turn around The Hop Farm Visitor Attraction, Kent.

She joined Dreamland Margate in 2014 as CEO with its opening in 2015, then Kidzania as CEO before returning to Dreamland as CEO in 2019.

Tam Landells

Ratliff Landells is an integrative architecture practice, based in Margate, which brings collaborative designs to life, enriching the world we live in by doing more with less. They are Passive House Certified Designers and committed to 2030 targets for reducing carbon.  They take their impact seriously and are working to create a positive future for all life.

Tam has recently been working on high-end office buildings in central London including Stirling Prize shortlisted Angel Building and AJ Retrofit shortlisted The Grove with AHMM Architects, as well as in masterplanning, education and residential sectors. They have a breadth of experience in sustainable design, helping clients to implement and benefit new sustainable construction practices.

Tessa O’Sullivan

Tessa O’Sullivan is the manager of the Kent Community Housing Hub, enabling people across the region to develop their own housing projects, create closer knit communities and build sustainable, affordable homes. Her background in housing spans over 20 years from working in homelessness and housing advice to the development of affordable housing in Kent’s rural areas. She undertakes housing needs surveys to identify whether a need for affordable housing exists within the community and then works with all stakeholders to develop a scheme including looking for suitable sites.

Tessa had over 10 years experience as a housing advisor working for an independent housing advice centre providing advice and assistance to homeless people and those threatened with homelessness.

Dan Thompson

Dan Thompson is an award-winning social artist, writer, and speaker living in Margate. His work is about people and places, and the stories that connect them. He is interested in the creation of social capital, in activating abandoned or underused spaces, and in DIY approaches to art, culture and social action.

Dan has written a number of acclaimed guides, social histories and books of poetry about spaces and the way we occupy them, including The Dreamland Trilogy A social history of Pleasure Gardens, Circus, and Dreamland, Margate (2019) and Pop Up Shops For Dummies (2012).

Matthew Woodhead

Matthew has been with DHA Planning since 2004 and has over 20 years’ experience in Planning and Urban Design in both the public and private sector.

Matthew has wide variety of major clients across all areas of planning and across the country.  Matthew also overseesour large portfolio of residential developments working alongside housebuilders such as Crest Nicholson, Countryside, Bellway, Berkeley Homes, Barratt David Wilson, Fernham Homes and Redrow.

About South East Creatives

Part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, South East Creatives is a business development programme supporting growing creative practices working in Kent, Essex and East Sussex. The programme is for creative, cultural or digital businesses looking to cultivate their skills and broaden their professional network.

For grants / events / mentoring —->>> www.southeastcreatives.co.uk

• Instagram: @s.e.creatives
• Twitter: @S_E_Creatives
• Facebook: @S.E.Creatives
• Hashtag: #southeastcreatives

FOOTPRINT

The UK property event for a zero carbon future

If the topics raised during these events have piqued your interest check out FOOTPRINT – the annual event for the UK property world to meet and learn how to deliver its net zero carbon targets.

This conference brings together local authorities, developers, investors, designers, consultants, and contractors to find economic and sustainable solutions that will shift UK planning policy and accelerate action against climate change.

FOOTPRINT takes place from June 7th – 10th 2022.

Visit the conference website for more details.