Sometimes the most exciting projects begin with a blank sheet of paper. Whether it’s a large scale urban extension, like at Berewood or Plasdwr, or a completely new town like in Malta, we are often brought in at the earliest stages of a masterplanning project.

Working with multidisciplinary teams – including landscape architects and urban designers – we can help create entirely new places for people to live.

Understanding the lay of the land

New developments inevitably lack the historical layers that more established neighbourhoods possess.

But we are firm believers that every location has its own story. Perhaps the development is close to the site of a historic battlefield, or perhaps the waterway that traverses the site is renowned for its flora and fauna. Even with a completely new place the story could be about the new landmarks and spaces that people will be choreographed through.

Wayfinding – or more specifically, interpretation – uncovers and celebrates an area’s unique stories, to cement it in place and enrich the resident’s or visitor’s experience.

It’s the fundamental principle that there’s more to any location than meets the eye. Uncovering the stories and encouraging people to discover new things about a space is one of the best ways to help them connect with it.

At Berewood, Hampshire, we designed signs for eight connected interpretation trails, each giving a narrative about the unique local ecology and site’s eco credentials while helping users navigate to key destinations. The routes will open up the river area, bringing it fully into the community, so that residents and other users will directly benefit from these natural assets.

This intentional placemaking will make sure that even though delivery at Berewood is being phased, the development will feel like one cohesive and connected place, and will encourage people to explore through active travel.

Keeping a macro perspective

Strategic wayfinding means we keep focused on the macro scale of a place in order to instil a sense of legibility. Legible cities are those that are easy to ‘read’. Walking down the street, visitors get a feel for not only where they are and where they’re going but are informed on the city’s past and shown alternative journeys to take. The masterplanning stage of a new scheme is the perfect time to focus on this: get this right now, and we’re giving a place the best chance of being successful.

We ask:

• Who will be using this space?
• Where are the arrival points?
• What are the key routes? And where are they going?
• How do we want to encourage users to travel?
• What are the desire lines likely to be?

Keeping a user-centric perspective, we can help shape the building blocks of a place and create a wayfinding framework that will go on to inform the future design of a place.

We look at different types of users, modes of travel, what visitors will want to do, and where they will want to go. Working with the architect, we define character areas, key gateways and even distinguish character routes. These foundational principles are what helps reinforce the legibility of a place, so that it really works for people (rather than making people work hard to find their way).

This really isn’t about signs; it’s about creating an environment that negates the need for too many signs.

Then focus in on the micro level

As wayfinding designers, our first principle is to consider the user’s journey – from starting point to final destination. We familiarise ourselves with the decisions they need to make when navigating a new space or building and ask ourselves:

What system can we put in place to make their route and navigation as simple and straightforward as possible?

This brings an obvious problem on brand new developments. A lot of the time, they demand an entirely new approach to street naming and house numbering. Residential blocks can have many levels and entrances. And if that wasn’t complicated enough, if they open onto squares or courtyards, there’s no named road nearby.

We’re often asked to create information hierarchies for zones or quarters to instil logic into a place where no one yet has a familiarity of frame of reference.

Encourage active travel to create healthy places

Good urban design, complemented by quality placemaking and wayfinding, encourages people to take up active travel, explore their local area and connect with nature. 

And, urban extensions, when done properly, can deliver significant benefits to new and existing residents. When new developments are designed to respond to the natural environment, and put people above cars, they can have a tangible impact on public health.

Laying the foundations for meaningful placemaking

At a time when new housing can sometimes be criticised for being characterless and homogenous, strategic wayfinding in large-scale developments can ensure that a place – no matter how new – can start off on the right foot. Designed for people first, encouraging active travel and making the most of its unique site characteristics.

Strategic wayfinding is not just an added benefit. It’s a foundational element that shapes the very core of how a place feels and functions.

By integrating wayfinding principles early in the design process, we ensure that the urban environment is accessible and engaging. Effective wayfinding does not merely help people navigate more easily; it invites them to discover and interact with their environment in deeper, more meaningful ways.

Contact us today to discuss how to bring strategic wayfinding into your next development project at the right stage in the process.