As Architects, Landscape Architects and Urban Designers , collaboration is inherent in everything we do; from how we fit into the built environment industry, to how we work together, with clients and the public.

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Collaboration in Practice

Levitt Bernstein is a multidisciplinary practice of Architects, Landscape Architects, Urban Designers, Sustainability Designers and Creative Support working together to deliver well considered, high quality buildings and landscapes. As both an Architect and Landscape Architect, I am a member of both the Manchester Studio and Place Studio.

Place Studio, made up of Landscape Architects and Urban Designers, is well integrated into the practice and projects. This provides a special opportunity to develop integrated designs concurrently with multidisciplinary teams working closely throughout all work stages. I find the medium scale of practice also encourages multidisciplinary thinking and discussion as Place Studio members are often just a few desks away.

Detail Studio and our Sustainability team bring additional expertise to the practice. Our sustainability team supports projects from concept to post-completion to ensure sustainable thinking and learning, while Detail Studio provides valuable expertise and resources surrounding project delivery, BIM and legislation. All studios in the practice are further supported by Creative Support, made up of IT, Practice Management, HR, Comms, Finance, Business Development and Quality Management, each providing valuable skills and expertise which the practice relies upon.

The collaboration of all studios and roles makes the practice what it is and facilitates the work we do. As with all practices, I believe the collective knowledge and skills held by employees is the most valuable asset and there is great opportunity from the sharing of skills and knowledge by working and learning together.

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Collaboration in Design and Construction

Design within the built environment is a collaborative process at every step; from working with clients and stakeholders to design and construction team members. Successful design depends on a positive team relationship throughout, with all members understanding each other's roles and responsibilities. Productive design depends on strong communication and constructive collaboration across the whole project lifecycle to minimise abortive work and best utilise each team member's skills and expertise.

I’m particularly interested in multidisciplinary collaboration after studying the dual Architecture and Landscape course at Sheffield School of Architecture. Studying and working across both of these disciplines concurrently, I feel there are great benefits of thinking holistically while working together to achieve well integrated designs.

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Collaboration Outside the Studio

All of our design projects strive to create places for people. The landscapes and buildings we are designing will impact the people which inhabit and use them for generations to come. It is important that designers understand the needs of who they’re designing for and public engagement is a great way to do this. While at Levitt Bernstein I’ve enjoyed attending a number of in person and virtual public engagement sessions, including the Dovedale Avenue garden party, which celebrated the opening of the extra care housing scheme, as well as providing a great opportunity for gathering feedback from the new residents. While it's rewarding to hear such positive feedback, the event also highlighted the importance of post occupancy evaluations and learning from those who will experience a building or landscape the most.

Further opportunities for collaboration outside of the studio include CPD and networking events which provide platforms for meeting and speaking to peers, learning from each other's experiences. In addition, mentoring schemes - whether in practice, education or across the industry - offer great opportunities for learning and support from someone at a different stage in their career.

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Personal Reflections

Reflecting on my education and career to date, there is a common thread of working with supportive people in environments which actively encourage collaborative working. Both Sheffield School of Architecture and Levitt Bernstein have a welcoming studio culture, creating a friendly environment for this to happen. Both individually and as a profession we are always learning, which I think is imperative for progression in the industry - in particular to address challenging social, environmental and economic contexts. I believe collaborative working should be actively encouraged as a platform for progression through discussion, sharing and learning with and from each other - as a means to true placemaking.