The Crown Estate, Regional Public Realm
CLIENT ADVISER
Sarah Williams
2018 – ongoing
CLIENT
The Crown Estate
SERVICES PROVIDED
– Development and drafting of strategic brief
– Development of procurement documents
– Detailed brief development
– Facilitated a two stage design competition
– Advice on the selection of designers and team
– Guidance and support for designers
– Facilitated workshops with client and design team
– Design review and evaluation
– Regular reporting to senior team
– Advice and council at all early project stages
Challenges
Why was a Client Adviser required?
The client is reviewing their place shaping strategy and £2 bn portfolio of prime retail and leisure destinations in the regions to anticipate future needs, requirements and market changes. The Crown Estate requires a holistic approach to review place, spaces, architecture, climate resilience, accessibility, transport, digital integration and market changes, alongside health and wellbeing for their customers.
The role was to drive and support the development of a design framework for new and existing assets enabling a review of their portfolio at a strategic level. Services were required to provide impartial advice throughout the early stages, to review and evaluate the urban design proposals and to ensure buy in from different parts of the business . Also, the enhancement of client capacity and expertise was required for this complex project.
Outcomes
What value was created
The client team were widely consulted in an integrated and inclusive process. Workshops and meetings undertaken with the senior team and facilitated by Sarah, established an overarching vision and set of objectives for the project. This then resulted in a robust and detailed brief for the designers which formed the basis of one of the most successful procurement processes at The Crown Estate. A great team was commissioned for the project including architects, transport, digital infrastructure and other team members.
Sarah organised and ran a two stage competition to select the winning team. This required the composition of a longlist of architectural practices with the appropriate expertise and approach, the compilation of the written documents, the setting of the budgets and programme and facilitating all conversations and negotiations. This ultimately resulted in the unanimous selection of the winning team to undertake the work.
An exciting and inspiring framework was then developed with complete client buy-in. The design framework addresses urban design, key themes for development, the digital landscape and future, forward looking transport studies and a fully integrated approach to the development of future assets. Sarah assessed progress, ideas and concepts regularly, ensuring the highest quality with future thinking as a critical part of the process. The full integration of elements such as transport, digital infrastructure, climate change and inclusivity were equally important. Liaison with many of the operation teams at various locations throughout the UK was also key to ensuring deliverability of any proposals.
The final report was agreed and signed off and the rolling out of the thinking and approach on real sites is now ongoing. It was also important that there was consistency between the London and regional work streams and Sarah was able to ensure that this was the case. This is an important project for The Crown Estate and although on hold due to the pandemic, the client is hopeful it will recommence in early 2021.
