Planning

Master Planning:

A master plan is a dynamic long-term planning document that provides a conceptual layout to guide future growth and development. Master planning is about making the connection between buildings, social settings, and their surrounding environments. A master plan includes analysis, recommendations, and proposals for a site’s population, economy, housing, transportation, community facilities, and land use. It is based on public input, surveys, planning initiatives, existing development, physical characteristics, and social and economic conditions.

Master planning can assume some or all of these roles:

• Develop a phasing and implementation schedule and identify priorities for action
• Act as a framework for regeneration and attract private sector investment
• Conceptualize and shape the three-dimensional urban environment
• Define public, semiprivate, and private spaces and public amenities
• Determine the mix of uses and their physical relationship
• Engage the local community and act as a builder of consensus

Sustainable Design:

Sustainable design seeks to reduce negative impacts on the environment, and the health and comfort of building occupants, thereby improving building performance. The basic objectives of sustainability are to reduce consumption of non-renewable resources, minimize waste, and create healthy, productive environments.

Sustainable design principles include the ability to:

• Optimize site potential;
• Minimize non-renewable energy consumption;
• Use environmentally preferable products;
• Protect and conserve water;
• Enhance indoor environmental quality; and
• Optimize operational and maintenance practices.
• Zoning and Appeals

The scope of this service is to represent the client in matters related to variance requests and appeals in relation to their project. Essentially, we present an intellectually/evidence based argument to a board, that then will approve or disapprove our requests based on the presented findings.