Esther has worked in local authorities in policy, development control, design and conservation planning posts for the GLA, the first London Plan and CABE from 2003. She was Director of UDL since 2006 where she has worked to develop and improve UDL’s programme, working closely with core partners; TfL, the GLA, London boroughs and many others to support and encourage good design in the capital. Esther took over as head of TfLs Urban Design Team in 2018. She has also been part of a wide range of Design Review panels, steering groups and advisory committees.

Nisha vekaria, Architect and Director of Place 54 Architects has over 14 years’ of experience which encompasses all stages across a diverse range of projects. These include commercial offices, high end housing in London and Kent and conversion of listed buildings for an Anglo-Chinese school in Kensington. Nisha has contributed to masterplans including: Greenwich Peninsula masterplan and public realm vision for 10,000 homes.

Completed designs for construction for residential interiors include private house interiors and extensions, conversion and extension for flats. Her projects and client endorsements result in many recommendations. She was project architect for new build residential completed projects apartments in Brentford, London and private eco home at Goudhurst Kent. Her commercial projects include craft bakery and industrial fit outs and refurbishments.

Nisha has used her experience in the architectural profession to feedback to aspiring designers and architects including with other GDST Alumni of her former school to host Architecture Day 2020 at Blackheath High School.

Chris has a deep understanding of the evolution of built form and architecture which underpins the developed landscape of today. As a Director of Charlton Brown Architects he has designed award winning residential projects with an unparalleled attention to design and built form. Embracing all scales of residential development from single family houses, multi-unit apartment buildings through to urban extensions and an entirely new Garden Village settlement.

Over the past decade Chris has led a masterplanning and urban design project for a new community of 1500 homes, schools and community facilities. The Tresham Garden Village Masterplan & Delivery Strategy recently gained full council approval. It presents a strong and robust vision for a vibrant new community and a model for sustainable rural living.

Dominyka is an architect and Director of Place 54 Architects with over 12 years experience. Completed projects include terraced housing in Chiswick and true zero carbon homes at NW Bicester Eco Town. Interiors include apartments in Marylebone for an eminent architect, private house interiors and retail fit outs.

Dominyka is a qualified urban designer and has contributed to masterplans including Otterpool Park Garden Town, masterplan for a new settlement in Kent with 10,000 homes, Streatham High St Town Centre regeneration strategy & Public Realm, Wrotham Estate Hertsmere, a masterplan for conservation and enhancement of the estate with sustainable future strategies.

Aymara is an interdisciplinary Urban Practitioner, with a background in Planning, Masterplanning, Urban Design, Sociology, Political Economy & Governance and interests in inclusivity and enhancing wellbeing through good design. She works between disciplines drawing on a wealth of knowledge and research to bring a dynamic approach to projects. Aymara has worked with Homes England, County Councils, Local Authorities, Technical Steering Groups, Opun Design Review panels and presented at local stakeholder events with a passion and enthusiasm that gets people engaged and excited about good growth and new communities. Recent projects include Tresham Garden Village (Highly Commended at the Planning Awards 2019), Kettering East and private and public spaces across London.

Gary has collaborated with Sir Terry Farrell for 40 years on award winning, mixed use developments including: Reusing existing buildings combined with new infill at Comyn Ching Triangle in Covent Garden listed by Historic England in 2016; Masterplans at Greenwich Peninsula, Earls Court, Norwich Riverside, Newcastle Quayside, Birmingham’s Brindley Place, Otterpool Park garden town, NW Bicester Eco Town and Cambourne garden village. Gary as director of Place 54 Architects has completed residential, retail and industrial masterplans including: business parks of 500,000m2 in UK and Germany and E commerce logistics masterplan at Al Maktoum Airport for Dubia South. Awards include: 1993 Europan 3 housing competition in Haarlem, Netherlands, completed in 2005, British Homes Awards Home of the Future and RIBA Tomorrows Garden City housing in Letchworth 2007, completed in 2012. Contributions to publications include: First European Passive Solar design handbook 1980, Teaching at Kent University 1990-2000, Market Garden City 2014.

Martin is an experienced Architect and inherently a Project Manager. His office, Douglas and King Architects is central to the delivery of design led residential, mixed use and commercial projects. Projects are mainly within the M25 and also in East, South East, and North East England. Douglas and King have also recently collaborated with a local practice on a multiple housing project in South East Asia. Martin has shaped an experienced and professional studio that has a broad skill set and knowledge base. Douglas and King Architects are excellent collaborators. We build first class project teams and evolved the very best reporting and monitoring systems. Most of all we coordinate and lead consultant teams, and the processes involved, in order that the core value of design excellence to a set business model is not lost along the way.

Toby is a qualified architect with a passion for city making. With 24 years experience at Farrells, Toby’s aproach to design is based upon an intimate understanding of ‘place’ and ‘context’. With many published drawings, Toby is an accomplished designer and able to communicate complex design proposals with a clear and logical narrative.

Toby has had a long career in the design and delivery of complex mixed use urban design projects both in the UK and internationally including Kowloon Super City, Greenwich Peninsula, Folkestone Waterfront and Old Oak Common

Winner of the Oxford Property Festival Young Person of the Year for 2018, Hannah is a leader in her field and promotes high-quality development and regeneration through her comprehensive and inspiring design process.

As an “ideas person” and with the desire to think outside of the box, Hannah uses her creative skills to think strategically and bring added value and energy to her work. She believes in creating narrative at every stage and engaging a design process that is interdisciplinary, follows a landscapeled approach and achieves imaginative placemaking.

Hannah recently featured in the BBC 2 documentary “The Newbuilds are Coming”, which followed a housing development through the Planning System; observing the extensive design process and detailed consideration that takes place behind the scenes of the development industry.

During her career, Hannah has been involved in, and led, the design of many projects including Masterplans and Visions for NW Bicester Eco Town, Oak Old Common, Earls Court, Royal Albert Docks, Mount Pleasant and Wood Wharf. She has successfully designed and delivered mixed-use masterplans of between 1 and 20,000 units in the South East, predominantly Oxfordshire.

Hannah is passionate about site finding, urban regeneration and creating vibrant high streets for our towns and cities.

Giles set up Spacehub in 2010, consolidating more than 18 years’ experience of working as a landscape architect delivering a wide range of projects both in the UK and overseas.

He is committed to the principles of collaborative working and creative dialogue, an ethos which underpins the continuing success of the practice. He enjoys a rigorous design process, which combines highly rational and imaginative thinking, to reveal special and appropriate solutions.

Originally trained as furniture maker, Giles’ aspirations are for the practice and its projects to contribute meaningfully and sustainably to the natural and built environment.

Giles is a member of London Borough of Tower Hamlets Conservation and Design Advisory Panel (CADAP).