Our Services
What sets MCAU apart is our integrated service offer.
We blend community engagement, place visioning, urbanism and architecture to provide a ‘vision-to-fruition’ service. Services are deployed individually or holistically to respond to the demands of any given project.
Whatever the requirement, this collaborative approach ensures that all our projects are imaginatively conceived, and based on deep contextual understanding, and a commercially and socially sustainable vision.
Architecture & Urbanism
We create innovative designs that are commercially viable and sensitive to changing social, environmental and economic conditions.
Every project is an opportunity to achieve something unique and inspiring. Our team of award-winning architects and urban designers works across the built environment, from heritage, residential and estate renewal to town centre regeneration, mixed-use places, leisure, and commercial development. We bring a wealth of insight and experience to all our work, ensuring that all projects are ambitious but deliverable, grounded in commercial reality, and sensitive to changing social, environmental and economic conditions.
- Design & Delivery
- Placemaking
- Masterplanning
- Residential
- Estate Renewal
- Town Centre Mixed Use
- Heritage Repurposing
- Commercial
“Having the range of skills and expertise that we have all under one roof means that all our design work is grounded in robust insights and commercial reality. More importantly, it ensures it is future-fit and sustainable, responding to the genuine needs and ambitions of communities and stakeholders, wider society and the environment, now and long into the future.”
David Skidmore
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Place Visioning
We help places identify and articulate the qualities that make them special.
Every place has a unique identity, shaped by its history, people, and environment. Our approach begins with a thorough understanding of those economic, social and cultural qualities that make the place different and special. We identify strengths and opportunities, and develop Place Visions that reflect the community’s hopes and aspirations.
A meaningful Vision is transformative. We provide actionable recommendations that unite stakeholders, attract investment, and guide responsible development. From defining a place’s narrative to creating a roadmap for its future, we deliver real solutions that are sensitive to context and responsive to community needs. The result is a shared vision that demonstrably connects with residents, businesses, visitors and investors.
- Visioning & Strategy
- Business Planning
- Planning Support
- Funding & Investment Strategy
“The most frustrating thing about most place visions is how generic they are – a dry list of buzzwords that could apply to virtually any place. These aren’t visions – they are textbook statements of good practice. A meaningful vision is bigger than that. It’s about finding that kernel of authenticity that truly defines a place and makes it special. A timeless story that resonates beyond the usual urbanist clichés. We’ve learned to look past the ‘obvious’ to find stories that will inspire and mobilise people.”
Dan Anderson
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Community Engagement
We bring stakeholders into the project from the outset to create an open dialogue and share ideas.
Community engagement is a vital part of any project. But equally important, is the way you do it through our 'inhouse' team. We design bespoke programmes that bring stakeholders into the project from the outset, building trust and establishing a continuous, open dialogue. Academically rigorous, our approach marries technology with human interaction to generate the insights we need to inform our work, and create platforms for the exchange of ideas and information. We make the community a part of the process, doing things with them, not for them, and certainly not to them.
- Community Engagement
- Stakeholder Consultation
- Co-Design
- Communication Strategy
“Putting people at the centre of your work means getting up-close and personal - getting under the skin of the place and really understanding the needs of residents, communities, and every stakeholder. And you can’t do with that with formulaic, off-the-shelf practices and activities. It requires thought, time and innovation to create a bespoke programme of engagement, consultation, and communication that brings everyone into the process, ensuring all parties have a sense of agency.”
Sarah Renshaw
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The Green Hartlepool
