Varndean College Masterplan received a unanimous approval at committee. The scheme to substantially improve the College campus and teaching facilities over a 5-10 year period was developed in collaboration with ECE Architects. The campus design seeks to substantially imrprove the biodiversity offer of the site by creating a matrix of landscape types. The first phase of this approach was delivered earlier in the year in the form of an Ecology Garden.

Cascade City Road receives planning permission: A supported living scheme by Linc Housing has received planning permission. MHDS worked on the proposals alongside Powell Dobson Architects. Proposals include a peaceful central courtyard and radical vertical greeneing by acclaimed green infrastructure consultant Gary Grant. The building will over time develop planting across its facade, improving air quality, collecting rainwater and providing green amenity to residents.

Rosherville School Garden Completed: Over the summer work has been ongoing on the implimentation of several gardens situated between temporary classrooms at Rosherville Primary School. In September we assisted local children at the school in planting up the newly created beds. The school is due to move to new premises in the next two years and the garden is designed to be modular and moveable, so that planters and seating can be brought to the new school site.

Shortlisting: MHDS are delighted to announce shortlisting for the RIBA Low Line competition! The team helmed by MHDS and including Gary Grant, Civic Engineers, Cundall Engineers and NTR planning put forward the proposal Breathing Spaces - providing an escape from environmental pollution utilising a range of green infrastructure techniques. Congratulations to PDP Architects - the overall winner. You can check out the full competition boards at the Low Line website

Planning permission has been secured at Pound Lane in Essex alongside architects Pitman Tozer, Mae and AOC. The 12 home custom build scheme features homes sited sensitively within a heavily-vegetated site, with complimentary vegetation forming a backdrop to the built form.

Matt was invited to speak at the 2019 EUGIC conference on Green Infrastructure. The panel discussed how the case for Green Infrastructure can be made in development terms, and Matt talked about how the developments around Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park must adapt to celebrate and enhance the green infrastructure legacy.

Over 250 local people attended the Ebbsfleet Getting Fresh event with opportunities to learn about the history of the area, and to get involved in local activities.

Matt was on hand to talk all things allotments as part of the Edible Ebbsfleet project. The next project will be at the Castle Hill Development and we are looking for local residents interested in being a part of it. Please get in touch!

Matthew presented the shortlisted design for a new Ebbsfleet Ecology Park at the annual Valuing Landscape Conference at Greenwich University. Congrats to the winner Bradley Murphy Design!

Proposals for the Blue Lake Ecology Park were subimtted as one of the final five entries to the Ebbsfleet Healthy Garden City Ideas Competition. Announcement of the winner is due in September. The project celebrates the unique geology and hydrology of the site to create a unique mosaic of habitat types.  

MHDS is delighted to announce the appointment of new specialist parks consultant Beigel the dog. Beigel wil be participating in post-occupancy green space surveys, ensuring they are rigously evaluated.

Matthew Halsall and Ryan Szanyi present their entry to the Ebbsfleet Healthy Garden City Ideas Competition at the Housing Design Awards 2018 in London.

MHDS and Ryan Szanyi's proposal for the Ebbsfleet Healthy Garden City ideas competition! has been shortlisted.  We are privileged to be among the five shortlisted groups alongside LDA,  Huskisson Brown Associates, Chris Blandford Associates, Bradley Murphy Design. We will over the next month be completing further proposals for a specific site within Ebbsfleet for submission in July.