LDA Design

@queenelizabetholympicpark is an important project in @ldadesign ’s history, so it was fantastic for our directors to be there en masse yesterday for a day of discussion and planning. @ldadesign director, Scott Carroll, led a tour of Stratford Waterfront at East Bank, a project close to his heart. In his talk, Scott quoted sculptor Constantin Brâncuși: ‘Simplicity is only complexity resolved’, as a way of explaining how the challenges of the site were overcome to create an elegant, functional and intuitive cultural ‘common ground’. The space here is somewhere all of the institutions, like the V&A East Museum, @lcflondon_ and @sadlerswells_east can share to bring art, education and performance into the public domain – acting, according to Tristram Hunt, Director of the @vamuseum , “like an agora, democratising the arts”. Great tour – thanks, Scott. Great day. Great plans ahead. And great to see #StratfordWaterfront and @queenelizabetholympicpark looking mighty fine. And the umbrellas only went up for a moment too. Thanks for hosting us @riverside_east Photos thanks to @realm_landscapist #LDADesign #QueenElizabethOlympicPark #employeeownership #inclusivedescisionmaking #placemaking #placemakers #planning #masterplanning #urbandesign #landscapearchitecture #bestoutcomes

Not sure how @ldadesign 's Cannon Ivers @realm_landscapist and @naomi_rosser quite managed to dodge the hail and showers this week to land on these blue skies, but we’re taking them. And loving these late-spring displays at Queen’s Park Canalside in north west #Paddington, #London. A new linear park that successfully softens the city and transforms the everyday. Quite lovely. Well done @citywestminster and all the team, including @ldadesign , @wspukandi , @fm_conway and @furnitubes Planting design by @ldadesign , installed by @meristemdesign Ebb and Flow mural by @freddiedentonillustration 👏 Thanks for the photos Cannon and Naomi. #placemaking #placemakers #Westminster #bettercity #greenercity #softercity #biodiversity #streetsasplaces #inclusion #bestoutcomes #biodiversity #pollinators

🔊 Heading to @ukreiif next week? Then read on because @ldadesign ’s #Manchester studio is taking their fun Scrapbook Series to #Leeds. Sign up now to this free fringe event at the House of Fu, and let’s get crafting. Spaces limited, so you might need to move quickly. 🔗 Link in bio to book your spot. Our Scrapbook workshops offer a different way of exploring equitable #placemaking with pens, paper, scissors and interesting chat. Next week’s workshop will look to answer the question, ‘What’s the change you want to see?’, exploring how we can get better at listening and then delivering places and spaces that fully reflect the communities we work with. No panels, no agenda – just ideas to play with and a drink or two, plus great food from the House of Fu. What are you waiting for?! Join us. 📅 Wednesday 20 May 🕓 4-8pm 📌 House of Fu, 15-19 The Headrow, Leeds See you there. #UKREiiF #placemakers #urbanvoices #scrapbookseries #thechangeweneedtosee #bettercities #playfulcities #inclusion #designchallenge #design #architecture #landscapearchitecture #planning #environment

We're #hiring. @ldadesign is growing, and that growth needs great operational support behind it. So, we’re looking for an Operations Coordinator to help keep us on track and running smoothly, with everyone able to do their best work. The role is full time and based in our #Manchester studio. We’re looking for someone who is a great communicator and problem solver, who enjoys bringing structure and clarity to busy environments and helping others to succeed. You’ll help new starters settle in well; coordinate activity across our various systems and IT; support learning; and have ideas of how we can change things for the better. If this speaks to you, then we’d love to hear from you. 🔗 link in bio for more on this and our other opportunities. In return, we’ll nurture your career and you’ll receive a fantastic benefits package. We are 100% employee owned and an equal opportunities employer. Come join us. #jobalert #jobs #jobopportunity #wearehiring #opportunity #jobvacancy #joinus #operations #businesssupport #employeeowned #workingtogether #greatplacetowork #placemakers #placemaking

It’s #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek and we’ve lots planned over the coming days that will take us away from our screens for an hour or so to help reset. @ldadesign 's #Oxford studio kicked us off with a fun DIY terrarium-making session over lunch. As always with Oxford, there was healthy competition – this time comparing whose plant was best! Weather permitting, the team will make it out for a walk and picnic later this week. Exercise, fresh air, good company and food ... what's not to love?! Taking action and making conversations about mental health part of the every day are so important. That's what our trained mental health first aiders help us to do. They are on hand this week, and every week, to provide additional support, where and when needed. Be good to yourself and others. Mental Health Awareness Week: Monday 11th May - Sunday 17th May #MHAW26 #employeeowners #employeeowned #ldadesign #mentalhealth #goodmentalhealth #mentalhealthawarenessweek #takeaction #workingtogether #support #kinderworkplace

Next week, @ldadesign 's Clare Wilks and Cecilia Bonavia are taking part in highstreetpositives' first in-person event about the future of our high streets, which lands in #Bath. Delivered in partnership with @bathnescouncil and @bathbid , the event brings together a mix of voices to explore innovations on our high streets, from university partnerships and brand incubators to heritage-led #regeneration, fashion, curated retail and forward-thinking #planning, with lessons that can be learnt for across the UK. Clare will discuss her experiences of high street renewal, which has taken her from Cornwall to North Wales and beyond and is a major focus of her work as an urban designer and #masterplanner. Cecilia will talk about #MilsomQuarter, our project with @bathnescouncil to create a new destination for fashion and creative businesses on the north side of the city centre. We are also sponsoring the event. Move fast to attend. Only three spots remaining. Bath HighStreetPositives LIVE 📅 Wednesday 6 May 🕐 13:00 - 17:00 Find our more about HighStreetPositives and their work to change the narrative around our high streets: highstreetpositives.com #highstreets #futureofhighstreets #placemaking #placemakers #workingtogether #southwest #inclusion #thechangeweneedtosee #bestoutcomes #MilsomQuarter #masterplanning #planning #urbandesign #landscapearchitecture

In a complicated world, the more effort we put into working together and sharing hopes, ideas and best practice the better. That’s how we understand change and what good looks like and also how to challenge the status quo. @sharearchitects are doing a great job of bringing thought leaders within the built environment together. In May, @ldadesign ’s International lead, Benjamin Walker, joins their forum in Cyprus – 15 May. Ben has worked on some of @ldadesign 's major #regeneration projects, including @batterseapwrstn and @queenelizabetholympicpark . His current projects include a #masterplan to transform the 1000-hectare Mynzhydldyk Alley to create a lively piece of city in the #Kazakhstan capital of #Astana and reimagining the Western Gate district in #Almaty, which was won through international #design competition. He's got some great projects in #London too. We’ll report back on key discussion points at the conference. Share Cyprus 2026: International Architecture Forum 📅 Friday 15 May 📌 Nicosia Municipal Theatre #placemaking #placemakers #innovation #shapingabetterworld #bettercities #landscapearchitecture #urbandesign #architecture #thechangeyouwantosee #ldadesign

Tributes have been flooding in for @nigel.dunnett and we wanted to take a moment to draw breath and add ours. Nigel was a long-time friend of @ldadesign and many of us were fortunate to have either been taught by him or to have worked with him, including on @batterseapwrstn and @queenelizabetholympicpark . His work has influenced so many of us and collectively we admired him greatly. We took every opportunity to partner with Nigel, safe in the knowledge that he would bring something special. Quite simply, you don’t come across changemakers like Nigel every day. That he will be missed doesn’t come close. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. 📷 South Park view in the 2012 Gardens @robinforsterphotography

Ending the week with good news for the Greater #Manchester town of #Stalybridge as a lovely scheme we’ve been working on for @bankfoot_group has secured enthusiastic #planning consent from the council. Well done, everyone. The project will unlock the potential of a site that’s been underused for some time, creating 102 quality, #affordable homes set within an equitable, playful and verdant #landscape. Wider #outcomes include improving connections to the town centre, to our previous public realm work with @tamesidecouncil . A great project team effort from @toddarchitects @ldadesign Ashton Hale, @civic_thrivingtogether Crookes Walker @anderton_gables @stantec Alt Fire Simon Fenton Partnership @aspinallverdi @wspukandi and @cavendishconsulting And well done to Mark, Emma, Davor and Ellie from our #Manchester studio. Images @virtual_planit #regeneration #GreaterManchester #NorthWest #newhomes #placemaking #placemakers #changeagents #publicspace #community #neighbourhood #publicrealm #landscapearchitecture #architecture #urbandesign #masterplanning #landscapedesign #thechangeweneedtosee

A quick post to say that #Woolwich Town Centre Regeneration won a @thepineapplesuk award for Public Space tonight. So happy. Well done, everyone. @royal_greenwich @ldadesign @studioweave @gortscott @mgrubbstudio @engagecf_ @studio_bosk @civic_thrivingtogether @elitelandscapesltd Hadron Consulting @gleedsglobal @robintacchi @marshallsgroup @vestre_furniture and many more ... Fantastic result @realm_landscapist , Naomi Rosser. Tom McCreesh and all the #LDA team Thanks for the 📷 Lucca Clark, @studio.maple @mike__massaro for @mgrubbstudio (Woolwich at night)

People tend to fight for what they know, for what is dear to them, for what they love. So, when it comes to nature’s great thinning, the fight back begins with immersion, getting closer to nature. By enjoying what’s around us, and learning from it and others, we get to understand more about what’s at risk and what’s at stake. So, today, #EarthDay2026 – take time out to walk, to look up and look down. To learn the name of one bird or one tree that’s unfamiliar. @ldadesign 's #London studio, under the guiding hand of Yiming Lei, is creating #herbariums of the plants local to us. We’re taking time to name – and appreciate – what is on our doorstep, to sharpen our vision and fire up our imaginations. Give #nature a seat at the table. Because change won’t happen unless we show up for it. As @ldadesign ’s Cameron Fong says in our new film, ‘What’s the change you want to see?’, you can’t build a village from your bedroom. 🔗 Link in bio for our new film. #EarthDay #EarthDay26 #placemakers #placemaking #environment #biodiversity #climate #climateaction #thechangeweneedtosee #diversity #culture #workingtogether