Engagement
We have been working with communities for over 45 years to find out what people really want from their neighbourhoods to produce practical visions for the future. This way we can use our skills and experience to gain the confidence of local people to find common ground with developers, especially on controversial projects that have suffered from false starts.
The essential tools of community engagement are the ability to listen, to explain and to inspire. We exercise these through exhibitions, workshops and focus groups; web forums, newsletters and opinion surveys; filmmaking, fun-days and youth projects.
PTE do not shy away from meaningful resident consultation. Their accessible and 'personalised' approach gives great assistance to client and resident in confidence building that enables projects to move from concept to detailed design and implementation.
Why engagement matters
Over and above its central role within the planning process, we see engagement as integral to the design and delivery of the projects we take on, a foundation upon which we implement our vision. Collaboration is central to the creation of good architecture and PTE has built a strong reputation for working with communities as well as fellow designers and consultants to achieve the best results. We have long been at the forefront of co-production, when citizens and decision-makers work together to arrive at solutions that work for everyone.
Transparent working with communities from the start – no matter the scale or scope of a project - is fundamental to how we work. We listen, understand and engage, building trust with project stakeholders and communities, maintaining this through to our post occupancy evaluations.
Engagement that works best is one that gives everyone a voice regardless and PTE provides a bespoke process for each project, combining the hands-on and face to face with the interactive digital.
Challenges include:
- building trust, maintaining a dialogue and avoiding stakeholder ‘engagement fatigue’
- alerting the public to developments, including seldom heard groups and those without internet access
- sharing complex information about specific project challenges
- formatting information for specific audiences
- encouraging and recording feedback and demonstrating that engagement improves outcomes
- understanding any history of consultation, and potential conflicts of interest, an advocacy role for the quieter voices and mediator role for conflicting voices.
Social Value
Social value captures the transformative aspects of life that can't be quantified in financial terms. Whether it’s fostering confidence in others or providing parkland in urban environments, social value represents what truly matters to us.
At the core of our practice, social value informs our design ethos and shapes our in-house culture. We engage in dialogue with the communities we serve and collaborate closely within our team. Our approach is straightforward: we involve the people who matter most in everything we do.
This commitment not only maximizes the value we create for our clients, giving them a competitive edge, but also enhances communication and builds stronger connections with the users of the buildings and places we design.
Employment and mentoring
Our Architectural Apprenticeship programme is designed to attract people who have never previously considered, or cannot afford, a career in architecture. We also take part in Open City’s Accelerate, an education and mentoring programme aimed at increasing diversity in the built environment professions. Additionally, we frequently visit schools to introduce architecture to students, sparking their interest and presenting it as a viable career path.
Communities
Our resident engagement programs empower residents to actively participate in the regeneration of their neighbourhoods. We support communities by offering work experience placements, career guidance, and upskilling opportunities, enabling them to contribute effectively to collaborative design processes. Additionally, we host local events featuring expert advice on key topics, such as an ecologist discussing the importance of biodiversity. Whenever possible, we provide jobs for residents within our engagement and consultation programmes.
Sponsorship and funding
We prioritize supporting homeless charities and professional organizations, including the Architect’s Benevolent Society and the RIBA’s hardship fund for students. Our commitment extends to both local and international charities, community groups, and in-kind donations for local initiatives. In our own neighbourhood, we back the Angel Community Canal Boat, which offers educational boat trips for local children.
In our 50th year, we return to our philosophy of a decent home for all, and want to contribute to ending homelessness. We are supporting Crisis - a national charity for people experiencing homelessness, and their campaign for the changes needed to solve it altogether.
Local improvements
We host events and seminars to raise awareness of environmental issues and analyse the impact of our office on its surroundings, implementing measures to improve every year. We also seek to specify locally sourced materials in our building projects wherever possible.
Events and collaborations
Our office is ideal for hosting events alongside our clients and collaborators, from Open House London, which connects us with a broad public audience to the industry-focused programmes of New London Architecture. Our work with Future of London includes providing mentors and mentees for its leaders’ training programme.
Financial resilience
We actively promote opportunities through local community services that help people improve their employability and support local businesses and ensure that our supply chain is paid the Living Wage as a minimum on or before time.
If you would like to know more about PTE's engagement social value expertise, please get in touch with Sarah Eastham, partner - engagement sarah.eastham@ptea.co.uk
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