Rebooting the Masterplan - Part 2

Liza Fior, muf architecture/art

The architect Liza Fior wasborn in London where she practices as one of the founding partners of muf architecture/art, set up in 1994. Since 1994 muf architecture/art has established a reputation for pioneering and innovative projects - incremental urbanism, built landscapes and public realm, strategies and buildings, temporary and permanent. Theseaddress the social, spatial and economic infrastructures of the public realm, and muf negotiates between the built and social fabric, and between public and private in projects that have been mainlyfocused in East London, but not exclusively.

Muf were winners of the European Prize for Public Space for Barking Town Square in 2008, and were nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Prize in 2010 and the Swiss Prize for Architecture (2012) for projects with limited budgets and briefs enriched by mufsunsolicited research behind each of their projects.In 2011 muf won a RIBA Award for Barking Central, Public Realm Architect, and Making Space in Dalston with J&L Gibbons won the Landscape Institute Presidents Award. Liza is co-author of This is What We Do: a muf manual (London, 2001). Shehas taught at the Architectural Association, the Royal College of Art and Yale University School of Architecture.

Paul Karakusevic, Karakusevic Carson Architects

Paul is a founding member of Karakusevic Carson Architects, an award winning team of architects working at the forefront of urban design and architecture focuses on delivering successful, sustainable neighbourhoods, mixed tenure housing and public buildings, reflecting their unique and local sense of place and the real needs of the communities involved. Karakusevic Carson Architects is appointed to both the HCA and LDA/GLA Design for London Urban design, Masterplanning and Architecture framework panels, and many others run by local authorities, housing and charitable trusts.

Currently working on large scale regeneration and delivery of housing projects and public buildings across London, the practice won Housing Architect of the Year and New London Architecture Award 2013; and was shortlisted for London Planning Awards 2013, and two Housing Design Awards, 2012. Paul is also a design advisor to the HCA and Urban Design London, and is leading the HCA design review, the audit of the Design for Manufacture initiative and the technical audit/critique of several HCA schemes.

David West, Studio Egret West

David is a planner and urban designer specialising in urban visions and strategic framework plans who has pursued a passion for delivering place specific strategies and solutions. Since graduating from Manchester University and TU Delft, the Netherlands, his experience has been diverse and world wide. Previously at Alsop, he established and directed the BIG Architecture group which formulated a series of radical urban strategies that genuinely challenged conventional or ingrained thinking about places. Work at Alsop included the Rotterdam Centraal Masterplan and the Strategic Urban Design Frameworks for New Cross Gate, Lewisham and Leicester, New Islington in Manchester and the multi-layered Bradford Centre Regeneration Masterplan.

Setting up Studio Egret West with Christophe Egret in 2004, he led the practices creation of numerous sustainable neighbourhood projects including Evolution Gateshead (3000 homes), Middlehaven Docks (700 homes); Surrey Canal - Londons Sporting Village (a 2,500 home and 2,500 job development around Millwall football club) and Cambridge Sporting Village. He prepared the strategic framework plans for Holt Town, East Manchester, Maze Long Kesh in Belfast and South Shields Riverside in Tyneside. In London, David is currently leading the following projects as lead consultant/principal urban designer: The Old Vinyl Factory in Hayes (a mixed use regeneration project for 600 homes and 4000 jobs); The Millharbour Village Masterplan; The Stratford Town Centre Public Realm Strategy and a rejuvenating urban design strategy for Bromley town centre.