Street

City

At city-level we shape municipal policy through regulation that promotes sustainable and equitable urban development. Backed by comprehensive research into the urban characteristics of each area, we preserve the city’s unique heritage while identifying opportunities for revitalisation and sustainable growth, while avoiding sprawl.

At building-level we optimise the design and construction process for development that preserves and promotes the city’s unique face. Through the analysis of local materials and building technologies, we create guidelines that support sustainable design and construction. Our guidelines are designed to integrate seamlessly with the cultural and architectural character of each area.

At street-level we foster a vibrant and accessible streetscape. Using advanced data analytics, we develop comprehensive street improvement plans that encourage community-building and improve connectivity by creating walkable and well-connected streets.

Building

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The city is divided into zones by typology, like ‘terraced housing’ or ‘mixed-use development’. Each typology comes with defined land use, height restrictions and density limits. This ensures diverse but cohesive development consistent with the city as a whole.

Typology-Based Zoning

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Higher densities are permitted in central areas and density tapers off towards heritage zones and residential neighbourhoods. This preserves the character of heritage areas while supporting higher density where appropriate.

Density Gradients

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Developers are incentivised to adaptively re-use existing structures, especially in heritage zones. This preserves the city’s heritage sustainably and reduces demolition, while still enabling modern use cases that contribute to its economic and cultural development.

Adaptive re-use

Framework

The framework aligns new development with the city’s architectural heritage and supports sustainable, walkable, well-connected areas.

A data-driven digital tool automates the compliance verification process for new building designs, making sure that the new framework is simple to understand and easy to implement.

Digital

Streamlined approvals process

The tool makes it easy for developers to submit permit requests based on their project needs and receive quick automated feedback on their designs.

Design compliance automation

The tool turns a complex bureaucratic process into a simple 3-step digital process that encourages citizen participation, especially for developments in heritage areas.

Integration with the city’s local plans

The tool digitalises the city’s existing local plans alongside the new framework, becoming part of a larger initiative to foster development consistent with the city’s unique heritage.

We developed street improvement plans to guide the design and implementation of landscaping, lighting and elements like benches, kiosks and signage, strategically placed to encourage interaction improve walkability.

Streetscape

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Partnered with artist Asea Lygdenova, the wayfinding signs feature Buryat-Mongolian calligraphy, adding a unique aesthetic that resonates with Buryatia’s cultural roots, enriching the region’s visual identity.

Integration of Buryat-Mongolian Calligraphy

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The wayfinding system includes signage in Buryat, Russian, and English. Buryat and Russian are equally prominent, reflecting the city’s commitment to local heritage, while English supports international visitors.

Multilingual and Culturally Focused Signage

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The signs are placed throughout the historic centre to guide users effortlessly to main attractions and public spaces. This positioning improves walkability and accessibility, making the historic district easier to navigate while promoting an immersive cultural experience for both residents and visitors.

Easy Navigation

Wayfinding System

We partnered with a local artist to design a system of multi-lingual signage that reflected the local cultural identity. Signs were strategically placed throughout the city centre to guide residents and visitors to the main attractions and public spaces.

Database

Central to the project’s delivery was the creation of a database of approved materials, colour palettes and design elements to establish a reference point for new projects. We carried out sociocultural research to identify and prioritise the design elements that citizens recognised as ‘home’. We included data on the environmental performance and durability of approved materials, enabling planners and architects to make informed choices that are visually appropriate and environmentally positive.

We built an easy-to-use interface to enable developers and architects to understand the city’s design codes, select materials and visualise colour schemes in context. The creation of a building ‘passport’ to document design choices and materials was a key innovation to facilitate better transparency, accountability and collaboration with planners and officials.

Interface

Collaboration and transparency

Automated verification of building compliance that saves time and ensures designs meet requirements from the outset.

Building compliance automation

Users can review and adjust design choices using an intuitive web-based application, automatically generating a building ‘passport’ to simplify decision-making and improve compliance.

Maintenance coordination

Materials choices are linked to bespoke up-keep schedules that make it easy to coordinate maintenance activities across multiple buildings, track material lifespans and performance. In-built reminder and logging functionality supports pro-active management and reduces cost.