Master Planning
Urban Design “is the art of arranging buildings and other structures on the land in harmony with each other”.* It is the design of an organizing framework within which one or any number of designers can operate. It is often referred to loosely as master or site planning. As projects increase in scale and complexity, urban design, as a specialist design discipline, continues to play an ever-increasing role. Urban design is not an exact science; it depends heavily upon imagination, experimentation and the skill to push the envelope beyond the limitations of current thinking and contemporary practice. Design remains an art, a particular mix of rationality and irrationality; it deals with complex connections, ambiguities and, above all, change. Northpoint challenges dysfunctions in urban systems and addresses the issue of sustainability at the city scale. Above all, we care about our environment and strive to improve the quality of life of those for whom we plan and build.