Alumni, students and staff from the School of the Built Environment and Architecture were recently welcomed to “Kings Cross – Human City”, a unique event jointly hosted by the LSBU Alumni Association and Argent LLP, one of the UK's leading property development businesses.
Guests were given rare and exclusive access to the King’s Cross development from three key developers within the project. One of the most significant regeneration programmes in Europe, the 67-acre site includes an astounding 50 new buildings, 2,000 new homes, 20 new streets, 10 new public squares and 45,000 people who live, work and study in the area.
Nick Searl, Partner at Argent LLP and LSBU alumnus (PgDip Architecture, class of 1989), described the £2.5 billion upgrade that has seen King’s Cross expand its national and international networks, as well as a report on local infrastructure and sustainability strategies. Graham Morrison, Partner at Allies and Morrison, illustrated the development from a historical perspective as attendees were taken on a visual journey mapping King’s Cross over the last two centuries.
Simon Allford, Director at AHMM, delivered a fascinating insight in the development of Google’s new UK headquarters in what has been described as one of London’s most significant property transactions. Further discussions then took place as guests networked with each other and the speakers over drinks and canapés, set amongst the beautifully contemporary Argent offices.
The event also served as the official launch of the recently formed LSBU Built Environment Professionals Chapter. Carl Kitchener, who graduated with a Postgraduate Diploma in Quantity Surveying from LSBU in 2009, was inspired to set up the Chapter by the desire to bring together his fellow built environment alumni: “LSBU has seen thousands of students pass through its doors in subjects such as Estate Management, Real Estate and Property Development. Many will go on to significantly influence their chosen profession and it’s vital their knowledge is captured, shared and passed onto current students.” Please contact the Alumni Office if you are interested in joining the LSBU Built Environment Professionals Chapter or finding out more about starting your own chapter.
The LSBU Alumni Association would like to thank Argent LLP for hosting the event and our three key speakers for their captivating presentations.
Keep up-to-date with all of our events, from social gatherings to focussed professional development opportunities, by visiting the LSBU Alumni Association events calendar.