We are a strategic studio that re-imagines new frontiers for places around the world.
Drawing expertise from urban research, cultural design, futurist film-making and spatial storytelling to define places alive with character and commerce.
People value places that mean something to them. Using narrative and design strategies to draw out meaning, we unlock the power of social and cultural value to match the economics of a place.
WORK WITH US
We guide developers, destinations and design teams confidently articulate what makes their place different.
Get in touch for a complimentary session to diagnose what your team needs.
DEVELOPERS
You need to create a collective vision to make this place standout and bring on board your stakeholders
We offer…
Insight
Place Foresight
Cultural Insight
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Imagination
Vision Co-Definition
Design Concepts
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Impact
Engagement Strategies
Design Briefs
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Place Playbook
DESTINATIONS
You need to define your unique proposition to attract a wider audience
We offer…
Insight
Destination Foresight
Cultural Insight
+
Imagination
Vision Co-Definition
Experience Design Concepts
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Impact
Destination Brand Identity
Curatorial Strategy
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Destination Playbook
DESIGN TEAMS
You need to develop more influential stories about the places we’re creating
You need to stand out against the competition and communicate your ethos
Clinics —
Place Identity Clinic
Place Content Clinic
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Storytelling Masterclass
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Dispatches
Retained “in-house” storytelling studio
We partner with clients worldwide to add a cultural dimension and long-term value to the assets and places they develop. We integrate as an extension of your team, helping you establish places with provenance, enter new markets with local credibility, create greater civic impact and promote local distinctiveness.
Our team has worked with:
DEVELOPERS, MASTERPLANNERS, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS
DESTINATIONS & BRANDS
DESIGN TEAMS
The Bureau Chiefs gaze into the future and across territory, to define narratives for places around the world. Working with intuitive methods and imaginative minds, they answer the “why here?” “why now?” “what next?” as eloquent concepts and ideas. They are also great fun to work with, integrating seamlessly into teams and communities, finding the material and ideas that others didn’t see or couldn’t articulate.JASON PRIOR, DIRECTOR, PRIOR + PARTNERS
Special thanks to the Rosanna’s who conducted a really useful and constructive workshop - goes to show it can be done in these challenging circumstances!PHILLIP TEFFT, DIRECTOR, RAA
Undaunted by our ambitious and ever expanding workshop The Place Bureau crafted and facilitated our largest ever virtual event with aplomb. Whilst new to our project, I was delighted by their understanding of the site specific subtleties and the ability to draw upon a wealth of broader experiences.RICHARD COPPELL, GROUP DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, URBAN & CIVIC
ROSANNA COVACICH
Bureau Chief
Rosanna Covacich sees the ’next’ to understand places through a future lens. With over 25 years experience working worldwide she’s an expert in storytelling and envisioning sensory experiences across all mediums; collaborating with some of the world’s most well-known brands along with the quieter achievers. From a background in futures insights and behavioural change, she brings an acute understanding of the significance of cultural symbols, and the emotional effects that a well-told story, aesthetics and experience evokes in people.
ROSANNA VITIELLO
Bureau Chief
Rosanna Vitiello sees the true origins of places to uncover their cultural potential. With 18 years international experience, she’s an expert in interpreting the local essence of a place into narrative, public space and experience design. As a creative director she has developed masterplan visions, and place identities for the world’s leading museums, architects, destinations and urban districts. She is also a Research Associate at Central St Martins, London.
Pauline Malaquin
Architect
Pauline sees the unconventional and brings an eclectic aesthetic. After completing her masters at l’ENSAM (Ecole nationale supérieure d'architecture de Montpellier), and the Sendai School of Design, Tohoku University in Japan, Pauline set off to NYC then onto San Francisco before arriving in London. The unpredictable sea, and unconventional cultures have been defining moments. Witnessing the destruction of 2011 Tohoku tsunami led her to research how coastal cities can adapt to challenging environments. By contrast Pauline experienced another extreme - this time cultural – having constructed temporary structures for Burning Man Festival sparking a fascination for temporality in architecture.
AUDACIOUS IMAGINATION
Just what’s needed in times of reinvention, we champion ideas that are bold, unusual and playful.
INTELLIGENT OPTIMISM
Energetic and positive in disposition, backed up by depth of experience and wisdom.
COLLECTIVE EXPLORATION
We never settle and make time to explore, reflect and learn in order to break new ground and share our knowledge.
