People. Place. Design.
Placemaking at every scale.
Savills Urban Design Studio creates exceptional places that enrich lives and deliver enduring value.
Our approach is founded on meaningful collaboration, commercial intelligence and a well-informed appreciation of both local context and global trends.
Through research-led design and inclusive engagement, we create resilient and thriving places that people value.
Our feasibility studies.
Turning potential into deliverable, healthy and viable places.
Our feasibility studies unite urban design, placemaking and capacity analysis to reveal what every location can achieve. We shape places that succeed socially, environmentally and economically in the real world. This brochure presents a selection of our studies, each shaped by different contexts, clients and ambitions, yet always driven by high quality, evidence led and imaginative placemaking.
Supported by strong commercial intelligence and close collaboration with Savills interdisciplinary teams, our proposals bring design ambition into clear alignment with market reality.
We believe in the power of placemaking to unlock lasting value and possibility.
Our approach to feasibility studies.
Our rapid site analysis, market intelligence and early design testing set a commercially grounded brief from the outset. By mapping policy, access, heritage, environmental factors and local character, we define the site’s core constraints and opportunities.
Working with our Development and Housing teams, we layer land value, costs, market insight and end values, testing viability, density and mix. Quick massing, scenario testing and Vu.City modelling help us compare commercial return, placemaking quality and deliverability.
Early engagement with landowners, consultants and delivery partners reduces risk and builds alignment. The result is evidence‑based, commercially informed feasibility studies that support confident decisions and enable successful planning.
WHAT IS THE USE FOR THIS
SITE?
• Role of site
• Planning context
• Define the brief
• Site parameters
• Early stakeholder mapping
FUTURE STEPS?
• Site disposal strategy
• Outline Planning Application
• Detailed Planning Application
• Marketing brochure
• Refined illustrative visuals
- storytelling & unpacking a Vision Document
HOW
HOW BEST CAN WE UNLOCK AND ORGANISE THE SITE?
• Land assembly
• Access & movement
• Climate action
• Opportunities & constraints
• Concept & Vision
HOW TO DERISK THE DELIVERY PROCESS?
Appraisal of optionsviability & refinement Planning strategy / approach Engaging all stakeholders
Pre-App process Technical surveys
WHAT GOES WHERE ON THE SITE?
• Options testing layout & building parameters
• 3D massing
• VU.CITY testing
• Sustainability strategy
• Landscape strategy
Our unified approach.
We believe that the most successful places are born from genuine collaboration. From the earliest stages of a project, we engage with a wide range of stakeholders including clients, coconsultants, and internal Savills teams.
This integrated approach allows us to co-create design solutions that are innovative, inclusive, and responsive to real-world needs. Our collaborative process is structured, yet flexible, enabling us to develop proposals through to Stage 2+ and planning applications with confidence and clarity.
We also design bespoke engagement strategies that reflect the unique context of each project, using a combination of co-design techniques and hybrid engagement tools to ensure that every voice is heard and valued.
ARENA PLAY PLAY SCHOOL HOTEL
Leopardstown Racecourse
Dublin, Ireland
Savills’ strategic masterplan for Leopardstown is underpinned by rigorous feasibility testing to balance operational racing requirements with long‑term development value. The study evaluates opportunities for hospitality, commercial uses and up to 1,000 homes, ensuring each component is both viable and deliverable within a live operational estate.
Scenario testing, supported by transport and economic analysis, confirms how enhanced public realm and connectivity can strengthen revenue streams while safeguarding heritage.
This commercially robust vision positions Leopardstown as a benchmark mixed‑use campus, delivering a future‑ready destination that aligns investment potential with regional economic growth.
Client: Horse Racing Ireland
2023 - Present
Project Outcomes:
• Campus Wide Masterplan
• Detailed Design Studies
• Landscape strategies
Other Savills Services:
• Commercial Advice
• Development
• Savills Earth
Griffith’s Yard
St. Sampson, Guernsey
This commercially credible framework for a new waterfront neighbourhood in Guernsey, unlocking 1,000 homes alongside cultural, leisure and retail uses. A thorough development capacity assessment tests viable massing, infrastructure requirements and delivery sequencing, while blue‑green infrastructure is embedded from the outset to reduce long‑term maintenance costs and enhance resilience.
Placemaking principles shape scale and character, ensuring deliverable scenarios that support investment and de‑risk future planning stages. The study provides a flexible, market‑responsive roadmap for transforming The Bridge waterfront area into a vibrant and resilient sustainable community.
Client: Guernsey Development Agency
2024 - Present
Project Outcomes:
• Vision Document
• Feasibility Studies
Other Savills Services:
• Savills Earth
Building Heights
Place-led Masterplan
Proposed
Blenheim House
Ruislip, London Borough of Hillingdon
Savills completed a detailed feasibility and capacity study to inform land value and guide redevelopment of a care home site adjacent to Ruislip station. The study tested viable development envelopes, demonstrating how a six‑storey residential block could be sensitively integrated into a low‑rise suburban context through refined, stepped massing.
The preferred option delivers around 60 high‑quality homes, 85% dual‑aspect and designed to near‑Passivhaus standards, improving long‑term energy performance and marketability. A positive pre‑application response confirmed planning deliverability, enabling the site to be successfully sold within six months. The study provides a commercially robust pathway from concept to disposal.
Client: Aedifica
2021 - 2022
Project Outcomes:
• Feasibility Studies
• Pre Application Advice
• Economic Delivery Advice
Other Savills Services:
• Development
• Planning
Our sustainable placemaking goals.
We are committed to designing places that support low carbon living and promote environmental stewardship.
Our work prioritises naturebased solutions, health and wellbeing, and long-term resilience. By partnering closely with Savills Earth, we embed sustainability principles from the very beginning of the design process, helping our clients navigate their journey toward energy efficiency and net zero carbon outcomes.
We also draw on the expertise of Savills specialists in economics, development, and research to provide strategic advice that informs robust and economically active masterplans. These are places that balance environmental responsibility with commercial success.
SENSE OF PLACE
DIVERSE NEIGHBOURHOODS
CULTURE & HERITAGE
RESILIENT LANDSCAPES
COMMUNITY & SOCIAL VALUE
LOW CARBON JOURNEYS CARBON CONSCIOUS DESIGN
Our approach to circularity and design.
Our sustainability goals enables clients to establish clear and actionable sustainability objectives from the earliest stages of a project.
We integrate circular economy principles into our design thinking to unlock development potential and ensure that resources are used efficiently and responsibly.
This early stage focus on circularity is essential for translating strategic goals into tangible outcomes. Whether we are leading with infrastructure, landscape, or community engagement, we ensure that circular design principles are embedded into every aspect of our delivery approach.
This commitment helps create places that are not only sustainable, but also adaptable and future ready.
INTEGRATING NATURE BASED
SOLUTIONS
RETHINKING INFRASTRUCTURE APPROACHES
INTELLIGENT RETROFITTING & RE-USE
Fabricfirstapproach
Optimisebuildingformfactor
Optimisedmassing
Strategicpre-fabrication Greenroofs
Solarpanels/Solargain
Optimalglazing
Passivedesignstrategies
Evaporativecooling
Saltpans
St. Sampson, Guernsey
The Saltpans masterplan responds to a highly complex and long‑contested site, shaping a commercially viable mixed‑use neighbourhood anchored by transformative transport infrastructure.
The study demonstrates how enhanced connectivity, can unlock regeneration value across St. Sampson and The Bridge. Development scenarios, supported by viability testing, confirm the deliverability of new homes, community facilities and Saltpans Park within ecological, coastal and infrastructure constraints. A strong placemaking narrative positions the site as a strategic investment for Guernsey’s long‑term growth, ensuring each intervention is underpinned by realistic funding pathways and phased delivery confidence.
Activetravelspaces
Dualaspectliving
Gentledensity
Biodiversityenhancement
Mixedhousingtypologies
Client: States of Guernsey
2025 - Present
Project Outcomes:
• Outline Planning Application
• Landscape Strategy
• Sustainability Framework
• Stakeholder Engagement
Other Savills Services:
• Savills Earth
• Landscape Architecture
Knowing the Constraints
St. James’ Bus Depot
Northampton
This feasibility study tests multiple development scenarios to establish a viable mixed‑use community grounded in the retention and adaptive reuse of listed structures. Working with Homes England, the study evaluates funding potential, delivery mechanisms and housing mix strategies to optimise private and affordable tenures.
Connectivity improvements strengthen links to Northampton’s green infrastructure network, while the proposed urban form responds to the site’s unique industrial heritage. Each option is tested for viability, buildability and market alignment, providing a clear evidence base for progressing a deliverable scheme that balances heritage, density and long‑term placemaking value.
Client: West Northamptonshire Council
2023 - 2024
Project Outcomes:
• Feasibility Studies
• Options Appraisal
Other Savills Services:
• Development
• Savills Earth
• Economics
Lincoln Estates Regeneration
Lincoln
Savills’ strategic estate review combines placemaking ambition with rigorous feasibility testing to support long‑term regeneration across Lincoln. The study evaluates options including infill, retrofit, rooftop extensions and selective redevelopment, ensuring each intervention is both viable and socially beneficial.
A detailed feasibility exercise for a central estate assesses constraints, delivery risks and market‑aligned development scenarios ranging from quick‑win improvements to comprehensive transformation. The study provides a clear roadmap for investment planning, helping the Council prioritise deliverable interventions that enhance housing quality, and social cohesion.
Client: City of Lincoln Council
2023 - Present
Project Outcomes:
• Feasibility Studies
• Estate Regeneration Recommendations Report
• Stakeholder Engagement
Other Savills Services:
• Savills Earth
• Economics
• Housing
Wooley Bridge Road
Hadfield
Savills’ high‑level feasibility and option appraisal for this former manufacturing site assesses its development potential through commercially realistic scenarios. Options range from a high‑quality employment zone, supporting SMEs and industrial activity, to a mixed‑use neighbourhood offering integrated living and working opportunities. Each scenario is underpinned by viability considerations, including land value, infrastructure requirements and market‑aligned development typologies.
The study equips the client with a clear understanding of viable pathways, enabling informed investment and land‑use decisions that align commercial opportunity with long‑term place quality.
Client: N Brown Group
2025 - Present
Project Outcomes:
• Feasibility Studies
• Options Appraisal
• Pre Application Advice
• Stakeholder engagement
Other Savills Services:
• Planning
• Logistics Development
Our commercial intelligence.
Our design process is underpinned by a strong foundation of commercial intelligence.
We work closely with Savills interdisciplinary teams to ensure that every project is informed by robust feasibility and viability assessments.
This integrated approach allows us to align design ambition with market realities, ensuring that our placemaking strategies are not only visionary, but also deliverable
Our ability to combine creative design with commercial insight is a key strength that sets us apart and enables us to support clients throughout the development and delivery process.
KNOWING THE LATEST RESEARCH
UNDERSTANDING PLANETARY REQUIREMENTS
WORKING WITH PLANNING POLICY
DELIVERING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
GUIDING INVESTMENT & RETURN RESPONDING TO COMMERCIAL DEMAND
PROVIDING COST & BENEFIT
STRATEGIES
FACILITATING PHASING & DELIVERY STRATEGIES
REALISING ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
INTEGRATING CONTEXTUAL & SITE ANALYSIS
Our happy places.
Our masterplans are shaped around the needs of the people who will live, work, and play there. We prioritise walkable neighbourhoods, easy access to local amenities, high quality employment opportunities, and vibrant public spaces.
These are places where communities feel connected, where movement is sustainable, and where people can thrive. By understanding the diverse needs of future residents and users, we create environments that are inclusive, and equitable.
The sustainable city has got to promise more happiness than the status quo. It has got to be healthier, higher in status, more fun, and more resilient than the dispersed city.
Charles
Montgomery
Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design, 2013
Canary Wharf Sites
Canary Wharf, London Borough of Tower Hamlets
The CWG Revised Site Capacity Testing assesses development potential across multiple Canary Wharf sites through detailed massing, viability and townscape analysis. Scenarios explore uplift opportunities beyond prior studies, ensuring additional height and density remain acceptable within view management constraints.
At Westferry/Park Place, the preferred scenario delivers approximately 1,198 homes and 14,879m² of commercial floorspace, while further studies identify uplift opportunities at 10 Bank Street (817 homes) and across North Quay, Churchill Place and Wood Wharf. This evidence‑led analysis provides a commercially robust foundation for strategic estate planning, investment timing and phasing decisions.
Client: Canary Wharf Group
2025 - Present
Project Outcomes:
• Feasibility Studies
• Estate Regeneration Recommendations Report
• Stakeholder Engagement
Other Savills Services:
• Savills Earth
• Heritage & Townscape
• Planning
Tested Options: Submitted OPA Parameters
Recommended Savills Reg. 18 Parameters
Recommended Savills Reg. 19 Parameters Max Heights
Bridgestock Road
Thornton Heath, Croydon
Savills’ feasibility study for this complex site tests a commercially viable mixed‑use scheme anchored by a major supermarket, an essential early revenue generator to support wider placemaking investment. Development capacity, massing and access strategies were shaped by detailed viability considerations, ensuring the scheme responds to transport connectivity and local market needs.
The evaluation of solar access, building heights and shared spaces confirms a deliverable residential environment that enhances the high street and supports long‑term urban intensification. The study provides a realistic, investment‑ready pathway for regeneration that balances commercial return with high‑quality placemaking outcomes.
Client: Tesco plc
2017 - 2018
Project Outcomes:
• Feasibility Studies
• Delivery Advice Other Savills Services:
• Development
• Economics
• Planning
Battersea Riverside
Battersea, London Borough of Wandsworth
This feasibility study evaluates whether a viable residential‑led, mixed‑use scheme can be delivered on a highly constrained infrastructural site. Massing, layout and access tests consider major restrictions from Tideway shafts, water mains and UKPN power assets, requiring innovative construction solutions including cantilevered structures.
The study assesses compliance with the Battersea Power Station S73 parameters, ensuring acceptable daylight, sunlight, and townscape creation. Testing confirms that new homes and commercial space can be delivered within realistic viability parameters, supporting a commercially credible planning strategy that integrates with future connections such as the Nine Elms–Pimlico Bridge.
Client:
Thames Water
2019 - Present
Project Outcomes:
• Feasibility studies
• Estate Regeneration
Recommendations Report
• Pre Application Advice
Other Savills Services:
• Development
• Savills Earth
• Economics
• Planning
Carnwath Road
Fulham, London
This feasibility study assessed the viability of an existing consent in light of major new infrastructure, including Tideway Tunnel works, London Cable Tunnel restrictions and river wall upgrades. Updated testing demonstrated that the approved scheme was no longer commercially or technically deliverable.
Savills developed and modelled alternative massing and layout options, using VU.CITY to evidence design quality, context‑response and development capacity. Engagement with the LPA helped refine a feasible and future‑proof development strategy. The study provides clear, evidence‑based recommendations for a viable redesign, enabling the client to proceed with confidence under significantly changed site conditions.
Client:
Thames Water
2023 - 2025
Project Outcomes:
• Detailed Feasibility
• Pre Application Advice
Other Savills Services:
• Development
• Planning
14 - 16 College Road
Harrow Town Centre, London Borough of Harrow
Savills’ feasibility study evaluates development options for a heritage‑designated site, including scenarios requiring land assembly to meet local housing delivery goals.
Collaboration with neighbouring landowners enabled a flexible and adaptable approach that aligns with neighbourhood plan policy and the protected view corridor to St Mary’s Church.
The study tests viable mixed‑use options, including residential, student housing and co‑working spaces, balancing market demand with planning sensitivities. Each scenario assesses capacity, viability and deliverability, providing a clear strategic basis for future investment decisions.
Client: Acai Group Limited
2023 - Present
Project Outcomes:
• Feasibility Studies
• Stakeholder Engagement
Other Savills Services:
• Planning
Our engagement principles.
Whilst engagement can sometimes be challenging due to the unique needs of each project, we believe the most successful places are shaped through genuine collaboration. From the outset, we unite communities, clients, coconsultants, and Savills experts to create a shared vision.
Our integrated approach delivers design solutions that are innovative, inclusive, and responsive to real-world needs. Structured yet flexible, our process provides confidence and clarity as proposals progress through RIBA Stage 2+. We craft bespoke engagement strategies combining codesign techniques with dynamic digital tools to ensure every voice is heard and valued.
Together, we transform ideas into living places; placemaking built on collaboration and design, creating a legacy for generations to come.
WORKSHOPS AND CO-DESIGN SESSIONS
REACHING OUT TO LOCAL SCHOOLS, ARTISTS AND BUSINESSES FOR GREATER SOCIAL IMPACT
EXPERT ROUNDTABLES AND DESIGN CHARRETTES
ON-SITE ENGAGEMENT
MINORITY FOCUS GROUPS
NEWS LETTER AND FEEDBACK LOOPS
INTERACTIVE ENGAGEMENT MATERIAL
SOCIAL MEDIA STORYTELLING AND PROJECT BRANDING
We have found Savills Urban Design Studio to be the ideal partner –clear about their aims and objectives, and yet willing to respond to often challenging demands to reflect local opinion and aspirations. They have been professional and fun to work with, and have delivered what has been asked of them.
Martin Hammond Deputy Chief Executive Kettering Borough Council
Daventry Town Centre Masterplan: Eastern Way Site
Daventry, Northamptonshire
Feasibility work for Eastern Way enhances the wider Masterplan through a commercially grounded strategy that supports long‑term regeneration. The study explores how new homes, targeted public realm upgrades and mixed‑use opportunities can be delivered viably, creating stronger footfall and reinforcing the town’s civic heart. Revenue‑generating residential development unlocks investment in culture, retail and community infrastructure, while placemaking principles strengthen identity and social cohesion.
This feasibility exercise provides a deliverable framework that balances market realities with local aspirations, ensuring Eastern Way becomes a catalyst for a vibrant, economically resilient and inclusive town centre.
Client: West Northamptonshire Council
2023 - 2024
Project Outcomes:
• Feasibility Studies
• Town Centre Masterplan
• Public Realm Framework
• Community engagement
Other Savills Services:
• Development
• Savills Earth
• Planning
Gunnersbury Lane
Acton, London Borough of Ealing
The feasibility study for this constrained Class E site explores deliverable redevelopment options informed by careful massing, viability testing and contextual analysis. A stepped building form leverages level changes to accommodate 5 storeys along the High Street, reducing to 2–3 storeys adjacent to homes within the conservation area.
Viable options for co‑living or student housing were identified, supported by a central shared courtyard and greening strategies. Access and servicing arrangements were assessed to ensure operational deliverability. The study provides a commercially grounded development strategy that respects local sensitivities while unlocking the site’s residential potential.
Client:
Acai Group Limited
2024
Project Outcomes:
• Feasibility Studies
• Options Appraisal
• Pre Application Advice
Other Savills Services:
• Savills Earth
• Planning
Tipner West
Portsmouth
Savills’ feasibility work for Tipner West explores viable density and masterplanning scenarios for a 14‑hectare coastal peninsula, balancing deliverability with placemaking ambition. Testing evaluates infrastructure costs, coastal protection options and development capacity, informing an illustrative scheme of 1,265 homes with concentrated density along the waterfront and primary movement spine.
Each scenario assesses viability, buildability and environmental risk, ensuring the emerging strategy can support long‑term resilience and attract investment. The study provides a commercially balanced blueprint for transforming a complex coastal site into a sustainable, well‑connected residential neighbourhood.
Client: Portsmouth City Council
2022 - 2025
Project Outcomes:
• Feasibility Studies
• Estate Regeneration Recommendations Report
• Stakeholder Engagement
Other Savills Services:
• Savills Earth
• Economics
• Housing
Croydon Extra Care Sites
Croydon, London Borough of Croydon
Savills’ feasibility and options assessment for five Extra Care sites evaluates how best‑practice placemaking and viable typologies can support long‑term adult care needs. Three development scenarios were tested for capacity, viability and long‑term adaptability.
Each site is analysed in relation to context, accessibility and operational requirements, embedding HAPPI principles to ensure high‑quality and future‑proof living environments. Visual testing in VU.CITY confirms massing deliverability and urban integration. The study provides Croydon Council with a clear, evidence‑based decision‑making framework for investment and phased delivery.
Client: Croydon Council
2025 - Present
Project Outcomes:
• Feasibility Studies
• Options Appraisal
• Stakeholder Engagement
Other Savills Services:
• Housing
• Planning
Savills was chosen to deliver an ambitious masterplan for the Leopardstown Racecourse Campus in Dublin. They brought a wealth of talent and experience to the process, in particular from their Masterplanning, and Sustainability teams, as well as their Commercial Real Estate experts. It was complex, energising and challenging, with lots of passion, and some fun along the way.
At the end of it all, Savills has delivered a Masterplan for Leopardstown of which we can all be proud of.
John Kennedy
Client Representative & Member of the Leopardstown Committee, Horse Racing Ireland
Why Savills? Helping
people thrive through places and spaces.
As part of Savills, our studio is uniquely positioned at the intersection of design excellence and market intelligence. We combine technical rigour, creative thinking, and a deep understanding of policy and commercial drivers to shape places that deliver lasting value.
With over a century of leadership in the built environment, Savills provides a foundation of credibility, insight, and influence. This legacy enables us to create design solutions that are both visionary and viable, helping to shape places that endure and inspire. BE HEARD. BE EMPOWERED. BE CHALLENGED. BE PARTNERS.
Planning
David Jackson
Earth
Dan Jestico
Social Value
Wesley Ankrah
Economic Development
Rory Brooke
Commercial & Mixed-Use Development
Oliver Fursdon
Housing
Robert Pert
Valuation
Nick Harris
Research
Commercial, Residential, Mixed-Use, ESG etc.
VINITA
vinita.dhume@savills.com Director, London & Dublin Studio
KIKI ZHOU
kiki.zhou@savills.com
Associate, London Studio
chris.muller@savills.com Associate, London Studio