Who Are We?
What we do
BiBO is an award-winning interdisciplinary placemaking consultancy and social enterprise; founded in response to lack of diversity in the property industry and the influence this has on everyday lives. Our interest is in equitable urbanism that meets the needs of people through inclusive and participatory design and business practices.
Our areas of work and research are centred around exploring sustainable regeneration at a hyperlocal level (the 20-minute neighbourhood). We believe there is a better way to deliver projects through education and only through the diversity of people designing and building our towns and cities will we be able to create a more thoughtful, considerate and inclusive built environment.
We are urban designers, RIBA Chartered Architects, engagement specialists, and educators with a deep understanding of the role that buildings and public spaces play in sustainable communities.
Who we are
Pepper Barney is an architect and urban designer with a post-graduate specialism in regeneration. She is heavily involved in education and mentorship as a role model for women in STEAM. She holds posts at the University of Bath, UCL, University of Liverpool and UWE and is on the governing board of an independent primary school. Her design work seeks to integrate interests spanning anthropology, business, sustainable economics and the impact of real estate on individual wealth and social mobility.
Craig Morris is a chartered architect. His design work integrates his interests in heritage conservation, passive sustainable technology, construction and landscape led buildings. Craig’s focus is on the detail of user experience, helping clients add value to their project with a thorough appreciation for their business case. He is a professional examiner at UWE and visiting design critic at the University of Bath.
Anna Sabine has fourteen years’ experience in running schemes of community engagement in the built environment world. She has worked for housebuilders, mixed use developers, higher education institutions and financial firms, for names such as L&G, abrdn, Clarion, Investec and all the major housebuilders. She was named as a Woman of Influence by The Planner Magazine and a Rising Star by Property Week. Anna is passionate about innovating news ways to carry out public engagement, to benefit the communities affected by it whilst also delivering positive outcomes for her clients. She is also the founder of The Female Edge, an initiative which brings together female entrepreneurs and business leaders.
Selina Yan is currently training to become an architect at the University of Bath where she is also nurturing her passion for diverse integrated communities through her work with the Association of British and Chinese University Students.
What is an Urban Room?
“[A] physical space where people can go to understand, debate, and get involved in the past, present and future of where they live, work and play. The purpose of these Urban Rooms is to foster meaningful connections between people and place, using creative methods of engagement to encourage active participation in the future of our buildings, streets and neighbourhoods.” (Urban Rooms Network)
Our studio in Trowbridge is an Urban Room where we host public events and support an education and outreach programme related to sustainable placemaking. Find out more of What’s On via our Eventbrite.
Urban Rooms are a recommendation of The Farrell Review.
What is sustainability?
At BiBO we frame our definition of sustainability around the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We recognise that it is not simply our built work that must form part of the solution, it is also our position within various supply chains as a business and our behaviour as citizens.
Commercial + Enterprise
We like working with companies who recognise that the environment in which they operate says as much about their organisation as the products and services themselves. We’re brand conscious and commercial, and take the time to understand our client’s business so that the buildings and spaces we design help attract our client’s clients!
Public Realm + Urban Design
Public ream impacts everyone, every day. But how much of a role do individuals have in the design of their local public realm? We are working on ways of engaging a more diverse community voice that goes beyond traditional public consultation methods. We want to work with end-users to understand the types of proposals that will be welcomed, cherished and – if possible – delivered by the local community.
Heritage + Refurbishment
Working with a heritage property comes with its challenges, but what good is a heritage property if it doesn’t work for your lifestyle or business? And why work within those constraints if your lifestyle or business can’t make the most of the character of your building? We’re practical and sympathetic to the characteristics of heritage buildings that are most highly valued.
Housing
Our housing is place-led, focusing on how people will exist as part of the community in which they live. Volume housing is for the many, and the “many” of today are eco-conscious, with one eye on Grand Designs and the other on Instagram. We think everyone deserves to live in a house that supports 21st century living; good daylighting, energy efficient, sensible storage, practical social and private spaces, personalised and photogenic.
Library + Gallery
Here’s a bit about how we see the world, and what some of the things we are putting into it look like. This is an exhibition of BiBO’s development, what we observe, what we think, and how we respond.
Education
Education is a large part of our professional practice and all of our staff are encouraged to get involved with schools and universities. Students have fresh ideas and the freedom to explore them in a way that is not often replicated outside of academia. By spending time with these new thinkers – talking and drawing through the challenges of balancing reality with aspiration – we are able to bring innovation into our commercial work.
Outreach & Education ProgrammeMasterplanning
Our guiding principle in masterplanning is to “enhance the existing” – we work with ecology, topography, demography and more to arrive at a masterplan that is truly derived from its unique place.
We think 2 things are essential to the success and deliverability of a masterplan: 1) It needs to be commercially viable for the landowner and 2) It needs to be as relevant in 10, 20, 50, 100 years as it is now.
As with all of our work, we think it is essential to observe and listen to the wants of end-users to design places that will support their lifestyle. We place great value on working with existing communities to generate masterplans that are welcomed by neighbours.
We would love to hear from you so please get in touch using any of the methods below:
Email: better@bibostudio.com
Tel: 0333 577 2420
Find Us: Studio 19, 2nd Floor, Brick Mill, Meadow Works, Court Street, Trowbridge, BA14 8BR
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