OPEN on the move in Manchester

Landscape architecture and urban design studio OPEN has completed its move to Workshop Properties’ Swan Square development on the edge of Manchester’s Northern Quarter.

The business has moved from serviced space to accommodate Its growth in the city and has taken a five-year lease on a 1,200 sq ft unit at the Swan Street scheme.

Known in full as Optimised Environments, OPEN is a multi-disciplinary design company with masterplanning, design, landscape architecture and environmental planning at its core. It has a team of more than 45 professional and technical staff working from studios in Manchester, Edinburgh and London.

Jaimie Ferguson, director at OPEN said: “We are really pleased to be taking this new space, between Ancoats and the Northern Quarter, as a strong sign of our commitment to the city and the talented team that we’ve assembled.

“The work we have been involved with over the past year has seen us continue to grow and increased our influence in the development scene in the North West.”

OPEN is working on a range of new commissions from large-scale residential masterplans and regeneration strategies through to public realm design and implementation.

Recently it has been working on landscape design and visual impact assessment for the redevelopment of River Street, working with SimpsonHaugh & Partners on behalf of Downing.