The portfolio is divided into two parts: Part 1 focuses on my professional career, while Part 2 explores my broader academic experience.
NORTH STREET
REGENERATION SCHEME - HIGH DENSITY
2
OVERSIZE CHARLEROI ADAPTIVE REUSE
TRIAL & TIVOLI - COMMON SPACES CLT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT
RECYCLART KAPELLEKERK BRUSSELS
MRP: LOCALISED CHILD-FRIENDLY HIGH STREETS
REDEVELOPMENT OF HIGH STREETS
LenA Smet.
Introduction
Urban Designer and Part 2 Architectural Assistant, committed to creating environments where life can thrive by balancing social, ecological, and economic vitality. The approach emphasizes context-led design that fosters community, celebrates local identity, and supports sustainable, walkable neighbourhoods. With a strong focus on adaptive, low-carbon development, projects are designed to be ecologically rich and inclusive, nurturing diverse, resilient communities.
Urban Design studies at the Bartlett involved exploring post-COVID high streets to address spatial inequality and foster connected environments. Earlier Architecture studies in Belgium and Switzerland prompted a deep consideration of sustainable materials and the adaptive reuse of vacant, oversized buildings in urban settings.
Future goals include focusing on projects that integrate architecture and urban design to create resilient, sustainable, and people-centered environments. This work aspires to respond to the evolving needs of communities while actively addressing the challenges of climate change.
Lena Smet Architecture/ Urban Design
HILL FARM
LANDSCAPE-LED DEVELOPMENT - COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
WESTWICK ROW
EXEMPLAR PASSIVE DESIGN PROJECT
PART 1 OF MY PORTFOLIO REFLECTS ON MY PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES, HIGHLIGHTING KEY PROJECTS WHERE MY SKILLS IN ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESIGN WERE APPLIED, WITH A FOCUS ON CREATING SUSTAINABLE, COMMUNITY-CENTERED SPACES.
hill Farm.
LOCATION
UK - Dacorum
ABOUT
JTP - Fall 2024
OPA - Residential Development, up to 150 homes, Green Belt Site
KEY WORDS
Sustainability, Landscape-led, Community Engagement and Community Gardens
CONTRIBUTION
Day-to-day design lead
KEY SKILLS
Concept Design, Project Coordination, Proving Layout, Community Engagement Workshops, Illustrating, Masterplanning, Proving Layout, Concept and Detailed Design, Problem Solving, Technical CAD Drawing
// ABOUT
The site is located on the north-western edge of Kings Langley. The site is approximately 9.51 hectares in size and is currently designated as Green Belt. A landscape-led proposal which will deliver a series of gardens, up to 150 homes (private, affordable and custom build) and ‘the Farmstead’.
Imagining a home thoughtfully crafted to be more than just a place to live—it’s a haven where your health and well-being come first. Every aspect, from natural light to sustainable materials, is designed to enhance your physical and mental wellness. It’s a space where tranquillity meets functionality, fostering mindfulness, relaxation, and vitality. A retreat where you can truly recharge, prioritise selfcare, and cultivate a lifestyle centred around balance, serenity, and long-term well-being.
Front Cover Pre-app Document - Coordinated closely with the Graphics Team
Emerging Proposal
Design Principles: Active Frontages
FRAMEWORK
PRINCIPLE
FARMSTEAD
Utilising the unique location of Kings Langley Secondary School and its Sports Facilities to the north to create a vibrant community and learning hub directly connected to the school.
ACTIVE FRONTAGES to all streets and open space will enhance street life by encouraging interaction between indoors and outdoor spaces. Active frontages will engage street presence and will create safer and vibrant street scenes.
SECONDARYKINGSLANGLEYSCHOOL
KINGS LANGLEY COMMON
Emerging Proposal
Illustrative Masterplan
This illustrative masterplan is an example of how the design principles can be interpreted and will be included in the Design and Access Statement as supporting information.
The illustrative masterplan has no particular prescribed mix at this stage but ensures there is a balance of house types throughout ranging from 1 Bed to 5 Bed homes. The homes are designed along a network of streets and spaces, all of which are connected to wider green landscape.
Illustrative Masterplan
This illustrative masterplan is an example of how the design principles can be interpreted and will be included in the DAS as supporting information for future RMA’s. The illustrative masterplan has no particular presribed mix at this stage but ensures there is a balance of typologies throughout. The homes are designed along a network of streets and spaces, all of which are connected to the wider green network.
ChipperfieldRd
workshop
Kings Langley Secondary School
JTP worked with students from Kings Langley Secondary School to find out what they would like to see on the farmstead.
Using virtual reality headsets to get inspired, we worked with students in groups to draw their ideas which were linked to their personal interests.
Workshop with the Kings Langley Secondary School
Workshop with the Kings Langley Secondary School
Virtual Reality Farmstead Image
Sunnyside rural trust sites
Serge Hill and Northchurch
We have visited the Sunnyside Rural Trust site in Northchurch and Serge Hill with members of staff from Kings Langley Secondary School. The visit was followed by an outdoor workshop on the key elements required to achieve a successful therapy and growing space for those who will use it.
LOCAL PRODUCE
Opportunities to sell produce at the shop/ cafe as well as provide fresh vegetables to the school kitchens
‘NATURE CLASSES’
Classrooms away from the school buildings
‘THE RETREAT’
A quiet place of calm and tranquility for children to retreat
‘A series of therapeutic spaces’
‘GROW AND PICK’
An area of food growing, harvesting, eating, socialising. A new way for children to contemplate
AND CHICKENS’
‘BUG HOTELS’
‘PIGS
Westwick.
LOCATION
UK - Hemel Hempstead
ABOUT
JTP - January 2024
Feasibility/ Competition, 80 homes
KEY WORDS
Passive Design, Sustainability, Community Gardens
CONTRIBUTION
Core team member responsible for illustrations and collaborating with client
Westwick Row will be a thriving new neighbourhood, with innovation and revolution at its heart. The vision is to demonstrate new approaches to community and stakeholder engagement that responds to local needs and facilitates a healthier, more sustainable way of living. Whilst small in itself, the project will have a much wider impact as it will set the stage for Hemel Garden Communities and serve as a test bed for this wider opportunity.
The ambition is to create a true exemplar, with inclusivity and co-design woven through every stage of the design and delivery process. It will be uniquely co-designed with the people of Hemel and those who might live there in the future. This process will mean the evolving vision is distinctly Hemel and locally owned and stewarded.
Illustration Carlos - Briefing illustrator with sketchup view markups
The Farmhouse Inter-generational living
The Farmhouse, positioned at the site entrance, creates an inviting gateway to the neighborhood and a link to future HGC development. Alongside its public spaces, it will form a community hub within a larger network, fostering a strong sense of place.
The site’s flexible layout accommodates diverse housing types, from 1- to 4-bedroom units, including M4(2) and M4(3) compliant homes to meet various accessibility needs. A unique cottage-style design also pairs a ground-floor apartment for older residents with a walk-up unit above for younger residents, promoting community interaction. Each unit enjoys a private entrance and outdoor space, encouraging neighborly connections often absent in traditional layouts.
Exploded Axonometric: The Farmhouse - Procreate
Exploded Axonometric: Inter-generational living - Procreate
Farmhouse Gardens will be an inclusive landscape space for the community together.
Raised planters to grow food are accessible to those with mobility issues.
The bike hub has direct access to the cycle network with routes north to Hemel Hempstead.
1 & 2 bedroom apartments are located in the ‘Barn’ helping to animate the main public spaces and contributing to a range of typologies on the site.
The ‘Farm Yard’ forms a key arrival space at the site entrance with places for people to meet and spill out.
The ‘Farmhouse’ will provide a focal hub for Westwick residents and the wider community.
community led masterplan
Designs for Westwick Row will be developed through the co-design process however, in order to test our ideas and inform the future process we have developed some initial proposals that respond to the physical qualities and character of the site and it’s context. Set out below are a series of design principles that may be used to guide the process.
Design Principles
TOPOGRAPHY
Masterplan and Proving Layout - CAD/ Procreate
SKINNY STREETS
PASSIVE DESIGN
SENSE OF ARRIVAL
PROTECT & ENHANCE
NATURE ON THE DOORSTEP
THE FARMHOUSE
MOSAIC OF LANDSCAPE
OLDBURY.
LOCATION
UK - Southwest England
ABOUT
JTP - Spring 2024
Reg 18 Vision Document, 350 Homes
KEY WORDS
Carbon Free Living, Community Gardens, promoting health and wellbeing
CONTRIBUTION
Masterplan development and vision document creation
Oldbury Orchards will form a new connected and locally grown community. Living carbon free, all residents will do their part to tackle the climate emergency through the daily choices they make and to live a healthy and happy life. Oldbury Orchards will minimise the need to travel by car; streets will make walking and cycling pleasant and safe. Orchards, play facilities, gardens and food growing will improve quality of life. It will be a place that enables future generations to thrive.
The development of Oldbury Orchards, Thornbury will create a new self-contained, carbon neutral, connected community based on the principles of a 20-minute neighbourhood. The site is well located in terms of accessibility and surrounding facilities and amenities which will only be further enhanced through the development. It will be supported by the co-location of a ground mounted solar array that will provide clean energy to the new homes and the existing community.
CGI The Oldbury Barn
Masterplan: A New Community For All - created in procreate
Exploded Axonometric: The Farmhouse
otterpool.
LOCATION
UK - Folkestone
ABOUT
JTP - Summer 2023
Design Code Phase 1B
KEY WORDS
Sustainable Neighbourhood, Landscape-led, Masterplanning, Community Engagement
CONTRIBUTION
Pivotal role: ensuring presentation for community event is coming together
KEY SKILLS
Coordination, Time management, Site Analysis, Diagrams, Collarborating with multiple consultants
The Otterpool Park Phase 1B project envisions vibrant, sustainable new neighborhoods at Hill Top and Woodland Ridge. Designed by JTP (masterplanner) and BMD (landscape architect), this initiative prioritizes integrating nature with urban living. Phase 1B will deliver 3,000 homes, 50% green space, schools, community hubs, and local shops, fostering interconnectivity and biodiversity. Guided by comprehensive design codes, the project embraces ecological sensitivity, local heritage, and innovative infrastructure, creating a walkable, eco-friendly community with strong links to its surrounding Kentish landscape.
// ABOUT
Extract of Summary Newsletter after the Community Planning Weekend
Local Centre Vignette
Green Infrastructure
of the Primary Green Corridor
Reconnecting Woodlands in coordination with landscape Architects
Primary corridor
Reconnecting Woodlands
Vignette of the Local Centre coordinated with Illustrator James Holyoaks
community Planning weekend
Structure
The community planning weekend for Otterpool Park Phase 1B was structured to maximise engagement and gather diverse input through a series of interactive sessions. The day began with a welcome and introductory briefing, setting the context for the development and outlining goals. Attendees then participated in thematic workshops addressing key topics such as connectivity, sustainability, housing, and community facilities. Breakout groups were formed to discuss challenges, brainstorm solutions, and envision future opportunities. Afterward, participants reconvened for report-back sessions, where each group shared their findings, sparking further dialogue. The event concluded with a summary of key insights and next steps to ensure continued collaboration.
The report back document summarises the outcomes of the community planning sessions, capturing key insights, ideas, and feedback to inform the development of the masterplan and design code for Otterpool Park Phase 1B.
hands-on- planning / report back
Examples of the outcomes from the hands-onplanning session.
Group 4
Quality Street
Key
1. A well overlooked, distinctive and multifunctional space (Lympne)
2. Typical / traditional local materials
3. Components of successful and distinctive streets
4. Relevant themes emerging from morning workshop
5. A simple distinctive local feature
6. Standard, engineering-led (wide) street design
7. Clash of roads, driveways and swales
8. The danger of tarmac of many types
Hands-on-planning scan group ‘Quality Street’
Group 3
Colin’s Connected Countryside
Key
1. Improved Wider Cycle Routes and Connections
2. Links to Harringe Lane
3. Community Growing Spaces (Community orchards and allotments)
4. Multifunctional Green Corridors
5. Links to Existing Green Assets (Harringe Brooks Wood and Barrow Hill)
north street.
LOCATION
UK - Guildford
ABOUT
JTP - February 2024
KEY WORDS
Section 73, Amendments to Floor Plans, risers and levels of Block B
CONTRIBUTION
Working through the amendments in Revit following technical advice
KEY SKILLS
Revit, National Space Standards, Part M, London Housing Design Guide, Berkeley and St Edwards Design Guide
NORTH STREET REGENERATION
A significant mixed-use redevelopment designed to revitalise Guildford’s historic North Street area. The proposal includes 471 residential units, flexible commercial spaces, public squares, and a modern bus interchange. Key features focus on creating pedestrian-friendly streets, enhanced public transport facilities, and sustainable urban design with biodiversity and energy efficiency at its core. After planning permission was granted in October 2023 for 471 homes, JTP starting working on the S73 amendments.
My contributions to the project included:
• Reviewing and refining flat layouts for optimal functionality and spatial efficiency.
• Resolving level changes within Block B.
• Calculating and confirming dimensions for technical risers, ensuring compliance with design requirements.
• Repositioning and redesigning one of the cores to improve circulation and accessibility.
The scheme seamlessly blends contemporary design with Guildford’s heritage, fostering a vibrant and inclusive urban environment.
// ABOUT
CGI by our Visualisation Team of Block D3 Silhouette Building
WOODBRIDGE ROAD NARROW PLOT
The narrow plot building on Woodbridge Road shares a language with that on North Street. A restrained and ordered facade sits above the colourful and detailed commercial ground floor. The chamfer is again used as a device to lead pedestrians into the Dial and along Astor Lane. The green clad set back storey reduces the impression of height from the street, and adds variety to the roofscape when viewed from above. The light brick and concrete/concrete effect base relates to that on the North Street Placemaker.
KEY DETAILS
• Ordered arrangement of windows and balconies
• Inset brick panels group windows and storeys
• Horizontal emphasis
• Set back clad roof element
• Bronze coloured projecting balconies
• White brick to base
• Bronze coloured window frames and doors
DAS: 3D view Narrow Blocks Typology
PART 2
IN PART 2, I DELVE INTO MY ACADEMIC JOURNEY AT THE BARTLETT AND KULEUVEN, DISCUSSING RESEARCH AND DESIGN PROJECTS THAT EXPLORE TOPICS SUCH AS POST-COVID URBAN SPACES, SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS, AND CLIMATE-RESPONSIVE DESIGN. BOTH SECTIONS HIGHLIGHT MY EVOLVING APPROACH TO INTEGRATING SOCIAL, ECOLOGICAL, AND ECONOMIC VALUES IN URBAN DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE.
CHARLEROI ADAPTIVE REUSE TRIAL & TIVOLI - COMMON SPACES CLT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT
RECYCLART KAPELLEKERK BRUSSELS
OVERSIZE
char leroi.
LOCATION
Charleroi, Belgium
ABOUT Academic - Spring 2021 Master Design Project Part 1
CAD modelling, Site Analysis, Model Making, Illustrations
// ABOUT
REACTIVATING RUE DE LA MONTAGNE, CHARLEROI
This Master Design Project addresses the high vacancy rates in Charleroi, Belgium, a former industrial hub transformed by urban decline. Inspired by the concept of cross-pollination, the design proposes strategic interventions to revitalize Rue de la Montagne, focusing on reconnecting the city through a central park.
Four gateways—situated at key points such as L’Institut Saint Joseph, the Conservatoire, and the Stynen building—link the park with its surroundings, creating access and defining three unique sub-parks. At their convergence, a greenhouse serves as a physical and symbolic meeting space, anchoring the revitalisation of this urban artery and fostering new interactions between architecture and the community.
Site Model - Rue de Dampremy and Rue de la Montagne
Diagram: Cross-pollination of interventions
the masterplan
THE GARDEN
THE FOREST
THE ORCHARD
Axonometric - Parc de la Montagne (Rue de Dampremy and Rue de la Montagne) - Vectorworks/ Photoshop
Public Space
Image of Model - Public Cafe and entrance to Parc de la Montagne
Parc de la montagne section
circulation
Achieving readability and accessibility within the building is the ultimate challenge. The circulation throughout the building is given an extra dimension through the creation of a third façade.
Strategically placed voids guide visitors through the building. Designing usable and flexible spaces is essential. This approach allows part of the building to be used as an extension for the school.
Due to its location on the main artery between the upper and lower city, passers-by could also make use of spaces intended for commercial purposes.
Section - Parc de la Montagne (Rue de Dampremy and Rue de la Montagne) - Vectorworks/ Photoshop
Trial & Tivoli
LOCATION
BELGIUM - Brussels, Tivoli
ABOUT Academic - Fall 2020
Community Land Trust Building
KEY WORDS
Social Sustainability, vacancy, activation, CLT
CONTRIBUTION
Designed and researched
KEY SKILLS
Site Analysis, Concept Design, Model Making
// ABOUT
COMMON SPACES
Trial & Tivoli addresses challenges within the new sustainable Tivoli neighbourhood. While sustainability is the primary objective of the development, the project recognises the need to extend beyond technical sustainability to include social sustainability. In Brussels, high vacancy rates are not only an issue in abandoned buildings but also in the under-utilisation of qualitative spaces within newly developed neighbourhoods.
The project aims to (re)activate the entire neighbourhood through a masterplan, using the CLTB (Community Land Trust Brussels) lot as a catalyst. The approach focuses on striking a balance between private and public spaces, with a particular emphasis on the role of the inhabitants in shaping this equilibrium. The projects use 3 different families to guide you through how they experience their new neighbourhood. Integration Context Model - Top View Integration Context
Model: East View
GROUnd floor section
community led masterplan
The project guides the viewer through the building by giving them a view of people living in the new Tivoli neighbourhood. On the page on the right showcases some examples of moments in Mark’s life.
Model - Section ground floor level
Common spaces
Common Living Room
Collective Kitchen
recyclart.
LOCATION
BELGIUM - Brussels
ABOUT Academic - Fall 2020 Architecture Integration Project
CAD modelling, physical model making, site analysis, technical realisation, collaborative problemsolving
FROM CONCEPT TO REALITY
This project represents a comprehensive exploration of architectural design and technical realisation, combining creative vision with practical implementation. The first part of the project showcases my final bachelor design project, where a conceptual design was developed, rooted in innovation, functionality, and aesthetics. The design reflects a personal approach to architecture, emphasising user experience and sustainable principles.
The second part transitions from concept to constructability, undertaken as part of a collaborative group effort. The team selected the designer’s final bachelor design project as the basis for a detailed analysis and refinement process. The aim was to transform the conceptual design into a feasible building that could be constructed.
Site Model - Rue de Dampremy and Rue de la Montagne
Diagram: Cross-pollination of interventions
PART 1 - REACTIVATING RUE DE LA MONTAGNE, CHARLEROI
Creating a cultural centre on top of the railway tracks at the Kapellekerk station in Brussels. Connecting the separated neighbourhoods on the ground floor level by introducing more activities and creating vertical circulation to act as a ‘watchdog’ over the surrounding neighbourhoods.
The group addressed critical aspects of building performance and functionality, including:
Structural strategy - Ensuring stability and feasibility of the design. Ventilation strategy: Implementing effective solutions for indoor air quality and energy efficiency.
Fire strategy - Prioritising safety through compliance with fire regulations.
Daylight performance - Enhancing the building’s interior environment with optimal natural light.
Functionality - Refining spatial organisation to meet user needs effectively.
PART 2 - CONCEPTUAL STRUCTURAL MODEL OF THE KAPPELLEKERK BUILDING.
Further Analysis
This project highlights not only my ability to develop innovative designs but also the collaborative and technical problemsolving skills required to adapt a concept into a practical, buildable structure. It is a testament to the interplay between creativity and engineering that defines architectural practice.
STRUCTURE
FIRE STRATEGY
VENTILATION
EVOLUTION OF STRUCTURE
1. CONCEPT
A box is cut through by two axis, standing above the railway.
2. ORIGINAL IDEA - PILE SYSTEM
Problems with the original idea:
• Insufficient rigidity to withstand moments caused by lateral wind-load
• Difficult to hold up the auditorium
3. OPTION 1 - TRUSS SYSTEM
The overall stability is enhanced. The structure can support loads either on the truss or hanging from its top. However, the moments remain unresolved.
4. OPTION 2 - VIERENDEEL BRIDGE AND CORES
The cores provide stiffness in the third direction to the truss structure. A third level is added, freeing the second level from the primary structure. The Vierendeel bridge enhances the original two-axis concept, increasing moment resistance.
5. BOX-IN-BOX
The building’s structure uses trusses, hollow-core panels, a Vierendeel bridge, and cores to form insulated boxes, preventing thermal bridges. Neoprene and spring connections between the inside and outside boxes allow movement and reduce railway vibrations.
MRP.
LOCATION
UK - London
ABOUT
Academic - Spring 2022
Major Research Project. The Bartlett School of Planning, UCL
KEY WORDS
Inclusive Neighbourhoods, COVID-19, Community Silo, Cross-Pollination, ChildFriendly
Integration a connective loop to reimagine london’s neighourhood High Streets.
The post-COVID era has brought public spaces to the forefront, pressuring traditional uses, particularly on London’s High Streets, where retail monoculture is no longer sustainable. The debate over the “Death of the High Street” misses the key issue: why neighbourhoods struggle with resilience. Sustainable, context-led solutions fostering localism are essential, as one-size-fits-all approaches, like converting shops into housing, are inadequate.
This research emphasises involving children in designing High Streets and public spaces. COVID-19 highlighted the importance of quality spaces, and children’s unfiltered experiences and voices are vital for creating sustainable, inclusive neighbourhoods. Participation must evolve to give children meaningful influence in shaping their communities’ future.
