Gary Young

Gary founded Place 54 Architects after winning a Europan housing competition in 1993, which is now built in Haarlem, Netherlands. He also has built housing selected from a 2007 RIBA Tomorrows Garden City competition in Letchworth, Hertfordshire.

Formerly a partner with Sir Terry Farrell’ practice Gary led the design for North West Bicester Ecotown which won Bioregional’s One Planet Living award in 2015 and assisted Bicester becoming selected as a Healthy New Town.

Gary’s research and masterplan designs propose healthy places by promoting sufficient green infrastructure to create space for food production, active travel, living with nature with increased biodiversity, achieving zero carbon, well being, education and a healthy lifestyle.

His Market Garden City concept https://place54architects.com/publication-market-garden-city challenges how the UK’s globalised narrow thinking has moved food production away from local sufficiency. Continuing a historic reliance on importing food increases the risk of damage to farming, health and the environment. The 2014 paper advocating “why” now updated includes “how” an increase in food self sufficiency should be achievable to benefit resourcing, health, climate and environment.