This year's main studio project is sited in a historic coastal town. The town is mainly built of stone and curves around the edge of the sea, as well as up a steep hillside. Surrounding the town is an unspoiled scenic landscape. In addition to being a market center, the town has also been a successful tourist location. It has a generally depressed economy with high unemployment.
Sand is pushed by the sea up against the coast, making beautiful beaches.
At some time, the beach adjacent to the town was protected with a sea wall and infilled, forming car parks, with a number of unattractive buildings. The studio will recommend a planning and design solution for the center of the town, with a particular focus on this part of the seafront. Planning students will be expected to undertake a full survey of the town's current condition, and make recommendations with regard to both planning criteria and development potential of the area. Architectural students will be undertaking a detailed visual survey and site interpretation. An overall group design project will be produced.