Graciela is a qualified architect and urban designer with over 15 years of professional experience in the UK. She has led and delivered a wide range of successful masterplanning and urban design projects at all scales. She is passionate about understanding and meeting the aspirations of existing communities.
Graciela is highly competent with extensive knowledge and experience of managing, directing and monitoring both small and large-scale projects. Graciela combines large scale planning and conceptual design skills with in-depth experience on urban density and detailed design.
Graciela joined Prior + Partners in October 2018, having worked at Arup, LDA Design,Farrells and SOM on a wide range of urban design projects on some of London’s most important regeneration areas. These included urban regeneration and extension masterplans, strategic frameworks and design guideline documentation for various planning applications.
Graciela was also a research associate at UCL, collaborating in the project ‘High-Rise Buildings: Energy and Density’ funded by The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. Her principal research interests are in urban form and density. She believes that an improved understanding in the field will enhance design solutions and enable management of urban design in more intelligent and effective ways.
Silvertown Masterplan, London
Graciela is currently leading the design team supporting a Reserved Matters Application for phase 1 of the redevelopment of Silvertown Quays. The Outline Planning Permission was approved by the London Borough of Newham in 2016. The overall design of the proposal is the result of an iterative process, including extensive consultation with London Borough of Newham planning and design officers, its Design Review Panel, and the Greater London Authority at pre-application stages. The proposals have also been informed by a series of public consultation events which have taken place, which have allowed the local community and other local stakeholders to input in the Phase 1 RMA proposals.
Church Street Masterplan, London
Westminster City Council appointed an urban design-led team to undertake the Church Street masterplan in collaboration with local residents, businesses and the wider Church Street community.
Graciela, as a project director, led the masterplanning process, seeking to achieve transformational change for the neighbourhood and delivering the Council’s aspiration for the ward to become the most liveable in London.
UCL East Masterplan, London
Graciela coordinated the multidisciplinary design team to develop the brief for the masterplan and outline planning application for UCL, a new campus for UCL in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
The masterplan moves the needle on higher education design with an open and permeable campus that will create a great place to learn and help secure better education and employment outcomes for local people.
Earls Court Masterplan, London
The Earls Court Masterplan was created by Terry Farrell and Partners and proposes the transformation of the Earls Court Project Area into four new urban villages and a High Street, blending the spirit of the past with the best of tomorrow. The London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham (LBHF) and The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (RBKC) formally granted outline planning permission for the Masterplan for the Earls Court Project in 2013. The villages will include around 7,500 new homes for people on a range of incomes and new workspaces and offices will generate up to 10,000 new jobs. Graciela, as a Senior Urban Designer at Farrells was a key member on the project.
NSIP London Paramount Masterplan, London
Graciela led the design team, working closely with Dartford Borough Council and Gravesham Borough Council to bring forward a comprehensive masterplan for London Paramount. The entertainment resort was accepted by the UK Government as the first ‘Business or Commercial Project’ to be considered a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP).