Bring us a site

00how we work

From site.
To a tested proposition.

MetaConnex is your development partner. Development strategy. Specialist judgement. One connected digital workflow.

An illustrative model of a canal-side district, printed in green ink on cream paper

01 / An agreed starting pointIllustrative model

      The process

      01the process

      Specialists shape every stage

      MX and appointed specialists throughout. The passport records collaboration already underway.

      • 01

        Brief + strategy

        Agree scope, constraints and evidence.

        Planning, legal and delivery input

      • 02

        Test + coordinate

        Resolve conflicts and trace assumptions.

        Architecture, structure, MEP and cost review

      • 03

        Passport + next stage

        Record evidence and review status.

        Professional validation and next-stage brief

      • Planning
      • Architecture
      • Structure
      • MEP
      • Cost

      Specialist input throughout the connected workflow

      RIBA / AIA deliverables mapped to each appointment. RIBA 3b readiness is an agreed project gateway, not statutory approval.

      Step by step

      02what MX includes

      One connected workflow.

      • Site + brief
      • Planning logic
      • Design + MEP
      • Performance + CFD
      • Compliance
      • Cost + viability
      • Decision package
      • Professional review

      MEP: mechanical, electrical and plumbing. CFD: computational fluid dynamics. Scope agreed per project; professional validation and statutory approvals remain separate.

      01One site. An agreed starting point.

      Define the objectives. Identify the gaps.

      • KnownSite data and client objectives
      • MissingSurveys and information to obtain
      • AssumedInputs to test and validate
      02From site. To a tested proposition.

      Planning, architecture, structure, MEP and cost: specialist input throughout the connected workflow.

      • Understand the placeExisting site + context
      • Shape the frameworkConnections + public realm
      • Test the massingUses + scale + performance
      03Better options. Clearer choices.

      A shared visual basis for clients, communities and planners.

      • Compare homes and workspace
      • Test jobs potential
      • Explain the trade-offs

      Planning decisions remain with the relevant authority. Jobs estimates depend on use, occupancy and agreed assumptions.

      04One change. Connected consequences.

      A layout change carries through design, performance, cost and compliance.

      • Expose conflicts
      • Trace assumptions
      • Update consistently
      • Enable professional review
      05Design quality. Performance built in.

      BIM + MEP coordination. Live CFD testing.

      • EnergyEPC A and net-zero targets
      • ResilienceClimate risk and adaptability
      • Healthy homesComfort, daylight and air quality

      Targets and any Passivhaus ambition are project-specific and subject to validation.

      06A viable scheme. With the risks visible.
      • Cost implicationsSee what design changes affect
      • ConstraintsSurface issues before progression
      • DecisionProceed, reshape or stop
      07Your MX Development Passport.

      A living record. From decisions to operation.

      • Digital twin collaborationOne coordinated model
      • Live CFD testingPerformance evidence
      • Building passportAssumptions, issues + review status
      • Towards RIBA 7An in-use evidence record

      Scope and live-data services agreed per project. RIBA 7: Use. Professional validation and statutory approvals remain separate.

      Options

      03before it is built

      See the place. Before it is built.

      A shared visual basis for clients, communities and planners.

      • HomesA block of homes around a courtyard on an outlined plot
      • WorkspaceTwo workspace buildings on the same outlined plot
      • Shared spaceA low pavilion and a planted square on the same outlined plot
      • One changeA tall building drawn storey by storey
      • HeritageThree gasholder frames beside a planted square
      • WatersideBuildings and trees either side of a canal
      • CivicA station hall with platforms
      • Rail-sideA row of homes on a narrow plot beside rail lines

      Illustrative models of a fictional district. Not an approved or delivered scheme.

      The approach

      04MX vs traditional

      Less waiting. More connected working.

      • Traditional approach

        One appointment after another

        • Sequential appointments
        • Separate models and handoffs
        • Conflicts discovered late

      • MetaConnex

        One connected workflow

        • Specialists involved early
        • One connected evidence base
        • Changes tested together
      1. RIBA 0–2
      2. RIBA 3a / 3b*
      3. RIBA 4

      Technology reduces duplication. People validate the decisions.

      Programme agreed around the client, scope and project complexity. Statutory approvals remain separate. *3a/3b are agreed gateways within Stage 3.

      Benefits

      05the benefits

      The benefits of working with MX

      • 01

        Design quality

        Specialist judgement shapes the scheme.

      • 02

        Planning confidence

        Test constraints before committing.

      • 03

        Coordinated information

        A clearer handover to the next stage.

      • 04

        Better-performing places

        Energy, resilience and healthier buildings.

      • 05

        Clearer consultation

        Make choices visible to stakeholders.

      • 06

        Jobs, skills and social value

        Plan for employment, apprenticeships and training.

      Project scope and commitments agreed at appointment.

      Project evidence / Crompton Place, Bolton

      Less build area. Same development output.

      • Less required build area
      • Housing output retained
      • Lower modelled construction cost

      Modelling findings, not realised savings. Detailed evidence available in follow-up.

      People

      06the people behind MX

      People who know delivery.

      • Joseph Michael Daniels

        Joseph Michael Daniels

        Building systems + strategy

        Etopia founder. Forbes 30 Under 30. Net-zero homes delivered across four continents; smart-city technology experience.

      • Grant Findlay

        Grant Findlay

        Delivery + buildability

        Former SVP, Sphere Systems at MSG Entertainment, and Executive Managing Director, Buildings, at Sir Robert McAlpine.

      • Ashley Dunseath

        Ashley Dunseath

        Development + placemaking

        Former Director of Strategic Advisory at WSP, leading masterplanning, and Board Director at LDA Design.

      • Dr Tom Dollard

        Dr Tom Dollard

        Architecture + performance

        PTE Partner. Led design and site reviews for the UK Government’s Building for 2050 research. Certified Passivhaus Designer.

      • James McIntyre

        James McIntyre

        Capital strategy + sustainable finance

        14 years at UBS and Morgan Stanley. Previously oversaw New York State’s $20bn-plus affordable-housing debt programmes.

      Experience across the team and specialist network. Project roles agreed at appointment.

      Our partners

      Global expertise. Connected to your project.

      • AECOM

        Engineering + design

      • Pinsent Masons

        Legal + development expertise

      Integrated with the MX workflow.

      Project roles, responsibilities and scope agreed at appointment.

      Working together

      07working together

      Commit after successful SD. Payments across DD and CD.

      • 01

        Successful SD

        Client commitment follows agreed SD success criteria.

      • 02

        DD + CD

        Payments staged as project funds are released.

      • 03

        Cash + equity

        Cash and/or equity mix agreed project by project.

      Scope, payment stages and participation agreed for each project.

      SD: Schematic Design. DD: Design Development. CD: Construction Documents. Success criteria, funding-release conditions and any equity terms agreed in writing.

      Bring us a site

      08invitation

      Bring us a site.

      Homes. Workplaces. Civic places.

      • You bring

        Site boundary, available information and your objectives

      • We agree

        Scope, programme, responsibilities and the first decision

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