About
Led by Claire Bennie, Municipal advises public sector clients on how to deliver long-lasting, attractive housing for their communities, at the right pace and price.
Municipal was started by Claire Bennie, formerly Development Director at Peabody.
Claire was fortunate enough to be given the remit of continuing Peabody’s 150 year history of enlightened commissioning of new housing, taking the baton from the pioneer Dickon Robinson. Claire and her team commissioned outstanding design teams and contractors who shared Peabody’s quality ambitions, delivering thousands of new homes across London for those on all incomes. Claire also promoted smaller architectural practices, in the knowledge that they were more than capable of designing and delivering homes for Peabody.
Claire trained as an architect and qualified in 1998, practising for about 10 years before switching to the commissioning side. Claire is a panel member of Design South East which undertakes design review for a number of Local Authorities, and she co-chairs the Brighton and Hove and RB Kingston Design Review Panels.
Claire lives on a 241-home 1930s estate in south London.
Claire is a Mayor’s Design Advocate.
Clients
Collaborators
Pitman Tozer Architects
When there is some architectural input required on a project, such as updating design standards, we work with Pitman Tozer Architects.
Calford Seaden
Calford Seaden provides invaluable cost and technical advice where needed on projects such as Employer’s Requirements reviews.
Other roles
Media
BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour
Architects Journal
Building Design
RIBA Journal
Monocle Radio
The Londown
Conferences
National Housing Federation
RIBA
Architects Journal
New London Architecture
Vancouver SmartGrowth
London Festival of Architecture
Housing Design Awards
London Residential Forum
Architecture Foundation
Coherent Cities
Coherent Cities provides facilitation support where Municipal is delivering a long-form workshop or training.
Academic Crits / Lectures
Sheffield University
LSE
University of the West of England
Architectural Association
Architectural Research Quarterly
Kingston University
Cass
University of East London
Central St Martins
Newcastle University
The Bartlett
Awards Judging
World Architecture News
New London Architecture
Women in Architecture
BD Architect of the Year
Landscape Institute
RIBA MacEwen Award
Experience
The majority of these built projects, as indicated, were overseen by Claire whilst at Peabody.
Claire would like to acknowledge the substantial support received from colleagues there in the delivery of these schemes.
