Welcome Ben Fereday
Joining the Plus team as Rail Lead in WA, Ben Fereday brings over 27 years of experience as a design architect to his position and a dedicated focus and passion for providing well designed rail projects which place community and people front and centre of their design concept.
Ben has worked across a variety of design consultancies and State Government agencies, including architectural practices and transport authorities in both Australia and the United Kingdom. His key strengths include urban design, concept optioneering and design development.
Well-equipped to lead the Plus Perth team’s involvement in METRONET projects for Midland Station and the Byford Rail Extension, over the last three years, he has provided design leadership on numerous Western Australia METRONET projects and Victoria State Melbourne Metro proposals.
“In contrast to earlier, relatively isolated train stations and infrastructure, I’m delighted to be working with Plus delivering these rail projects across Perth; designing for physically integrated, well designed precincts and urban development where people will be drawn to live, work and play. These projects will help Perth to become a more connected and sustainable place and draw better strategic advantage from its location in the world’s most populous time zone’ – Ben Fereday, Rail Lead in WA
A one-size fits all approach to station architecture?
At Plus, we recognise that rail stations are the sustainable people connectors between uniquely placed communities, designed to navigate us on arrival and departure to our destinations. With such distinct points of difference at play, there cannot be a standardised cookie-cutter method, a one-size fits all approach to station architecture or transit precincts and placemaking. During design development we look for, and are inspired by context and topography, by a site’s urban history and the local narratives that enrich a station project.
Interpreting and designing the sense of place
Stations contribute significantly to our sense of place. As station designers at Plus, we investigate creatively and engage collaboratively with our multi-discipline team and client in the challenge of interpreting, and then defining, a sense of place focussed around rail transit, the flow of people and the activated city-making stemming from that.
Rail stations clearly play a vital role in the economic wellbeing of our suburban and city centres, but they also provide the critical mass of patronage that populates our urban placemaking and promotes the health, well-being and interaction of our communities.
Good placemaking and creating a safe civic space: the benefits
The value-adds and advantages of good placemaking and safe civic space are many, particularly when supported by mixed-use and retail encouraging people to dwell near our rail stations. Well designed, accessible rail stations significantly improve land value for integrated precinct development. In addition, good passive surveillance and unhindered sightlines through an active transit precinct supports the 24-hour safety of our stations and encourages a more watchful and confident ridership.
Read more about our METRONET project here.