Yet too often in large-scale urban development, identity becomes an afterthought. A decorative motif applied to a façade, a local material introduced at the final stage, or a cultural narrative added to an otherwise generic masterplan.
Authenticity cannot be applied at the end.
At BACA, we believe the opportunity isn't simply to create a development in a place. It's to create something that genuinely belongs to it.
Doing so requires stepping away from generic urban templates and diving deep into the raw DNA of a site, from regional geography and historic settlement patterns to the intangible qualities of local life, rituals, colours and the relationship between community and environment.
When interpreted thoughtfully, these discoveries can inform far more than architectural appearance. They can shape the organisation of neighbourhoods, the public realm, movement networks, landscape infrastructure and ultimately the experience of living in a city. The real challenge is to balance heritage with progress; understanding what to preserve, what to reinterpret and where something entirely new can emerge.
We've recently been exploring these ideas through our masterplanning work in Marondera, Zimbabwe: a new city for 100,000 people. Beginning with the cultural significance of rain, Shona traditions, natural waterways and historic settlement patterns, we've been developing a narrative that connects the identity of the place with a contemporary vision for urban living.
Over the coming weeks, we'll be sharing a series of posts exploring how we translate local identity into living, breathing urban masterplans. We will look closely at how ancient traditions shape public spaces, how regional materials inform modern architecture, how landscape and ecology dictate spatial layouts, and how historical models can be reinterpreted for contemporary city living.
Because a truly distinctive city shouldn't feel as though it could have been built anywhere.
It should feel as though it belongs exactly where it is.
