Landscape Architects in Durham in Durham
Get in touchThe landscape architecture profession is one that takes a lot of skill and experience to perfect but can completely change how you approach urban design projects. Our landscape architects are trained to a professional standard and have a technical understanding of landscape engineering at a deep level.
Proper landscape planning involves strategic thinking, a good knowledge of the natural processes involved, and the ability to know how urban and rural areas interact. The design processes can be long, complex, and tough to complete without a substantial amount of architecture experience.
We are a team of landscape architects with a variety of interaction qualifications under our belt and can complete work for a range of different spaces owned by any client: from public parks to private urban landscapes in walled-off gardens. Creative thinking and imaginative design are two of our many strong points as an architecture group.
If you are looking for a professional team that can handle your environmental design and exterior architecture, look no further than our own landscape architecture studio, complete with varying design strategies and plenty of landscapes completed as a private practice.
Why Do I Need Landscape Architects?
There are many different reasons that you might want a landscape architect to help with your outdoor landscape design. Not only can we design a space, but:
We Can Design a Great Space
Landscape design is heavily focused on a mixture of appearance and reliability. With landscape architecture, it is important to remember that both of these things are important, but neither can be lacking.
For example, the landscape architecture of New York City parks or regional parks are designed with a landscape that will not collapse over time but also creates a work of art in the site environment itself. A landscape has to be both attractive and safe, something our staff always aim for.
Each site, context and project are going to be wildly different, so we make repeated site visits as needed for further study. All landscape architecture work is bespoke work: the more we know, the easier it is to design your perfect outdoor space.
We Understand Your Needs
Since landscape architecture is always going to be different for each client and space, there is a lot of focus on individual needs. Our design studios try to make each area unique and tailored to the client or customer involved, involving you directly in each stage of the plan.
For example, a family that has young children may want a space with fewer falls, whereas one with children who are university students might need a study space. In larger-scale projects, schools might need a landscape that students enjoy peacefully, and parks may need certain rest areas on longer walks.
If you want to know more about what we offer and how we can shape a space to a customer's requirements, get in touch and let us know what kind of work you need. The better we understand your environment requirements, the easier it becomes for us to tailor the plan to your exact preferences.
We Understand Ecological Systems
Landscape practice is not just about digital design or model making. Unlike interior design, landscape architecture requires an understanding of ecosystems, especially if plants and living animals (like fish) are a major focus of the design proposals.
Landscape architecture is a professional practice that generally requires a landscape architecture degree from higher education institutions. Knowing the unique relationship involved in a landscape ecosystem is important for all landscape architecture design studios.
Our staff understand how to handle each site and how to create landscapes that stand out as a work of art without making an ecosystem that can only sustain itself for two years or less.
We Are Educated
International qualifications matter a lot, even with recent graduates. Giving students agreed staff duties like designing a landscape architecture project can be risky because plants could die or artificial hills could fall.
For this reason, mature students usually have to finish academic studies (at least an undergraduate degree) related to architecture (landscape architecture specifically) before we will let them handle these projects. This is to prepare students for the precise design work involved in this project.
Students
University students need to understand the design process before we will offer them employment opportunities. A senior lecturer explaining things does not always cover details like social sciences, landscapes of public spaces, or other compulsory modules and pieces of experience that we need.
We Are Always Learning
When we visit a site to get further details or work on the landscape, work placement university students might come too. These university students are just there to watch, but it helps them train up into better architects when they advance from university students to possible employees.
Having university students on-site during projects allows them to get a greater understanding of the work, something that can help with their Landscape Architecture MA academic year or other courses that they are doing.
Training
The same is true for training: whether university or not, training students can get involved in the landscape work indirectly, meaning that we are always training up new staff. A good understanding of landscape architecture is vital to making sure that each project creates the best results possible.
What is Landscape Architecture?
While you probably know the basic idea behind landscape architecture - designing the architecture of an outdoor space - many people are not really sure what it actually involves. In reality, it all depends on what the client wants and how that particular project has been planned out, especially on larger scale projects.
Updating Outdoor Areas
A lot of landscapes look pretty but can be hard to use effectively. There are not any dedicated rest points, access ramps or safety barriers in nature, and our staff are all focused on making sure that we can keep a park or walk trail safe and easy to use.
A lot of outdoor spaces are not going to be suitable for a lot of specific uses, whether that is stopping to eat, running for long periods of time, or even walking the dog. We can make as many major changes as you need, all while adding subtle alterations that shape an outdoor area into something more comfortable and usable.
Working Around Historical Landscapes
Areas that have a history or need to be conserved can still be kept safe during our work. Our landscape architect experts are fully prepared to work around areas that might be off-limits or will be certain to avoid damaging spaces that have major value behind them.
A large part of our planning work involves understanding what the client needs, and that includes situations where the client wants particular areas to be left alone or only slightly tweaked.
Preserving Natural Resources
A good landscape architect is able to preserve anything that the client wants to keep, such as rivers, streams, natural features, or animal nests and dens. A lot of the time, the work also involves redirecting the flow of water or making cliff faces safer for visitors to walk across.
Our experts are dedicated to making sure that the client gets whatever they want from their space. We can completely rework an outdoor area to be safer, easier to navigate and generally nicer for either public or private use, all without making it feel any less natural.
Working With Other Professionals
A large part of successfully completing architecture tasks involves working with other groups or professionals. In larger-scale projects where construction, landscaping and demolition may all be happening at once, we can use conventional or digital communication methods to help the work go smoothly.
Depending on the scale of the work being done, we can also offer bespoke solutions to areas that have rough terrain or identify spaces where it may not be safe to move heavy vehicles and important tools. Each situation is different, and all of them require specific plans to ensure the project is completed effectively.
Developing a Space in the Long-Term
Professionals like Ed Wall stress the importance of long-term architecture planning, and that applies to our professional staff as well. If you have an outdoor area that you want us to work with, we will also plan ahead for the future, rather than just that single project.
All outdoor spaces can end up wearing down over time, especially if they are not properly cared for. Depending on the client, we are able to come up with a plan that future-proofs your space and allows for further developments in the future, as and when needed.
This can be important for parks or other public spaces, areas that are usually altered quite often and have a lot of ground space to cover. Even in a pre-built environment, professions like ours can be important for making sure that you are able to add more in the future.
Understanding Landscapes (Landscape Institute)
While there are a lot of landscape institute options and groups like the International Federation of Landscape Architects, a lot of the experience is hands-on. We always make an information visit before a plan, and our plans can be regularly tweaked to fit the situation.
For example, a private park that might have paid entry requirements needs different things from an open public park with no entry requirements. Even something as simple as natural drops, hills, cliffs and walls can all be different depending on the space's uses.
Landscape Architecture Practice
Practice is also important. The more work we do, the more we can practise techniques that are not feasible in a training space, meaning that our skills get even better. This means that we can serve the same area long-term, returning every year or two to make major changes if the client requires them.
While every single project is vastly different, there are a lot of ways that we can adjust the work that we do or build upon work that has already been finished in the past.
Do You Need A Landscape Architect?
If you are interested in our landscape architecture services or just want to explore your options more, then get in touch and let us know what you need. Our services are all bespoke and tailored to each client, so we can adapt to suit your situation and requirements.
Whatever you need, we can figure out a solution and help you plan a future-proofed layout that can be built upon and expanded as needed. This also means that your outdoor space will be fully usable and safe for almost any situation, whether it is a public or private area.
Contact us now to see what we can offer and get a consultation on what your project might require.
Other Architect Services We Offer
Renovation Architects - https://www.architectural-designers.co.uk/architecture/renovation/
Retail Architects - https://www.architectural-designers.co.uk/architecture/retail/
Commercial Architects - https://www.architectural-designers.co.uk/architecture/commercial/
Conservation Architects - https://www.architectural-designers.co.uk/architecture/conservation/
Restoration Architects - https://www.architectural-designers.co.uk/architecture/restoration/
Residential Architects - https://www.architectural-designers.co.uk/architecture/residential/
We cover Durham