Landscape architecture

Landscape design is our core service, we provide design services from inception through to completion and into aftercare across multiple sectors and scales. We are active in both the public and private sectors. We utilise BIM software to ensure that we deliver fully collaborative solutions. Our proposals include hard and soft landscape, green and blue Infrastructure, external lighting and site furniture to deliver multi-functional and resilient landscapes.

Our public realm design strategies establish the high-level design principles to secure a high quality, consistent, simple to maintain public realm. Our strategies for town and city centres set out parameters and core principles to ensure public spaces will be well designed, accessible, attractive, sustainable and easy to maintain. They establish the design vocabulary and provide a consistent approach and material palette for both hard and soft landscape elements. We have experience of public realm delivery at all stages of design with exemplar projects delivered on site.

Landscape assessment services includes Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) as part of an Environmental Impact Assessment or Landscape and Visual Appraisals (LVA) to inform site development studies, visioning, accompany planning applications or as part of a feasibility assessment. considering the effects of new developments on landscape elements and features, landscape character and visual amenity. Green Belt Assessment is also provided, reviewing the five functions of the Green Belt against the development proposals. We also provide Open Space Assessments to support planning applications and inform proposals.

Landscape led masterplanning builds upon the assessment work undertaken as part of an LVIA or LVA to identify a sensitive and site-specific response. This process also draws upon capacity studies to develop a site-based response to capacity and design to deliver an appropriate and sustainable solution. Through our green infrastructure design, we consider ecology, existing landscape features, topography and local character to create aesthetically pleasing and functional masterplans.

Play and open space strategies are vitally important in our proposals to ensure that developments provide usable multifunctional spaces for multi-generational users. Access to open space is vitally important in tackling the national obesity crisis and to future proof against pandemics. Play provides the opportunity to create more exciting and diverse spaces across developments and the public realm in response to a growing and aging population. Access to play and sports facilities will provide multiple benefits to all society.

We understand that responsible and active landscape management is crucial to the success of any landscape design. We are the custodians of the landscape and need to ensure that the proposals we design and create are managed in the long term. Natural Landscape elements typically have a longer life span than the proposed built development and provide the legacy and framework for the future. Landscape Management Plans and Landscape and Ecology management Plans will maximise long term ecological benefits for the site and ensures enhancement measures are maintained. Objectives for the site are clearly set out with operational activities for each management zone and landscape type.

Our landscape design considers nature based responses to design with BNG strategies developed alongside our ecology partners. We are increasingly creating new places or retrofitting existing streets and spaces with plant communities which will bring new and enhanced habitat benefit. Our design approach seeks to promote diversity. Our proposals are developed early on in the design process to assist in giving confidence to planning authorities and statutory consultees in our design and will look to provide biodiversity gains, thereby creating a better environment through design.

We are adept at assessing the risks that may be encountered by your development while also identifying opportunities to ensure positive outcomes for the project in tandem with biodiversity.

We undertake a range of ecological surveys and assessments to support project design and planning requirements.

Services we provide include:

• Habitat and Botanical Surveys, including Phase 1 Habitat Survey, UKHab Survey, National Vegetation Classification (NVC), Invasive Non-Native Species Surveys, and Ancient Woodland Assessments.
• Protected Species Surveys and habitat suitability assessments for badgers, bats, birds, reptiles, great crested newts, dormice, otters, and water voles.
• Reporting and Assessments, such as Preliminary Ecological Appraisals, Ecological Impact Assessments, Environmental Statement (ES) chapters, Habitats Regulations Assessments, BREEAM assessments, and Habitat and Species Management Plans.
• Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) feasibility and optioneering assessments, as well as BNG metric calculations and Biodiversity Gain Plans.
• Support with Natural England licensing requirements.
• Ecological oversight and monitoring during project implementation and operation