Month: May 2018

What we’ve learned from our time at Grand Designs Live.

I think most professionals like to think their practices, offices or studios are built on connection so I suppose in that sense, Studio 31 is like most others. We pride ourselves on building strong relationships with clients but this past week at Grand Designs Live has really put that into perspective.

It has truly been a inspiring experience to share a small part of people’s (largely very personal) projects and to be able to advise, excite or support them on the next part of their journey in making that project happen.

We’ve talked landscapes large and small, contemporary and traditional, muted and colourful. We’ve mused over plants, lighting, drainage and planning permission and we’ve had more than a few laughs along the way. It sounds cliché but the biggest thing we have taken from Grand Designs Live is to have met some really wonderful people. People who were kind enough to share with us photos of their gardens, homes and visions for making that the place that they want to spend their futures.

We run our practice with two main drivers; research-led design which promotes health and wellbeing and a sustainable ethos. This exhibition really has cemented for us the idea that being true to your values and aspirations, really does carve its path for you. People already know the value of nature, the value of their outdoor space and the importance of their own private part of the landscape. Our approach to design simply makes that space the most valuable space it can be for that individual or family.

And it’s not just clients either. As our first exhibition, we were surprised by the number of professional connections we have made. The ease of those conversations and the warmth with which our studio has been received has again been emboldening. We have met so many likeminded professionals from architects building extraordinary homes to suppliers going that extra mile to create sustainable products which reflect the quality and ingenuity of our designs. We’ve built partnerships with professionals who range from veterans of the industry to small independents who are making their way in the world of grand designs but all who share our values and our vision. We’ve met new colleagues who we can give the opportunities we were once given and others from whose wisdom we can draw but in either case, mutual partnerships that will hopefully create collaborative, cooperative and all together better solutions for the clients we aspire to work with.

So, thank you to all those who we have connected with these past nine days and to all those who have shared our vision to create beautiful gardens and turn more remarkable corners of the landscape into extensions of the home.

 

 Benjamin Brace, Horticultural Projects Manager at the Royal Horticultural Society

One of the great privileges of a career in the Landscape Industry is the number of likeminded professionals you get to meet. People who inspire, advise and innovate. That in itself is a rare and wonderful thing but every now and again you get to call one of those people a friend and our guest this month for our professionals’ blog is just that. Horticulturist, Landscape Architect and RHS Projects Manager, Benjamin Brace.

We’ve been fortunate to know Ben for over a decade and writing this blog has been a really great honour to get to tap into the drivers and inspirations of one of the most passionate landscape professionals we know.

“For me it all starts with plants…I am the son of a market trader. My parents ran a stall selling plants and cut flowers and I wanted to understand these things that I was selling”

This was, for Ben, to be the beginning of a “hugely meandering and varied professional career”. It began with studying Horticulture at Writtle College and encompassed almost all areas of the landscape industry from work at a plant nursery to working for landscape contractors and garden maintenance. He then went on to train in Landscape Architecture and has subsequently worked for a variety of practices both here in the UK and in Australia expanding his experience across a whole range of specialist areas.

“One of the main reasons I pursued a career in Landscape Architecture was a love of people and public space, and the opportunity to implement positive change”

Ben’s focus on creating positive change is much more than just words, it’s almost a part of his personality and almost certainly fed into his decision to join the RHS last year as their Horticultural Projects Manager. We asked Ben what appealed to him about working for the RHS…

“Being a horticulturist first and foremost, what The RHS represents to me is the best of the best. That’s not to say what they do is out of reach, but for me it is the voice of authority in horticulture. It was the place I would always reference whilst studying; the first port of call to check a plant name or a hardiness rating.

One particular charitable aim the RHS shares with me is their commitment to getting more people into horticulture. As a self-confessed plant geek nothing excites me more than introducing someone to horticulture and getting someone who’s never grown anything to try it out. It’s balm for my soul.”

Ben is a big part of the development of RHS Garden Bridgewater, the society’s newest garden (and though we think having your office in the centre of RHS Garden Wisley can’t be bad), it is this that he describes as one of his favourite parts of his role.

“The surrounding community are incredibly engaged with what’s happening, and as such demand for volunteering slots is outstripping supply – we’re booked out until August! I love how this garden is going to be so different from the existing gardens, and once it’s open, it’s going to be such a tremendous resource for the wider community of Salford and Greater Manchester. The garden is littered with historical artefacts, and at almost every turn you are confronted with something that makes you stop in your tracks.”

What’s really interesting about Ben though is that he is the sole Landscape Architect within the RHS and quite possibly, this is what gives him the unique skillset required for his role there.

“I provide a vital link between the curatorial and estate teams – they are in effect my two clients. One is driven by aesthetics and horticulture, and the other by budget and programme, the perfect fit for any Landscape Architect. But that is my day to day job. I am beginning to view this new role, for me and the RHS, as an opportunity to promote a side of Landscape Architecture that some may not appreciate; an appreciation of horticulture and planting design. I’ve known of more than a few occasions where the profession is the butt of a joke when it comes to planting and horticulture, and this is something I’m keen to address.”

And Ben himself is testament to the fact that Landscape Architecture and Horticulture are most certainly not mutually exclusive.

True to his roots, landscape extends well beyond a profession for Ben. We aren’t sure how he finds the time, but outside of work, he is an Ambassador for Landscape with the Landscape Institute, Trustee of environmental charity; The Garden Classroom, co-chair of The Landscape’s Institute’s Bio-security Working Group, Volunteer with Friends of Horsham Park, Local Tree Warden and ‘general foot soldier for London National Park City campaign.

So, what inspires Ben? Who are his influences?

“My influences range tremendously and I am acutely aware of how much of a ball of contradictions I am”

Ben cites one of his early sources of inspiration as Roberto Burle Marx.

“His approach was more akin to land art but what he had was a great sensibility towards plants (he’s got over 50 that bear his name). [He also showed great] concern over the mismanagement of his native Brazilian rainforests.”

Other influences range from garden designer James Basson to academics Nigel Dunnett and James Hitchmough.

“Those who are pushing low input, ecological planting design and broader themes of green infrastructure up the agenda”

And include Landscape Architects such as Ken Smith, J&L Gibbons and Smout & Allen as well as “the formidable Sara Venn of Incredible Edible, Bristol. A true force of nature.”

For us at Studio 31, Ben is unique. The diversity of his background, his influences and his relationships make him quite distinctive in the industry. Never content to stand still, his real strengths are in both building connections and the acquisition of knowledge. Our goal with this series has always been to demonstrate the true diversity of the landscape industry and to attempt to unify many of those aspects. Ben is the personification of this goal and is testament to what can be achieved if all the branches of our landscape tree can work together.