Housing
Commercial landscape designs that meet planning requirements
Informed by my extensive experience in the sector I know how to choose the right species to produce fantastic results, even within limited budgets.
Using both hard and soft landscape elements, I create detailed schemes that will enhance the streetscape, maximise existing landscape features and topography, and complement the architectural design.
Because landscape designs evolve over time, it’s important to be able to not only understand what will look good as the first resident moves in, but how it will look in 10 or 20 years’ time.
This scheme in Bingley was designed and implemented in the 1990s, and the photo shows 20 years of plant growth.
Office and industrial parks
Low maintenance planting for maximum impact
Schemes for purpose-built parks often have planning conditions attached to them relating to landscape buffers, requirements for tree retention, SuDS drainage areas and other stipulations.
My schemes take into account stipulations set at the planning stage. I’ll work with the wider design team to understand any conditions and restrictions and create a scheme that fully satisfies these.
Ecological issues are becoming increasingly important in design - in particular the planning requirement to maintain or increase the level of biodiversity on site. I am comfortable to follow the lead of my ecological colleagues and ensure that my designs achieve important ecological targets.
This site in Scunthorpe was designed in the late 1980s (with Citizen Quartz as the original occupiers) and is seen here after around 15 years’ growth.
Care homes
Schemes that invite interaction and bring enjoyment
Alongside my commercial landscape design portfolio, I have considerable experience working within the care sector. These schemes are naturally more intimate in character so need a different approach to landscape design - where the detail really matters.
The outdoor spaces of care facilities and sheltered accommodation play an important role in enhancing the wellbeing of residents. Being particularly mindful that residents may have health conditions such as dementia or more limited movement, my designs typically feature planting that offers the opportunity for sensory stimulation. Plant choices will include strongly scented species such as lavender and rose, tactile plants like bamboo, and plants with high contrasting colours such as variegated periwinkle.
In addition, designs will incorporate smooth hard landscape materials, site access that is legible and level throughout, circular routes, and wider paths.
This site in Burcot, Oxfordshire was completed in 2010 and the photo shows the scheme shortly after planting had been undertaken.
“I have worked with Martin for more than 25 years and have always found him to be thoroughly professional and diligent. His work has contributed towards securing approvals on many contentious projects.”
— Peter Brotton, Vaughan Monckton Architecture