Sustainability

The term sustainability sums up a useful approach to bridge the gap between environmental protection and creating good cities. Sustainable design involved environmental, social and economic concerns, which are inextricably linked.

My philosophy is to incorporate sustainable ideas into design and strategy. This translates into a keen interest in communities and water design. People bring life to a place, and the most important aspect of making a special and well cared for space is creating a community of involved people. Sterile urban developments and new housing with estates of faceless streets repeat the mistakes of the past. Character rich, involved communities are things I wish to become involved with and learn more about.

The way we use water in cities and in urban design fascinates me. The hidden details of sustainable urban drainage systems often strike me and an innovative way to create sustainable environments. Water often treated as a hidden commodity, missing from the landscape and yet it can add aesthetic value. Keeping water as a feature in the public eye has the potential to bring life to a place and create awareness of environmental issues.

George Monbiot's 'Heat' and Al Gore's film 'An Inconvenient Truth' send us a message that we need to wake up to the reality of climate change. I believe landscape design can be a major part of this.

This conceptual diagram expressed the layout for a new housing scheme which created community spaces and utilised solar gain and sustainable urban drainage (SUDS) such as grey water recycling.

Socially lead design, as in this schools project is a good way to get people to take ownership of a project and help sustain and manage the final product.

At BMLA I worked on a project to reduce water use in design. This lead onto a report I made for the University regarding alternatives to irrigation, such as water recycling, green roofs, permeable surfaces, Xeriscape planting and various other planting styles.