Heathland Studio is a landscape architecture & strategic advisory practice led by Robyn Anne Spolander CMLI, Chartered Landscape Architect, with over 25 years’ international professional experience spanning private practice, public sector institutions and independent consultancy in South Africa & the United Kingdom. We specialise in providing bespoke landscape design & planning support that aligns with UK statutory frameworks, reduces project risk & enables project delivery processes.

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​Robyn’s background spans private practice leadership, public-sector advisory roles & institutional governance. She founded & ran a successful landscape architecture practice in Cape Town for nearly two decades, delivering work across a wide range of scales including public realm projects, education & healthcare facilities, transport infrastructure, mixed-use developments & complex urban environments.

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​​Her academic foundation combines architecture, landscape architecture & project management. She completed a 3-year National Diploma in Architecture in 1992, gaining a strong technical grounding. This early architectural training continues to inform her interdisciplinary approach & ability to collaborate effectively with built environment professionals.

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She proceeded to complete a 4-year Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (Honours) in 1998, at the time the only accredited landscape architecture programme in Africa, later restructured into a BSc undergraduate & Masters programme. Her final-year work included an urban design thesis focused on an urban fringe precinct of the university campus, for which she was awarded a distinction.

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After gaining experience with highly regarded & established practices in Cape Town, she completed professional examinations & became registered as a Professional Landscape Architect with the South African Council for the Landscape Architectural Profession (SACLAP). In 2004, she founded & led a landscape architecture practice in Cape Town, which operated successfully for over eighteen years. During this time, she delivered projects across a wide range of scales & sectors, from early concept & masterplanning through to design, technical documentation & delivery of projects.

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Her firm was appointed as part of a professional team, contributing to a city-scale cycle & pedestrian network planning framework for the Cape Town Northern Region, thereafter delivering over fifteen Active Design / Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) projects across Cape Town. These projects were aimed at integrating pedestrian & cycle infrastructure with public facilities such as schools, hospitals, sporting facilities & other modes of transport. Each of these projects had a component relating to the upgrade of the public realm & open space.

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Between 2009 & 2013, she served as a Council Member of the South African Council for the Landscape Architectural Profession (SACLAP), sitting on the Registration Committee & contributing to professional governance, written examinations, interviews, the development of professional registration categories & standards.

 

Be​tween 2014 & 2016, Robyn worked as a Senior Landscape Architect within the University of Cape Town Properties & Services Department: Physical Planning Unit, where she prepared campus-wide Landscape Framework Plans. The broader role also involved coordinating multidisciplinary inputs on capital works projects, & ensuring that planning, environmental, design & technical standards were consistently upheld at institutional decision-making level. Additionally she acted as the Servicing Officer to senior decision-making committees, providing landscape input on major capital projects. This role required a clear understanding of governance, risk, policy compliance & interdisciplinary co-ordination.

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In 2020, Robyn was invited to serve as a regional judge for the annual awards of the South African Landscapers Institute (SALI). The awards recognise excellence in landscaping, construction, environmental work and maintenance across South Africa, highlighting projects that demonstrate high standards of design, technical skill and environmental responsibility. In this role, Robyn assessed entries against industry benchmarks & contributed to recognising outstanding work in the profession.

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Alongside professional practice, she has continued to develop specialist expertise. In 2015, she completed formal training in Heritage Resources Management (HRM), covering heritage significance, statutory processes & professional responsibility. In 2016, she completed specialist training in Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD), aligned with international best practice & the principles of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS). Then, in 2022, she completed a Master of Science in Project Management, benchmarked & accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Her dissertation focused on 'The Critical Success Factors for Landscape Management on SuDS Projects', reflecting a particular professional interest in SuDS & long-term stewardship.

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Robyn began practising in the United Kingdom in 2022 & has since gained experience delivering education projects through the RIBA Work Stages & Department for Education - Client Engagement Meeting (CEM) processes. She has been responsible for championing Department for Education guidance, mentoring colleagues & contributing to the development of technical & design resources.

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She became a Chartered Member of the Landscape Institute (CMLI) in 2024. Her ongoing learning has been supported through Continuing Professional Development (CPD) with the Landscape Institute (LI), including Biodiversity Net Gain, SuDS, natural capital, carbon reduction strategies on projects, planting design, UK planning policy & more.

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Robyn brings a pragmatic, thoughtful & analytical approach to each commission, combining ecological sensitivity with sound design principles, professional judgement & an understanding of how landscapes perform over time. She works primarily at the planning, estate planning & early delivery stages of projects, providing landscape strategy, design & technical input to support compliant planning submissions, public-sector approval with a view toward project delivery & long-term stewardship. Her care & attention to detail assists planners & built environment professionals, developers, public bodies, institutional clients & environmental organisations to reduce planning risk, co-ordinate multidisciplinary inputs & make informed decisions about landscape & the public realm. Her strong project experience ensures project delivery that is in line with the evolving project vision and developed technical details. 

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This practice is particularly engaged where projects sit at the intersection of policy, governance, environmental responsibility & design quality, including private & public-sector land, institutional campuses, infrastructure-related landscapes & sensitive environmental contexts. Heathland Studio works collaboratively with clients, consultants, public bodies & stakeholders to create places that are functional, resilient and meaningful, while remaining grounded in real-world constraints. Robyn​ works with all project stakeholders to deliver landscapes that are robust, well-considered & enduring.

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From a business perspective, we have benefited from training, mentoring & support from organisations including Digital Boost, MENTA Business Support, & Start Build Grow, which support entrepreneurs & small businesses in developing sustainable practices.

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We are committed to the highest professional & ethical standards, in accordance with UK professional, ethical & regulatory standards.​