LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS
We support architects, planners, developers & project teams with landscape-led planning services, statutory submission support & early strategic advice to inform sound decision-making & secure successful planning outcomes. Our approach integrates landscape appraisal, analysis & feasibility, ensuring your project responds positively to its context, mitigates planning risk & aligns with UK planning policy & guidance.
Better places → better quality of life → stronger market appeal → smooth planning approval process
Across all stages of the project lifecycle, our work is grounded in four key processes:
Together these processes ensure that development proposals
are well informed, environmentally responsive & capable of securing planning approval.
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PROJECT BRIEF DEFINITION
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STRATEGIC LANDSCAPE APPRAISAL
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STRATEGIC LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS
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LANDSCAPE FEASIBILITY & RISK ASSESSMENT
PROJECT BRIEF DEFINITION
PURPOSE
The Project Brief establishes the foundations of a project by clearly setting out objectives, constraints, opportunities & key requirements from the outset. It translates initial ideas into a structured framework that aligns client aspirations with planning policy, site conditions & technical considerations.
This stage ensures all stakeholders share a clear understanding of what is being proposed, why it is needed & what success looks like, reducing uncertainty and preventing avoidable risk later in the process.
By defining scope early, it supports coordinated decision-making, strengthens project direction & provides a clear benchmark against which all subsequent design & assessment work can be measured.
PROCESS
The process involves translating early discussions, site understanding and stakeholder input into a structured & testable framework. This includes reviewing site context, planning policy & constraints, identifying opportunities & refining the scope of work in collaboration with the project team.
Through this structured approach, the brief becomes a live working reference that guides all subsequent stages of appraisal, analysis & feasibility, ensuring consistency, coordination & a clear line of intent from concept through to delivery.
An example of a project brief is included below:
STRATEGIC LANDSCAPE APPRAISAL
PURPOSE
Landscape appraisal forms an important early stage in the planning & design process.
The purpose of landscape appraisal is to establish a robust understanding of the site & surrounding landscape
that may be used to inform planning & design decisions.
This process provides an initial understanding of the landscape character & context by identifying key characteristics, sensitivities & opportunities that influence the development potential of a site. The example presented below illustrates a high-level appraisal undertaken for a residential development proposal. The work involved reviewing the setting, surrounding land uses, visual relationships & environmental features to identify potential constraints & opportunities.
PROCESS
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Desk Study
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Review local planning policy, landscape character assessments, aerial imagery, topography, heritage & ecological data.
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Identify statutory designations, conservation areas & sensitive landscapes.
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Field Survey
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On-site assessment of vegetation, landform, water features, public views, heritage assets & ecological features.
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Photographic documentation & GPS mapping of key features.
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Landscape Character & Sensitivity Assessment
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Identify defining elements, visual & ecological sensitivities & areas of high planning risk.
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Evaluate landscape quality & potential impacts of proposed development.
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The example below demonstrates the structured approach used to assess landscape character, site context & potential landscape responses at an early stage of the planning process.
STRATEGIC LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS & MAPPING
PURPOSE
Understand how the landscape functions and how it interacts with development proposals.
This informs design strategies, mitigation measures & strategic decision-making.
A landscape assessment provides a more detailed evaluation of the landscape characteristics & sensitivities of a site
& its wider context. It supports the planning process by identifying how development proposals
may interact with existing landscape features, visual receptors & environmental conditions.
The material presented here illustrates elements of a landscape assessment undertaken to support a proposed development scheme. The work included analysing landscape character, key views, vegetation structure & the relationship between the site and its surrounding landscape. The example demonstrates the analytical methods used to inform landscape design strategies & guide sensitive integration of development within the landscape.
PROCESS
Data Mapping
Topography, hydrology, soils, vegetation, biodiversity, exposure, wind & circulation patterns.
Identify existing ecological corridors, heritage features & public access routes.
Opportunity & Constraint Analysis
Highlight development opportunities such as views, access routes & natural screening.
Identify constraints including flood risk areas, protected habitats & visual sensitivities.
Synthesis & Concept Diagrams
Produce clear overlays & diagrams showing areas for development, mitigation zones & strategic design opportunities.
Support planning applications with robust evidence.
OUTPUTS & SERVICES
Initial Site Assessment
Opportunity & Constraint Plans
Concept Diagrams & Masterplanning Inputs
Landscape Design Strategies
Planning Application Support (RIBA Stage 1–2 integration)
BENEFITS FOR CLIENTS
Ensures development proposals respond intelligently to their context while remaining compliant with planning policy.
The examples demonstrate the analytical methods used to inform landscape design strategies & guide sensitive integration of development within the landscape.
LANDSCAPE FEASIBILITY & RISK ASSESSMENT
PURPOSE
The purpose of landscape feasibility & risk assessment processes is to evaluate the practicality,
cost-effectiveness & regulatory viability of proposed developments.
Landscape feasibility studies are often undertaken at the earliest stage of a project to determine whether
a site has the capacity to accommodate development in a way that responds appropriately to its landscape setting.
The examples presented illustrate elements of a landscape feasibility review prepared to inform early development discussions. The work involved identifying key environmental constraints, landscape opportunities & potential strategies that could support a viable & context-sensitive design approach.
Although the specific project location is confidential, these examples demonstrate how landscape feasibility analysis can help guide site planning, highlight environmental considerations & support informed decision-making during the early stages of project development.
PROCESS
Preliminary Concept Testing
Develop schematic design options aligned with landscape constraints & opportunities.
Technical & Regulatory Review
Assess planning policy compliance, environmental impact, Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements & drainage
Economic & Practical Assessment
Estimate implementation costs and identify construction constraints.
Evaluate long-term management needs & stewardship approaches.
Feasibility Report & Recommendations
Provide clear guidance on decisions or design adjustments to reduce planning risk.
BENEFITS FOR CLIENTS
Provides confidence in decision-making, demonstrating that proposals are deliverable,
sustainable & sensitive to landscape context.
OUTPUTS & SERVICES
Feasibility Reports
Concept Design Options
BNG Assessment & Integration Support
SuDS Integration Support
Risk Mitigation Strategies
LANDSCAPE ASSESSMENT, LANDSCAPE FRAMEWORK & MASTERPLANNING
Early landscape appraisal, assessment & feasibility work plays a critical role in shaping a coherent landscape framework for development proposals. Landscape analysis can inform strategic design decisions, providing a foundation for development that respects landscape character while delivering functional, attractive & resilient environments. The design process moves from analysis towards the development of a coherent landscape strategy that responds to the environmental, spatial & cultural context of the site. Early design strategies place the landscape structure at the forefront of spatial planning, ensuring that environmental conditions & landscape character inform the overall masterplanning approach.
At this stage, the findings from an initial landscape appraisal & detailed site assessment are translated into a strategic landscape framework to guide the spatial organisation of an estate level development. The landscape framework helps ensure that development proposals respond positively to their surroundings while creating a coherent and legible spatial structure. In many cases, this framework then forms the basis for the preparation of a landscape-led masterplan, where built form, movement networks and public spaces are organised around the landscape structure rather than imposed upon it. This approach supports the creation of places that are both environmentally responsive & visually integrated with the wider landscape.
The resulting landscape framework illustrates how these considerations informed the emerging spatial strategy.
KEY ELEMENTS
Retention and enhancement of existing vegetation & landscape features
Creation of new structural planting to define development parcels
Integration of open space networks & green infrastructure
Protection of important views & landscape edges
Provision of ecological corridors & habitat connectivity
Integration of sustainable drainage & landscape-led water management
LANDSCAPE DESIGN PROCESS
CREATING QUALITY SPACES
Once a landscape structure has been established, the design process focuses on the creation of quality spaces that support both everyday use & long-term landscape character. Public spaces, streetscapes and open areas are shaped through the careful organisation of landform, planting, materials & movement.
At this stage, landscape design considers how people use & experience a place — how spaces are entered, how views are framed, where gathering areas occur & how landscape elements contribute to comfort, shade & visual identity. Well-designed landscapes can contribute significantly to the quality of life experienced by those who have lived experience of being in these spaces.
SUPPORTING DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS
A landscape-led design process supports development proposals from a planning perspective. Landscape strategies help demonstrate how development proposals align with planning policy objectives by responding to landscape character, strengthening green infrastructure & contributing to the creation of healthy places, .
For developers & planners alike, integrating landscape considerations early in the design process can reduce planning risk while contributing to the creation of attractive & distinctive places.
FULL LIFECYCLE SERVICES - CONCEPT TO DELIVERY
As a project progresses, the landscape framework & concept design may be developed into more detailed proposals. These stages may include public realm design, material selection, planting design, & long-term landscape management strategies.
Through the development of the concept into a scheme, the original landscape vision is translated into practical
& deliverable design solutions that support both environmental performance & place quality.
By moving from landscape analysis to landscape strategy & detailed design, development proposals can create environments that are environmentally responsive, visually integrated & capable of supporting resilient, liveable places.
LANDSCAPE-LED DEVELOPMENT
When landscape is placed at the centre of the design process, it becomes more than an aesthetic layer.
Instead, it forms the spatial & environmental structure that shapes how a place functions & how it is experienced.
EXAMPLES OF PROJECTS
