Birmingham City University : Andrew Grant, From Safe European Homes to Wild Asian Landscapes

The potential of landscape architecture to connect people with the natural world explored through recent work of Grant Associates. We are interested in the relationship between the tamed urban landscapes of modern cities and the wildness of unspoilt landscapes. Our practice is very fortunate to be working on all scales of project from the design of the intimate domestic housing spaces such as the Stirlng prize winning Accordia in Cambridge through to the regional planning of a 100,000hectare national park in Malaysia, one of the last refuges for wild Tigers in mainland Asia.

The focus of the talk will be to describe the design process behind the Gardens By the Bay project in Singapore. Due for completion this year, this is a 54 hectare urban park that includes 2 hectares of air conditioned glasshouses, a collection of landmark landscape structures, the ‘Supertrees’ and a matrix of themed interpretation gardens exploring the ethnobotany and ecology of Singapore. The project has been identified as one of the top 5 projects of 2012 by Building magazine and will be featured as one of the National Geographic Megastructure documentaries.

Andrew formed Grant Associates in 1997 to explore the emerging frontiers of landscape architecture within sustainable development. His approach is driven by a fascination with creative ecology and the promotion of quality and innovation in project work. He has built up experience in all scales and types of projects from subregional planning to the detailing of the smallest piece of new landscapes.

In 2011 Andrew was made an Honorary Fellow of the RIBA reflecting the strong relationships he has developed with many of the leading architects in the UK and abroad and his work on key architectural projects such as the 2008 Stirling Prize winning Accordia.. Andrew is currently leading a number of high profile multi disciplinary projects in the UK and abroad including the £500million Gardens by the Bay in Singapore. Having studied Landscape Architecture at Heriot Watt University/ Edinburgh College of Art 1977-1982, he is a member of Cabe Space, the South West Region Design Panel and Bath’s Public Realm and Movement Design Panel, an External Examiner for landscape courses and regularly presents the work of Grant Associates at International Conferences.