In memory: Jonathan Watkins PPLI

At the Presidents’ Reception 2012 on the completion of his presidency which took place at the Charterhouse, City of London. © Robert Taylor

David Withycombe, CMLI, Chair of the Awards Committee, writes:

Shortly after Jo died, I got in touch with old friends and colleagues from the Institute. I received numerous responses expressing sadness and condolences at the loss of such a great friend, colleague and ambassador for our profession. It was the value of his friendship that came across most strongly in those messages; his sense of humour, calmness, warmth of spirit and ability to put those he met at ease from the outset.

Jo was born in Swansea on 31st July 1956. His father’s family were Quakers, and the sense of equality, fairness and peace associated with Quaker beliefs was something all those who knew Jo would recognise. After leaving school (through a window, apparently!), he worked locally in a number of jobs, including a sports shop in Sketty, before taking the decision in 1979 to enrol on the Landscape Architecture diploma course at Thames Polytechnic. During his time at Thames, he spent his year out at the Glasgow Development Agency, a city he loved. It was soon after completing his post graduate diploma in 1985 that Jo met Carolyn (an architecture graduate from Thames) who was to become his lifelong partner.

After graduating, Jo spent a short time working with Philip Cave Associates before joining the Landscape Partnership, running a small London office in Docklands. He played a key role in many projects including the early days of the award-winning Kings Cross Estate Action Project.

It was the value of his friendship that came across most strongly in those messages; his sense of humour, calmness, warmth of spirit and ability to put those he met at ease from the outset.

After leaving the Landscape Partnership, Jo set up his own practice, setting up in partnership a few years later with Des Dally, forming Watkins Dally in 1999. They worked on a number of award-winning schemes across parks, education and public spaces. He had particular affection for their involvement in the Dartford Stadium Masterplan; an opportunity to combine his joint loves of football and landscape. After retiring from his professional career in 2009, Jo continued to work as a Director, then Vice-Chair of a family business in Swansea.

Jo’s contribution in a voluntary capacity to the Institute and our profession was huge. He sat on Council for 12 years and became President in 2010. He took up this role at a time when climate change and localism were emerging on the political agenda. Jo saw both the need and the opportunity for our profession to sit at the heart of these debates, providing a pivotal role in engagement across professions and society. He also saw the importance of gaining influence across other disciplines in the construction industry. In 2012, Jo was elected to the Construction Industry Council Board chaired by Nick Raynsford MP, becoming Honorary Treasurer in 2015. He saw this role as recognition of the emerging influence of Landscape Architecture and the importance of landscape as “a necessity and not a nice to have”.

Jo instigated one of the first regional exhibitions of the work of landscape architects: ‘Landscape Matters’ in 1994. He was central to the growth of the Institute Awards and remained on the Awards Panel until late in 2022. I remember Jo was particularly thrilled to meet one of his literary heroes Bill Bryson at the Awards in 2018 – and to make him laugh. He was also a member of the Landscape journal’s Editorial Advisory Panel for many years.

Jo also made a substantial contribution to education. In 2010, he became a member of the newly created Advisory Board to the School of Architecture, Design and Construction at Greenwich University, helping to shape courses and how they were taught. He was also a visiting critic and thesis supervisor on architecture courses at the Bartlett, again reflecting his view of the importance of influencing those we work with. His desire to encourage and mentor the next generation of landscape architects both through teaching and support to those working with him was immense.

Jo was also very active in his local area. He was a trustee of Twinkle Park in Deptford and a member of the Friends of Sutcliffe Park. He was a school governor at Brooklands Primary School, becoming chair of governors in 2014 at a challenging time with pressures to form academies.

Jo’s other great passions included sport in the form of cricket, football and rugby (mostly involving a discussion over a pint), and travel (he had a particular affection for France, where he travelled widely with his family and friends). He followed the Swans far and wide and was a season ticket holder at his adopted London club Charlton Athletic. He played cricket for Ash village and in his later years, the Ashburnham Arms in Greenwich.

I remember Jo was particularly thrilled to meet one of his literary heroes Bill Bryson at the Awards in 2018 –and to make him laugh.

Jo was a gentle giant of a man. In recent years, illness began to affect his mobility and fitness, but never his good humour and generosity of spirit. His wife Carolyn and their boys Billy and Jamie have strong support from their many friends and family. For landscape architecture, his legacy lies perhaps not in grand statements but in his influence on how we are perceived as a profession and for the support he provided to those beginning their careers. For those who knew him, it was simply the pleasure that he was part of our lives.

Donations to Crisis, in memory of Jo, can be made through Just Giving. Visit justgiving.com and search for jowatkins2022 remember Jo was particularly thrilled to meet one of his literary heroes Bill Bryson at the Awards in 2018 – and to make him laugh.

Meeting writer Bill Bryson who became a Fellow of the Landscape Institute in November 2017, at that year’s Landscape Institute Awards ceremony.

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