My Life in Landscape: Donald Roberts

We asked eleven landscape professionals, all at different stages in their careers, to tell us what inspired them to follow a career in landscape.

Donald is a Licentiate Member of LI and a Senior Landscape Architect at Assael Architecture, He trained in Landscape Architecture at Kingston University and has worked at Churchmans, PRP and ETLA.

What inspired you to study to become a landscape professional?

Landscape architecture is hugely important. Landscape professionals have a responsibility to protect and improve cities, to increase accessibility and inclusivity for everyone, and to upgrade the infrastructure to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.

What projects are you working on at the moment?

My current projects are incredibly diverse and include a number of UK masterplans plus smaller projects in central London that include podium gardens and roof terraces.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

Seeing how my work improves people’s lives and the way they interact with their surroundings and the wider community is the ultimate reward for working in the built environment. Getting the opportunity to breathe new life into areas that have faced deprivation is extremely fulfilling.

What do you find most challenging about your job?

Balancing creativity with financial viability and client expectations on each project. I work in a creative industry with ideas on how to improve the lives of end-users; convincing clients of their importance is a challenge. It’s a challenge I revel in, but a challenge nonetheless.

How would you say you make your mark on the world?

My work turns conceptual ideas into a material reality, using technologies like BIM to constantly improve and streamline the work process. I am always looking to improve the process of landscape architecture, how we work and approach each project. By doing this, I hope that clients gain understanding of the importance of landscape architecture and the difference it can make to a scheme.

Why is the landscape profession important to the future of society and the environment?

Landscape architecture is the conduit in which we, as humans, interact with the natural world. Our designs mediate this experience, tying the internal to the external. Well-designed landscapes can drive interaction between humans that wouldn’t necessarily connect. As designers, we have a responsibility to rise to the challenges and offer viable, creative solutions.

What trends do you predict for your profession in the next few years?

The growth of the build to rent sector is driving a renewed interest in landscape architecture. When housing becomes a service, clients are inherently interested in the user experience of their developments; how their residents and the wider public interact with the spaces, both internally and externally. This has huge implications for landscape architecture – we have to deliver designs that perform and last to the level that residents and developers demand.

Is the landscape profession a great career path?

For me, it was the creative freedom and being able to leave behind my own personal mark in the landscape.

Whenever I see or experience an exciting landscape project, I’m always fascinated by the story behind it and what that adds to the sense of place. If you want your work to add something to the physical world, then landscape architecture should definitely be a career you consider.