I Interview
tactile sensations from materials and finishes; sounds of water features and birds; and if possible something edible. If all these boxes are ticked, people will feel very relaxed and comfortable in a garden space.
Interview with
Veronika Driga
Landscape Architect Where did you study Landscape Architecture? I have successfully completed my Master’s Degree in environmental design from the Kiev University in 2012. I have worked across landscape architecture and interior design in Ukraine, Montenegro and UAE. I have been living in Dubai for the past 4 years and working on my own projects. Why did you decide to start your own landscape company? I have a lot of experience in Landscape design and I’m confident in my skills so it made sense for me to start my own company. It’s a risk but I believe I’ll be successful. What’s your experience been like operating in the UAE so far? It’s still early days, I’m just starting out and I’m slowly building the business but I’ve already had some projects reach completion stage and I’ve had good feedback from clients so it’s all positive! Describe your approach to Landscape design? There are many aspects to my landscape design approach, however, my main concern is to ensure that every design satisfies all of the senses: it should be aesthetically pleasing, blend shapes and colors in harmony; invigorate your sense of smell with flowers and herbs; provide
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Where do you draw inspiration from when beginning a new project? I usually begin by determining the needs of my client and what needs the landscape design should satisfy, and then create a general concept, zoning and complement the architectural style of the whole environment. What kind of projects excite you? Can you share any you are working on? At the minute, I’m really enjoying working on projects for private villa gardens and public parks. In the future, of course I’d love to work on more iconic projects. What is the most frustrating aspect of your work? And the most rewarding one? Having to have patience is the most frustrating aspect of our work as we have to wait for the landscape to grow and bloom! However, equally it’s the most rewarding as when you see one of your projects in a few years’ time, and it’s fully developed, then that is also rewarding and makes it all worthwhile as you know it will last for years to come. What are your thoughts on how the global pandemic (Covid) has affected the Landscape Architecture industry both ere in the region and globally? Covid-19 has affected the economic situation in every country. Many projects are frozen and landscape design is not developing as before. But the situation with increased restrictions and social distancing can add some value to residential landscape projects because people stay home more often and they want to have comfortable and well designed outdoor space.
