The site can tell you where to define little rooms, where the micro climates are… It’s a way of thinking: the site gives you the constraints and opportunities for design.

Elemental Pressure

What keeps the design process moving is the awareness of multi-dimensional pressures being exerted into the solution/design. What is the overall concept? What elements are part of this space? Who should have the loudest voice? Which geometry is the overriding force? As factors such as wall lights, lighting, manholes, planting, seating requirements bend to each other the design evolves through a sequence of connected permutations. The trace overlays tell the story of how loudly the voices speak, how immutable the pressures. The winning solution reflects either stasis – balancing of forces – or the surprise of a new birth, forced into being from unresolved conflicts.

Exploring the Challenges...

Every garden is unique and has its own set of cultural, architectural, environmental and spiritual conditions. I love the challenge of exploring a new site and finding out about its wonders and mysteries.

Note: the above photo illustrates these challenges wonderfully - it's
surprising there could be so much pleasure in a reclaimed parking lot!