ated DedicTO DESIGN
BUSINESS
Alistair Baldwin, founder of AWB Associates, celebrates the first anniversary of The Yorkshire School of Garden Design and the journey since its opening
©Eva Nemeth
T
WORDS: ASHLEIGH BROWN
prolandscapermagazine.com
his summer, the inaugural graduates of The Yorkshire School of Garden Design gathered together to showcase the work they’d achieved through their one-year garden design diploma. The exhibition took place at the school’s home – Grade I-listed building Harewood House. Witnessing this with pride was the school’s founder, Alistair Baldwin. A designer himself, Baldwin boasts a degree in Landscape Architecture from Leeds Polytechnic. Following completion of his own studies, Baldwin was unsure whether or not to pursue a career in design, so moved into teaching. “It was teaching that really connected me to the creative process, spending time talking to students, seeing their ideas develop and harnessing inspiration at every turn. I felt that the more you gave to your teaching the more you got out of it, and that was that – the springboard into professional practice.” After 13 years of teaching, though, Baldwin felt like the time was right to go into private practice. He wanted to create a practice where he could bring designs from concept to creation and provide a platform for the creativity he had seen thrive in the classroom. “I loved the opportunity to have ideas and see them crafted. It is actually a rarity for our industry’s architects to see what they’ve drawn come to life and I wanted to break that trend.” With a passion for design and, more specifically, landscape design, Baldwin was drawn to the physical aspect of being able to see what you have created
Pro Landscaper | December 2023
9