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INTERVIEW
of projects, but when I started out 21 years ago, most projects were very hands-on, with a traditional contract management role. Now, with the general move towards design and build contracts, the control of the finer detailing, material specification and quality calls for increased vigilance. On many projects, a value engineering exercise is now obligatory; it often results in a greater number of design options and necessitates increased flexibility in specifications. A focus on commercial realism is now essential for successfully navigating the course of projects, and can often pre-empt problems.
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Do you do much collaboration work with other companies? The nature of our work calls for collaboration with a wide range of consultants and we often work as part of large multidisciplinary teams, collaborating with project managers, architects and engineers. We also collaborate with other small practices and bring in specialists as required on a project-byproject basis. Are you seeing any trends at the moment, in terms of what clients are asking for? BIM capability is starting to filter through as a requirement for landscape architects, although, often, a fully coordinated BIM model is not actually required. Our usual practice is to comprehensively model schemes in SketchUp in order to test designs, derive visuals, resolve site levels, and create 3D-printed physical models. With minimal effort, these can be adapted for insertion into the architect’s Revit model, and for us this is currently an easier and more efficient way to integrate into the BIM workflow than using workarounds in Revit itself. Are there any key issues in the industry that you would like to see improved? The potential for disease transmission from imported trees and plant stock is probably not given the prominence it deserves within the industry. Could you tell us about some of the projects you have worked on – what are you particularly proud of? We’re currently working on a broad range of projects, including a large retail scheme, a secondary school, almshouses and a domestic scheme. Our largest scheme on the books is Rushden Lakes, a pioneering £50m shopping and leisure scheme in Northamptonshire; we’re currently working on
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6 Phases 2, 3 and 5. The development is genuinely unique and was shortlisted for a Revo Gold award. Combining nature with retail, its features include a lake, a boathouse and boardwalk with al fresco waterside dining, a splash pad, a central water feature and a rill. The scheme sets an interesting benchmark for sustainable and experiential retail development, and has a symbiotic relationship with the adjacent nature reserves. The development’s lakeside location offers a unique range of leisure activities and has significantly enhanced public access to and funding of the nature reserves. We put a lot of effort into the detail and design of the spaces, and it is fascinating to walk the site and watch how people use and inhabit them.
Images ©Martin Gardner (martingardner.com)
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1 R ichard Willmott, Strata director 2 Almshouse consultation model 3 R ushden lakes central boulevard rill 4 T he Strata team: Suzy, Richard and Matt 5 R ushden lakes boardwalk 6 R ushden lakes view over paving
Strata Design Associates Strata is a UK-based landscape architecture practice creating usable, engaging and resilient spaces based on empathy for people and places. W: www.strata-design.co.uk
FutureArch February 2018
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06/02/2018 09:56