People

Martin Bhatia, Director, BA(Hons) MA CMLI

Martin specialises in highly sensitive landscape settings. Early on in his career he successfully overturned the then National Rivers Authority’s objection to a proposed Sculpture Gallery and park on a floodplain site. How? By proposing a floodable landscape that celebrated the dynamic characteristics of floodwaters, shaping the ground to create sculptural forms that changed as the floods advanced and receded, thereby turning a design constraint into an opportunity. More recently he has used the same approach to help secure planning consent for new developments within landscapes designated for their scenic beauty including the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty; Areas of Great Landscape Value; Green Belts and Metropolitan Open Land. Projects of particular note are a contemporary country house and a golf course, hotel and spa. Martin is also fascinated by the analysis of views and the design of skylines.  Working with Hal, he successfully fended off proposals for overly tall buildings that would spoil special views, or intrude upon areas of seclusion within the Royal Parks.  A citywide study of views and skylines in Edinburgh has informed a review of the city’s High Buildings Policy and now forms part of the planning authority’s guidance for developers.

London Office
The Old House, 2 Wellesley Court Road
Croydon, Surrey, CRO 1LE
+44 (0) 20 8688 9083
m.bhatia@colmog.co.uk

Clare Paige, Director, BSc(Hons) MSc DipLA CMLI

For Clare, landscape design and ecology go hand in hand. A botanist, landscape ecologist and manager by training, at both Regent’s Park and Jersey Zoo, she turned previously nondescript waterside areas into fascinating habitats for waterfowl collections – complete with exciting ornamental water features and luscious planting design. The original intent to restore Ox Lee Quarry to pasture hit a problem when it was discovered that there was not sufficient topsoil to do this. Clare’s restoration solution – placing the topsoil at different depths for different land-uses, if at all – resulted not only in pasture, but also plans for woodland, wetland and wildflower habitats. In estate masterplanning and the preparation of landscape conservation and management plans, Clare is pragmatic in her approach. She understands that modern land uses and management – like ecology or historic landscape design – are overlays that will shape the landscape design and the way it is looked after. She has a successful track record when it comes to submitting conservation and planning proposals that adapt historic landscapes to new uses. For example, Tackley Park in Oxfordshire benefited from her talents when her rigorous historic parkland plan, enthusiastically received by Natural England, resulted in another significant grant for country estate restoration work. Her desire to achieve thoughtful integration of new buildings into the landscape has led to an enthusiasm for the LVIA process and her appraisals have supported successful planning applications for development within the Chilterns AONB, the Cotswolds AONB, Areas of High Landscape Value and other designated landscapes.

Filkins Office
Lechlade Gloucestershire GL7 3JQ
+44 (0)1367 860225
c.paige@colmog.co.uk

Matthew Dalby, Landscape Architect, BA(hons) MA CMLI

Matthew’s expertise ranges from small domestic gardens to residential housing estates and urban expansion projects. At Newhall Phase 2, a 100-hectare urban expansion project to Harlow New Town, Matthew’s created play strategies, ecological mitigation plans and designed both streetscapes and urban tree planting solutions. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team he’s also been closely involved in creating the masterplan and design codes for the entire development. Matthew has undertaken a number of community consultation and engagement projects and in 2012 trained as a CABE Spaceshaper facilitator. He is inspired by the European approach to play, specifically work in Copenhagen, and is particularly interested in using play design as a route to enhancing local communities. Regardless of scale or complexity Matthew strives to deliver site-specific, creative solutions to any given problem. At St Matthews Estate, Lambeth, Matthew introduced shared surface design to maximise useable space for pedestrians whilst retaining accessibility for vehicles. Introducing a central tree planting verge to a newly designed streetscape has enabled not only larger tree species to be incorporated, but has also increased the number of trees that can be planted, resulting in the creation of an especially green street.

London Office
The Old House, 2 Wellesley Court Road
Croydon, Surrey, CRO 1LE
+44 (0) 20 8688 9083
m.dalby@colmog.co.uk

Carlos Pinto, Landscape Assistant, BA(Hons)

Carlos is a recent landscape graduate with a decade of experience as a landscaper. Experience that imbues all his landscape designs with a strong pragmatic quality. Carlos has an intuitive and personal way of analysing the outdoor space and his designs are never an imposition – he allows his ideas to emerge from the space itself resulting in interventions that naturally connect with the wider landscape, the original space and the end user.

Carlos believes that landscape architecture can provide unique and alternative solutions for some of the worlds’ most challenging problems, like climate change and the depletion of natural resources. His ultimate ambition is to promote, in the course of his profession, the sustainable processes and new technologies that can help us lessen the long-term impact of such critical challenges.

London Office
The Old House, 2 Wellesley Court Road
Croydon, Surrey, CRO 1LE
+44 (0) 20 8688 9083

Koral Ikiz, Senior Landscape Architect, PG DipLA

Koral made the transition into Landscape Architecture after working as a stone mason for six years. A simple love of landscape, a creative streak and obsessive attention to detail means that in Landscape Architecture Koral has found his perfect fit. Koral very much believes that landscape architecture has the power to benefit everyone and improve the lives of many. Consequently his design, development and strategic masterplanning skills are ideally suited to the work he does in the public and urban context. Working collaboratively with clients and multi-disciplined teams, highly experienced when it comes to the extensive consultation process, Koral has recently designed and delivered a number of major construction developments. They include, as part of the 2012 Olympic development, several east London parks and open spaces. Kier Hardie Recreation Ground, Pier Road Open Space and Maybury Road Sports Facility were all designed to provide local communities with a focal hub. Each enabled the public to improve their lives either through fitness or outdoor activities like festivals and celebrations. Koral has achieved similar successes with city schools, high streets, residential developments and a golf course, spa and hotel.

London Office
The Old House, 2 Wellesley Court Road
Croydon, Surrey, CRO 1LE
+44 (0) 20 8688 9083
k.ikiz@colmog.co.uk

Iona Harris, Senior Technician, BA(Hons)

Iona graduated in Printed Textile Design from the School of Arts at Loughborough University. Before joining the practice she worked as a Planning Department Technician for a local authority. Today her eye for detail and artistic flair make her an invaluable member of the Colvin & Moggridge team. As well as gathering together supporting documentation and plans, Iona ensures that all masterplanning presentations are created to her exacting standards. In addition, she is the go-to person for organising Continuing Professional Development events, practice away days and medical emergencies! Her delicate drawings of plants and trees are used each year to illustrate the practice Christmas card.

Filkins Office
Lechlade Gloucestershire GL7 3JQ
+44 (0) 1367 860225
i.harris@colmog.co.uk

Anna Burch, Senior Associate, BA(Hons) MA(Cantab) MA MSc CMLI

Anna is a highly qualified Landscape Architect, with a broad educational background in Geography, Architectural History, Construction Law and Arbitration. At Portland House, she designed and implemented a richly detailed urban garden for a young and active family, incorporating a walled kitchen garden, tennis court, croquet lawn and beautiful tree-house complex set in ornamental woodland. Working with Mark at Castletown House in Ireland, Anna oversaw major changes to the existing parkland including several miles of new drives and railings, new landforms and the addition of a 750m long re-circulated ‘river’ complete with stone bridges. And now, a little-used part of the Daylesford Estate is graced by a small stream, complete with waterfalls, lake and waterside planting that appear to have always been part of the Estate’s waterways. In all projects, whether working as part of a multi-disciplinary team on large scale, complex project, or creating detailed planting designs for a smaller private gardens, Anna brings huge experience, knowledge, and an intuitive sensitivity to the natural and built environment. Her aim is simple: to make every landscape design sit comfortably and elegantly in its surroundings.

Filkins Office
Lechlade Gloucestershire GL7 3JQ
+44 (0) 1367 860225
a.burch@colmog.co.uk

Jen Neal, Landscape Architect, BA Hons MLA CMLI

A real team player, Jen loves nothing more than working with artists to create bespoke artwork. At Sandymere, it was her artistic eye that guided the design of all sculptural elements for the enchanting Water Rill and Hosta Garden. She then worked closely with both artists and contractors, skilfully finding solutions whenever construction issues arose. Materials are everything to Jen. A woodland mix, for example, will be thoughtfully arranged to achieve the best results throughout its life span – its purpose, location, rate of growth, and aesthetic qualities all carefully considered. Jen put her strong principles into good practice when developing tree planting schmes for a JCB Factory lake where the planned development was to be screened both immediately and for a lasting effect. She gives the same careful consideration to her garden planting schemes where scent, colour and structure are combined in artful design. Jen’s favourite garden is Rousham by William Kent, which she believes to be a superb example of Roman-inspired, early 18th Century English landscape design. The classical sculpture is so perfectly placed amongst the planting and water features, that she could easily imagine it springing to life.

London Office
The Old House, 2 Wellesley Court Road
Croydon, Surrey, CRO 1LE
+44 (0) 20 8688 9083
j.neal@colmog.co.uk

Chris Carter, Consultant, DIPLA CMLI

A peripatetic childhood and his grandmother’s Devon garden instilled in Chris an acute awareness of places and the defining differences between them. He believes atmosphere is the key, but not always the acknowledged, element in landscape design and garden making. To every project Chris brings his vast knowledge of plants, planting and horticulture. Among his many undertakings has been a substantial coastal garden in Brittany for the holiday house of a German client who required maximum flower power during his holiday season. When Leeds Castle asked for a memorable new garden overlooking the Great Water, Chris made exuberant use of terrace levels, sunny walls and pergolas to fully exploit the brilliance of the setting. And the Rose Garden at Hyde Park Corner, once a featureless and waterlogged area, is now a fanfare and popular place to pause as one enters Hyde Park. Chris holds that a true expert is unafraid to admit to not knowing everything. He believes that the more you know in your field of expertise, the more you realise there is still to learn.

Filkins Office
Lechlade Gloucestershire GL7 3JQ
+44 (0) 1367 860225
c.carter@colmog.co.uk

Hal Moggridge, Consultant, OBE VMH PPLI FIHORT RIBA AADIP

Working in the office of Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe inspired Hal to change professions, from architecture to landscape architecture, and his opportunity came in 1969 when Brenda Colvin asked him to join her as partner – she was in her 70s and he only 33. The success of the public enquiries that often preceded consent for the large industrial landscape projects the practice became renowned for can, in part, be attributed to Hal’s encyclopaedic knowledge of each and every site. To quote Hal himself: “if, under hostile cross examination, it is possible to name the species of a specific tree or remember the condition of a particular gate, then conviction is given to opinions about more strategic matters”. Indeed he fervently believes that a complete empathy with the site lies at the heart of successful landscape design. In the 1970s Hal played a key role in restoring the Capability Brown masterpiece at Blenheim, thus reviving the national interest in Brown and the Georgian natural landscape garden. Hal has never lost his feeling for the importance of views that his rediscovery of Brown inspired, and more recently, his pioneering work defining the spatial character of important urban views in Edinburgh and London has won him international acclaim. Like Brenda before him, Hal was honoured for his unique thinking and work in landscape architecture.

Filkins Office
Lechlade Gloucestershire GL7 3JQ
+44 (0) 1367 860225
h.moggridge@colmog.co.uk

Sue Herbert, Company Secretary & Book Keeper 

Sue has worked for Colvin & Moggridge since 1987. Hugely committed to the practice, Sue is a linchpin of the company. She juggles the financial and bookkeeping responsibilities of our two offices with secretarial and general administrative tasks. An effective negotiator and chaser (of staff and late payers), Sue plays a key role in the success of our practice.

Filkins Office
Lechlade Gloucestershire GL7 3JQ
+44 (0) 1367 860225
s.herbert@colmog.co.uk

Mark Darwent, Director, BA(Hons) DipLA CMLI MCIHort

Mark is at his best when resolving difficult design issues, finding elegant solutions to complex site criteria. Landscapes that house zoological collections are a particular passion, where the needs of the animal, keeper and visitor must all be met for a design to be successful. His work at Jersey Zoo (the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust) started when he won a design competition to create a new Orang-utan enclosure. He soon moved on to reorganise the zoo masterplan to improve visitor circulation, as well as designing a number of major exhibits over several years. A personal highlight was a new enclosure for Madagascan Teal, which enabled this endangered species to breed for the very first time in captivity. But it is Mark’s intuitive understanding of 3D space, the visual and physical links that make a landscape work including the play of light and shade that make him such a capable landscape architect. Working for all types of client, on projects sometimes spanning decades, he has designed parks and gardens for a number of important properties. To take only one example, at Castletown Cox, one of the finest 18th Century houses in Eire, the surrounding landscape, once sugar-beet fields, is now parkland that rivals the wonderful architecture. Retirement developments are another area of specialist expertise, where Mark’s skills at maximising the landscape potential of a site can be instrumental in achieving planning consents. Mark’s natural talents are reflected in his pursuit of landscape and portrait photography, but it is with the masterplanning of a landscape that he achieves the deep satisfaction of knowing that he’s somehow captured a great composition.

Filkins Office
Lechlade Gloucestershire GL7 3JQ
+44 (0) 1367 860225
m.darwent@colmog.co.uk