Practice Profile on Gillespies

March 2009. We have been asked to choose a Landscape Architecture practice which inspires us and I have picked Gillespie's. They are a leading International Landscape and Urban Design practice, located in six cities across the UK and with satellite international offices. There are a number of reasons why I have chosen them. 

• They are over 40 years old and work all over the world, but you do not hear about them very much. This would imply that they get on with their job, but I do think they should use a bit more PR for themselves and the industry.
• I think their website is on of the most innovative and clearest I have come across, and they provide a great detail of information on their projects for all to look at. 
• They even provide detailed images and drawings of proposals they are developing, such as London's Oxford and Regent Streets.
• I am familiar with an existing project they are working on in Abu Dhabi, called the Masdar Initiative, and I my opinion it is one of the most important masterplans in the modern built environment.
• Along with Foster + Partners, they were chosen by the Ruler of Abu Dhabi, HH Sheik Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to develop his dream of a completely self sustainable, zero carbon producing community. If he picked them, they must be good.
• I also believe that they are unlike most high flying practices and actually do explore new concepts and work specifically to a site, rather than simply import an idea.

In my presentation, I showed simple images describing the Masdar Project and who was behind it. This was in order to show the importance of the Landscape Architect chosen to deliver this dream and how each division plays an important part of the master plan team. my colleagues thought it was a very expensive project at $30 Billion, but Abu Dhabi has very sufficient resources and is committed to this.

A project closer to home that they are doing, is the redesign of London's Leicester Square. It will feature a unique pedestrian light, made up of recycled glass. Another significant client, Land Securities, has chosen Gillespie's for the Thames Kentside region of the Ebbsfleet Valley project.