Graduate News: Gethin Owens

  23rd February 2015

My name is Gethin Owens and graduated from the Landscape Architecture course in 2007. I am currently a Principal Landscape Architect at Groundwork.

I started on the Landscape architecture conversion course following completing a design degree and Ph.D in engineering. What attracted me to Landscape Architecture was the combination of design and the ability to enhance peoples environment for the better.

My time at the university was fantastic and delivered everything I was looking for in a Landscape Architecture course. It was important to me that the course allowed a blend of creative freedom and exploration of design philosophies but also that the course aligned itself with the core skills required to successfully enter and progress in professional practice.

It was exactly these skills and great tutorship provided at the University that I believe equipped me to progress in my career to date. Since leaving University I joined a practice in Cardiff and worked on a wide range of projects such as public realm design, healthcare, education, and LVIA calling on the skills and lessons learnt at University. During this time I also spent a period working for the Thames Gateway Executive in London as part of an award I was encouraged to enter whilst at University. Shortly after I gained chartered status and joined Groundwork in the North West of England. This has been a fantastic experience and development of my career through refining design skills, client relationship management, business development, contract administration and project implementation experience.

I now manage a design and build programme with a team of Landscape Architects alongside a construction team.  A small example of some of the projects we are currently working on include a heritage restoration scheme for a Georgian Square in Preston, the design and implementation of a new public realm scheme at Wigan Pier, a landscape masterplan for Liverpool Women’s Hospital, a sculpture project in Liverpool, and a fantastic heritage project at Rivington Gardens (Lord Levers summer house and gardens originally designed by Thomas Mawson).