Alumni News
SHANGHAI TO SHEFFIELD
Lee Parks is the Landscape Studio leader at AECOM Shanghai. Graduating from the University of Sheffield, Department of Landscape in 1998, Lee began his career in Sheffield, Manchester and Liverpool. After qualifying as a Chartered Member of the Landscape Institute in 2001, he moved to China to begin a challenging new career.
Lee Parks currently leads a studio of over 50 designers, including specialists in tourism and hospitality, green infrastructure, public waterfronts, commercial & mixed use developments and water sensitive landscape design. His experience includes public sector and private sector works, from small practices to large global companies, including employment at landscape, architectural and engineering companies. His international experience includes projects in the Middle East, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, India and China.
Like many Sheffield graduates, Lee gained his first opportunity working at Weddle Landscape Design, where he put his skills in CAD and 3D modeling to the test. He later joined Building Design Partnership and participated in some landmark urban regeneration projects like the Manchester Cathedral Gardens and the Leeds Hoibeck Urban Village (The Round Foundry). The experience in production information and working on site during the construction of the Ropewalks development in Liverpool was a sound foundation for his career in landscape architecture.
Arriving in China in 2001, Lee recalls he was blown away by the scale and pace of development in China, "it was a case of sink or swim for most foreigners who came to China at that time". He joined the engineering firm Scott Wilson (now URS Corp) and started in Beijing. He soon moved to Nanjing, Jiangsu Province to lead the landscape master plan and delivery of a 115km long expressway. "The early days for me in China were unbelievably difficult but I never gave up. I continued learning, collaborating and was determined to overcome the many challenges" says Lee.
Over the years his experience diversified to include education, healthcare, residential, hotels & resorts, urban waterfronts, wetlands, river restoration, urban regeneration, transport infrastructure, tourism plans and large scale master planning. A career highlight was becoming the Head of Planning and Landscape at Scott Wilson in 2008 and winning two awards for the Hoi He River Waterfront in Tianjin from the Landscape Institute and British Expertise International.
Lee joined AECOM in 2010 and claims the scale and types of pursuits that come along oncea week in China would probably only come along once every few years for a UK landscape practice. "To ensure these projects are considered holistically and delivered sustainably, one needs commitment beyond a normal working day. You have to be dedicated in your role as a landscape architect to protect, conserve and enhance the natural and built environment. especially given the rapid urbanization process in China" Lee says.
When asked about the career prospects of landscape architects he believes the next generation should be prepared to design and plan in the era of climate change, the
depletion of non-renewable resources and rapid urbanization. Lee frequently travels all over China and sees urban areas that often fail to integrate connected natural systems and
processes within cities. He strives for a change in the planning system where landscape architects are leading significant ecological transformation in Chinese cities.
His vision on the future worldwide trend of landscape architecture is for landscape architectsto become the leading profession in the natural and built environment. He believes this is possible because of our holistic approach to planning natural systems, social systems, blue and green infrastructures.
When asked about the competence of Sheffield graduates in the industry, Lee considers the theories on urban ecological design and environmentally friendly approaches to planning are highlights. He recognizes Sheffield graduates gain a sound foundation from some of the UK's leading international experts at the department.
His advice for the current landscape architecture students is to be adaptable, collaborative and confident to challenge planning, urban design or architecture that compromises the
integrity of landscape systems. Be flexible, always take on new challenges and understand that your career is a lifelong journey of continuing professional development.
Outside of work Lee is happily settled in Shanghai with his wife Xiao Qing and their children Freya and George. He enjoys travel, cycling, photography and music.
PEOPLE ORIENTATED LANDSCAPES
Au Hin Fai Nicholas is currently working in the Hong Kong, specializing in landscape design for public housing developments. He has experience working in both private and public sectors in the United Kingdom (UK) and Hong Kong.
To begin his career, he stayed in the UK after hegraduated from the University of Sheffield in 1989 and worked with the Austin Smith Lord in Warrington, Cheshire. After a year, he joined the Landscape Town & Country Ltd.,
where he gainedincredible landscape practice working experience from the development of the new town,
Milton Keynes, in the UK. In 1995, Nicholas returned to Hong Kong and joined the Hong Kong Housing Department, now as a Senior Landscape Architect.
During his time in the UK, he worked on the Caldecotte Lake which serves for flood retention. There was active erosion at the bottle neck of the lake.To a young landscape architect, this was a challenging task. Although the erosion problem could be solved with an engineering method, he chose a more biological approach to reduce the force of erosion along the lakeside. His solution proved to be effective and the structure still stands perfectly well today. His passion in landscape architecture shines not only through his career.
During his time in the UK, he dedicatedone whole year to design and construct his private garden. "Energy is all we have when we are young. It is fun to dig into any possible creative solutions to minimize the construction cost." Nicholas says. In fact, all the materials he used were recycled materials; even lightings in the gardencame from the scrap yards. He was very pleased to see his house still in good shape in the hands of current occupants through satellite images.
Under the land and cost constraints for public housing development, he has been using a wide range of greening techniques, such as vertical greening, green roof, and communal terraces on every three floors in a housing block to increase the greening ratio. All these measures help enhance the quality of living to the residents.
He foresees the development trend of landscape architecture would be greatly influenced by food shortage crisis. The approach of permaculture would help to alleviate the problem and restore the harmonious relationship between the landscape and people. Integrated use of ecology is taken as the basis of co-creative evolution of agricultural food production. This is particularly applicable in situations with diminishing natural resources and increasing demand for sustainability.
The application of green infrastructures is also gaining higher recognition these days. Its contribution to water storm management and land conservation is undeniable. Implementation of a strategic urban rainwater harvesting system could be more economical and environmentally friendly in the long run- minimize minimum energy input, maximum outputmaximize production. Nicholas agrees to this issue, "It is worth-noting that green infrastructure is increasingly popular, especially in the public housing
projects I happen to come across."
His advice to the current students is to see the role of a landscape architect nowadays - a designer who works with multi-disciplines such as horticulture,
arboriculture, forestry, architecture, civil engineering, etc. Better understandings of open space design in urban landscape such as for children play, elderly and community needs, and Besides, contract administration are important as a practicing landscape architect as well.
Alumni Victoria Jones and Andrew Nicol building a show garden at this years RHS Cardiff Flower Show
Recent graduates Victoria Jones and Andrew Nicol have just set up a garden design and build business together, and will be exhibiting at the RHS Cardiff Flower Show to launch the new company.
The Garden is going to be built almost entirely out of recycled materials and will have a green roof and green 'wildlife wall' which will contain insect and bird houses, bird feeders as well as lots of plants. Victoria told us "It will be a real Sheffield Landscape team effort, Other Sheffield alumni students Will Johnson, Marcus Hall and Sook Im are going to come down to help us with the build over the next 2 weeks. We've just got our fingers and toes crossed now that it warms up a bit so that our trees come into leaf and our flowers bloom in time".
The show will take place between the 19th and 21st April in Bute Park in Cardiff. For more information about Vic and Andy's new venture go to www.wadeandnicol.com
UPDATE
Huge Congratulations to Victoria and Andy for winning a gold medal for their show garden at the RHS Cardiff Flower Show. Victoria said "We are both absolutely delighted and still in shock a bit!! It was an amazing weekend and we had such lovely comments from the public and local press and quite a few leads for potential work so it has all definitely been worth it!".
Click here for more information on the garden at the RHS website.
Department Alumnus Alan Ahlstrom Wins Award
University of Sheffield Department of Landscape Alumnus, Alan Ahlstrom, a Registered Landscape Architect and Certified Horticulturist, was honored at the Annual Winter Meeting of the Rhode Island Nursery and Landscape Association (RINLA), held in the new Center for Biological and Life Sciences Building (CBLS) on the University of Rhode Island Campus, this association of professionals from all aspects of the green industry, awarded Mr. Ahlstrom and his Company, Havenwood llc, First Place in Commercial Design for his work on the New Chapel Grille Restaurant owned and built by Alfred Carpionato. The judges noted that the once pastoral landscape of the Old “Bad Boy’s” school presented a challenge due to the severe changes in elevation and the utilitarian aspects of the newly constructed Chapel View mixed-use development. Mr. Ahlstrom met these challenges with creativity and artistic flair for stone and plants.
Project Background:
History:
The Chapel is one of the four remnants of the Sockanosset Boys Training School, which closed in the early 1990s. The boy’s school, which was part of the Howard Reservation, represents the State of Rhode Island’s first attempt to provide state-wide social services through public institutions. The State Board of Charities and Corrections established this “State Farm” in 1866, which combined the Westcott and Howard Farms. This pastoral land in Cranston, outside the Providence city limits, was set to combine a House of Correction, an Asylum for the Criminally Insane, and a State Alms House. The thinking at the time was that the chaos of the urban industrial environment was the root cause of many of the social ills of the time.
The Chapel and the Infirmary wings (destroyed by fire, 1970’s) were established in 1891 to provide healing of the Body and Spirit. The stone structure, with a wood porch, was designed by Stone, Carpenter and Wilson Architects and was seen to be the shining jewel in the Howard complex. The School closed in the early 1990’s and subsequently fell into rapid decline and disrepair.
Today, the site is undergoing major redevelopment incorporating the three remaining Dormitories from the boy’s school and The Chapel. Currently under partial completion, it is an upscale, mixed-use development combining residential, office, retail, and restaurant space with the Chapel earmarked for a gourmet trattoria, Chapel Grille.
Alan Ahlstrom and Havenwood, llc Landscape Architecture were brought into the project by Carpionato Properties back in 2006 in order to provide a refined eye for materials and detail which would elevate the Landscape design standards and assist with the Paving, Planting and Lighting of the entire Chapel View development. “The Stone Chapel (one of the four preserved buildings on site) was the gem of whole development from the beginning. The old
context of the pastoral farm landscape that it sat upon was about to be completely altered but, we needed to keep this diamond at the center - only we needed to polish it, and set it in a new setting in order for it to truly shine. “, said Alan Ahlstrom with regards to the project. “And that is precisely what it has become. I am so glad to have my work recognized by my fellow professionals in the green industry and am especially grateful to Alfred Carpionato for
bringing me in on the project.”
The Chapel Grille opened its doors in December, 2011 and has been flourishing in its first year. As it succeeds, the final portions of the gardens are being completed. This is award marks the second time Alan Ahlstrom and Havenwood, LLC has been presented an Excellence in Design award by RINLA, the first being in 2008 for Residential Design.