The University of Bristol’s Sloane Robinson Building at the new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus officially opened this week, following landscape and public realm design from Grant Associates.
The aim of the scheme is to transform a strategically located post-industrial site into a new green gateway to Bristol.
At the heart of the landscape is University Square, a major new public space and focal point at the entrance to the campus. From here, tree grove arrival spaces, planted terraces and social areas extend towards the riverside and floating harbour walkway, creating places to meet, study, eat and spend time outdoors.
Grant Associates worked closely with the University’s horticultural team from early design through to completion to develop the tree strategy and species selection, with regular reviews throughout the project.
More than 3,500 sq m of species-rich planting – including rain gardens, pollinator-rich planting, biodiverse roofs, native meadow and aquatic planting – creates a diverse and resilient green and blue infrastructure.
Chin Chen, associate director at Grant Associates, says:
“The Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus gave us the opportunity to rethink what the landscape of a city-centre university could be. We wanted the campus to feel rooted in Bristol — open, green and reconnecting nature with the city, rather than separated from it.
“The waterways and existing ecology gave us the starting point for this transformation journey. From there, landscape became the framework for creating places where students, staff and the wider community can meet, study, relax and spend time outdoors – embedding nature into the everyday life of the campus and the city.”
Monaco’s Bringing Nature Back into the City vision plan kicks off with a collaboration between the government and landscape architects Grant Associates.
The initiative establishes a strategic framework for strengthening biodiversity, improving public space, enhancing pedestrian connectivity and increasing climate resilience across an extremely populated urban environment.
Through a network of green and blue corridors, the vision explores how landscape can become an integral part of Monaco’s future evolution. The corridors will link the limestone mountains behind the city to the Mediterranean Sea, it demonstrates how nature-based solutions can improve quality of life while supporting biodiversity and climate adaptation.
Grant Associates is leading the landscape vision, with help across various teams from Biodiversity by Design, Studio 4215, Arup, Speirs Major, Nadina Galle, Ecometrx, Space Syntax, Tim O’Hare and RLB | SQA.
Andrew Grant, founder and director of Grant Associates, comments on the project:
“Monaco is one of the densest urban places on the planet, yet landscape remains fundamental to its identity because of its remarkable setting between mountain and sea. The challenge has been to understand how those natural systems can once again shape the experience of the city.”
The vision aligns with Monaco’s National Biodiversity Strategy and considers how biodiversity, mobility, climate resilience and public health can be addressed together through landscape-led design.
The transformation of Belvedere Park at East Village in Stratford has begun construction.
Led by landscape architecture practice Grant Associates, the redesign features a new community-focused public space for client Get Living, a build to rent operator and developer.
The 0.62 hectare park designed by Grant Associates has been conceived as a contemporary interpretation of the English garden.
As the park unfolds, a sequence of immersive spaces will lead visitors towards trellis arches, vibrant planting and play spaces.
Works are now underway on the project, with landscape contractor Maylim leading delivery on site with completion expected in the late summer.
At the centre of the landscape, a vibrant play area will feature inclusive and varied equipment alongside carefully positioned seating.
The overall planting strategy is both resilient and ecologically rich, drawing on colour, flow and perception of the space.
Ibrahim Diaz, associate director at Grant Associates, comments on the project:
“Belvedere Park transforms what was once an exposed, predominantly lawned space into a landscape that offers a strong sense of refuge and discovery for the community.
“The design is defined by a distinctive green armature, enclosing a series of playful, intimate spaces where rich planting is interwoven with community areas, seating, play spaces, and trellised structures.”
Belvedere Park forms part of the continuing evolution of East Village.
A newly transformed area of mature woodland into a Central African forest landscape for animals and visitors alike has opened at Bristol Zoo Project.
The new immersive gorilla habitat first gained planning permission by South Gloucestershire Council in 2024, which forms a key early phase of the wider landscape-led masterplan, which Bath-based landscape architects Grant Associates have been developing with Bristol Zoological Society since 2021.
A new home for the society’s troop of critically endangered wester lowland gorillas, the space is already being explored.
Grant Associates led the masterplan and landscape design of the habitat from concept through to planning, detailed design and delivery, working alongside architects Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (FCBS) and engineering firm Momentum along with a wider consultant team. Andrew Grant, founder and director, comments:
“Designing landscapes for animals demands a different way of thinking about place. The landscape must support animal welfare first and foremost, while also creating meaningful experiences for visitors.”
Across the site, structures are finished in a calibrated ‘invisible green’ to allow architecture and infrastructure to recede into the woodland backdrop.
Social enterprise Places for People has achieved planning approval for over 600 hectares of green space at its 10,000-home vision at Gilston.
The masterplan sets the framework for how the local community will have access to almost 15km of heritage trails alongside local art and wayfinding and over 410 hectares of integrated green spaces for families to rest and play.
Part of the Harlow & Gilston Garden Town (HGGT) initiative, the project is set to become a blueprint in striking a balance between town and country living through the delivery of a network of seven interconnected villages delivered with a landscape led approach.
Sammie Steele, regional director for Greater London at Places for People, says “Gilston is not an easy development to deliver, but through collaboration with HGGT and East Herts District Council, we set out our vision to create something different, something that would act as a beacon of community housebuilding done right.”
The strategic landscaper masterplan, developed by Grant Associates, includes a coherent green framework that responds to climate, heritage and local character.
Grant Associates worked alongside Quod, SLR Consulting, AECOM, Ecological Planning & Research and Montagu Evans.
Grant Associates announces its seven international awards the landscape architecture firm has scooped up across its UK and Singapore offices.
A significant milestone for Grant Associates, the practice collected five awards at the Singapore Landscape Architecture Awards (SLAA), one at the International Federation of Landscape Architects Asia-Pacific region (IFLA APR) Landscape Architecture and Luminary Awards and finally, one at the Landscape Institute (LI) Awards.
The three ceremonies took place during the same night across three time zones.
Andrew Grant, founder and director, comments on what it means to the firm:
“These awards are a wonderful recognition of the creativity, dedication, and collaborative spirit that define our work at Grant Associates.
“From Singapore to London to Tianjin, these award-winning projects show the global reach of landscape architecture in tackling today’s most pressing challenges — climate resilience, biodiversity loss, and human wellbeing.”
The Grand Hyatt Hotel and The Reef at King’s Dock won Gold at the SLAA, alongside the Elementum & the Rail Corridor and the Sino-Singapore Friendship Park which picked up Silver.
The Reef at King’s Dock won the Outstanding Award within the Residential (Built) category at IFLA APR Landscape Architecture & Luminary Awards.
Global landscape architecture practice Grant Associates has designed The Initial Sama as a wellness-centred landscape in the heart of Singapore.
Developed by The Initial Group, the firm transformed the former Eusoff College site into a landscape that combines nature, wellbeing and community life.
Agnes Soh, senior associate at Grant Associates explains “our design ethos was about respect – conserving existing giant trees and designing sensitively around them”.
Intended to appeal to international and business travellers, visitors and local professionals to socialise, work and restore.
The courtyard garden, wellness and healing gardens and pool deck form the core of the landscape. Featuring tree planting, flowering and edible species, the environment provides a calm and reflective space in Singapore.
Grant Associates’ landscape design has been unveiled during the opening of Shenzhen Bay Culture Park’s latest phase.
Featuring a concept of lichens, unique hybrid organisations found in everyday environments, the design includes plazas, pathways and courtyards.
Agnes Soh, a senior associate at Grant Associates says the ambition was “to create a ‘slowscape’, a landscape that encourages people to pause, explore and reconnect with nature”.
Located within Shenzhen’s Houjai urban district, the culture park features two distinct zones that are unified by a network of interconnected landscape layers and features.
With green spaces, urban lounges, lush planting and roof gardens, the space also features a 1km-elevated walkway which stands as the “icon” of the Shenzhen Bay MixC masterplan, reads the design plan.
The international landscape architecture firm worked alongside developer China Resources and The Oval Partnership Ltd for the landscape design, planning and documentation of the new culture hub.
A mixed-used destination, the space can be used for fashion shows, sculpture exhibitions and culture events, too.
Grant Associates has announced that the Appleby Blue Almshouse project has been shortlisted for the 2025 RIBA Stirling Prize.
Developed with Witherford Watson Mann Architects, the Southwark-based project was commissioned by United St Saviour’s Charity to reimagine traditional almshouses for the 21st century to create affordable, independent homes for older people in London.
Grant Associates created a landscape for connection and wellbeing, featuring seasonal gardens and rooftop terraces for social interaction whilst enhancing biodiversity.
Keith French, director at Grant Associates says the collaboration was a “privilege,” whilst feeling “delighted the project has been shortlisted”.
The winner of the 2025 RIBA Stirling Prize will be announced on 16 October 2025.
Grant Associates has been honoured with the top award in Singapore’s 2024 Architectural Heritage Awards for its work restoring the historic Bukit Timah Railway Station.
The honour for the landscape architects comes as part of its work with a multi-disciplinary team led by Kay Ngee Tan Architects.
The Architectural Heritage Awards were established in 1995 by Singapore government’s Urban Redevelopment Authority to recognise exceptional restoration projects which enrich Singapore’s built heritage landscape.
The minister for national development Desmond Lee handed out the award, singling out the restoration of Bukit Timah Railway Station for the top distinction award thanks to its integration of heritage, nature, and community.
“The continuous vegetation unifies the site, evoking past memories, while diverse textures, green hues, accents, and plant groupings bring spatial variation and depth,” Stefaan Lambreghts, associate director at Grant Associates.
“We did not seek to recreate a strict historical planting scheme at Bukit Timah; instead, we curated and enhanced the existing landscape, achieving a rustic charm.
“The result is an ‘instant landscape’ that has grown even wilder and more vibrant over two years.”
The jury acknowledged the landscape’s pivotal role in creating a cohesive, spatial experience.
From a landscape design perspective, the project brief challenged Grant Associates to harmonize heritage with nature.
Throughout the design and construction, it took an aspirational and pragmatic approach, curating existing planting and introducing native vegetation to complement the heritage architecture.
The goal was to frame perspectives and to create backdrops with the green edges defining an enchanting central open space for the community.
Wherever possible, existing plants were preserved, regardless of species or form. At the entrance a horizontally growing acacia intertwines with other trees, creating a rustic, welcoming entrance.
Some plants naturally re-emerged after selective clearing during construction and as a result there was a spontaneous addition of alocasia.
Earlier this week the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital opened its doors, for which Grant Associates played a key role in the design.
Midland Metropolitan University Hospital (MMUH) has opened its doors in West Birmingham, with landscape architecture by Grant Associates playing a key role in the new design.
Grant Associates’ vision for MMUH is centred around biophilic design, connecting people with nature to support both physical and mental health.
The design provides a narrative on the canalside location and habitats, and features expansive views onto courtyards, terraces and roof gardens to connect the building with its natural surroundings.
Key themes include promoting active, healthy lifestyles, encouraging biodiversity, and creating spaces that are welcoming, inclusive, and therapeutic.
“This is a landmark project for the West Midlands, offering state-of-the-art healthcare facilities within a landscape designed to foster health, wellbeing, and environmental sustainability,” says Peter Chmiel, director at Grant Associates.
“We’re very proud to have played our part in designing an environment where nature is very much at the heart of modern healthcare.”
Sustainability is at the heart of the design as it employs sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), using the blue network of canals and water systems for both aesthetic and functional benefit.
Species-rich rain gardens form an integral part of the green infrastructure, managing surface water runoff while creating new homes for wildlife.
Biodiverse roofs are also a key feature, designed to provide habitats for protected species, such as the black redstart, and support local biodiversity.
Grant Associates’ strategy ensures that the landscape is adaptive to climate change, with resilient planting typologies, sustainable irrigation solutions, and planting that supports both wildlife and human activity.
The landscape has been designed to endure, with a 30-year management and maintenance plan in place to secure its longevity.
It also features a central green space the size of a cricket pitch, surrounded by landscaped beds, mature tree planting and pathways as well as a community garden.
There will also be a new linear landscape along the cape arm, which features wetland habitats and tow path improvements creating a vibrant green space for both the hospital and local community to enjoy.
The hospital, designed by HKS, Cagni Williams, and Sonnemann Toon Architects for Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, combines cutting-edge medical facilities with a restorative and sustainable landscape.
Grant Associates-designed new wellness gardens have been revealed at the Grand Hyatt Singapore Hotel.
The new collection of lush gardens and serene waterscapes designed by landscape architect form part of a major transformation of the luxury hotel.
Conceived during the challenging times of the Covid-19 pandemic, human wellbeing and nature’s crucial role in wellness was at the heart of the design thinking.
It was designed in partnership with Tokyo-based interior architects Strickland and NAO Taniyama Associates.
Toby Kyle, associate director at Grant Associates in Singapore, says: “These lush gardens not only enrich their surroundings but also promote urban biodiversity, enhancing Singapore’s ecological fabric.
“Each garden is meticulously crafted to offer guests a natural sanctuary in a vibrant cityscape, reflecting Singapore’s unique relationship between the city and nature.”
Water flows, tumbles, and cascades through lushly planted surroundings, infusing the area with a relaxing lifeforce that nurtures and sustains.
Inspired by ‘Shinrin-yoku’ or forest bathing, Grant Associates’ design features interconnected gardens that harmonize seamlessly with the environment, offering luxurious retreats for relaxation and respite.
The wellness gardens also serve as a natural sanctuary for pollinators from the neighbouring butterfly trails and include ponds for the resident koi.
The Guangzhou China: Guangzhou Garden, which took home a gold medal and the award for Best in Show at the 2021 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, has been rebuilt at the University of Bristol’s Botanic Garden.
The garden, designed by Bath-based practice Grant Associates director Peter Chmiel and associate director Chin-Jung Chen, was gifted to Bristol by the city of Guangzhou – the two cities have been twinned since 2001.
Chmiel and Chin-Jung were joined at the unveiling by the University’s Botanic Garden Curator, Nicholas Wray, who shared insight on how the garden has been adapted to its new South Western home.
Inspired by the city of Guangzhou, the original garden featured numerous planting species and aquatic designs, which aligned with Chelsea’s first autumnal show in its 108-year history.
Paying homage to Guangzhou’s philosophy which gives equal consideration to the needs of people and wildlife through sustainable city planning strategies, reconnecting people and nature.
Landscape architects, Chmiel and Chin-Jung from Grant Associates, comment on the gardens relocation, saying: “It is fantastic that the core concepts and sustainability values of the design have been maintained but reimagined by the use of a planting mix that is purely native to China.”
The pair go on to say they are “delighted to see all the laminated bamboo structures, crafted by Xylotek, have been thoughtfully integrated and carefully treated to maximise their lifespan.”
Garden Curator, Wray adds: “The plant mix from the Chelsea Flower Show Garden was not relocated to Bristol as some of the semi-mature trees were over a ton in weight. Instead, the planting has been reimagined to feature plants entirely Chinese in origin. We hope the garden will be enjoyed and inspire visitors for many years to come.”
Staff at the Botanic Garden have been propagating plants from the garden’s Chinese plant collections to create a planting design that reflects the appearance of the sub-tropical flora of Guangzhou.
Landscape architects Grant Associates has been appointed alongside lead architects Bennetts Associates to revitalise the Anatolio College campus, Greece.
The design centres on a ‘forest campus’ theme, refreshing the original spaces identity, as well as improving upon the existing architecture.
Other key objectives include, further integrating sustainability throughout the site, supporting the surrounding wildlife and building on the local heritage in a respectful and compassionate way.
Director at Grant Associates, Peter Chmiel, says: “It is a privilege to have this opportunity to help to shape the next landscape chapter and celebrate the legacy landscape whilst also responding to modern global concerns of climate change and biodiversity loss.”
He goes on to say the design is “based on the themes of resilient nature and regenerative design”, with the intent to “increase nature” all within the framework of the “beautiful and immersive gardens of Anatolia.”
The two companies will be supported by a sustainability-focused design team.
The redevelopment of ITV’s former headquarters on London’s South Bank secures planning permission for ‘major’ green driven transformation.
Development of 72 Upper Ground will be carried out by developer Mitsubishi Estate, development manager CO—RE, London-based Make Architects and international landscape architecture practice Grant Associates.
The plans look to prioritise wellbeing and sustainability, with a six-storey mixed use podium to support two office buildings and a substantial rooftop garden.
Development aims to achieve BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ and WELL Platinum certification.
Grant Associates will be responsible for ensuring that 40% of the site is transformed into a new public realm, including a new public rooftop restaurant and terrace, and two new public garden squares.
As well as increasing the overall biodiversity impact and the development’s connection to the wider green infrastructure.
The site’s landscaping will “optimise planting and wildlife opportunities”, says senior associate at Grant Associates, Andrew Haines.
Lead architect at Make Architects, Frank Filskow adds that development will “give back 40% of the site to create new biodiverse public spaces, including a new route to the riverfront.”
Development of 72 Upper Ground presents a £700m investment in the UK, it will create approximately 4,000 new jobs and 40k ft2 of affordable workspace, as well as new cultural venues and amenities.
