A love of nature, a passion for design with Catherine Lake

I grew up in Manila in the Philippines and studied Landscape Architecture at the University of New South Wales, Australia. Following my Bachelor’s degree, my career journey began as a Graduate Landscape Architect at a Cardiff-based landscape and ecology practice. Here, I worked on a mix of residential and leisure schemes, renewables and healthcare projects, as well as gaining valuable experience in landscape planning and assessment. During this period, I also completed further studies with a Post Graduate Diploma in Landscape Architecture at the University of Gloucestershire. 

From there I moved to the landscape architecture practice Grant Associates in Bath. I had the opportunity to work on projects such as Terminal 2 at Kempegowda International Airport in Bangalore, which had ambitious sustainability goals and looked to realise the unique design vision of a ​‘terminal in a garden’. I was also part of the team working on HS2 Curzon Street in Birmingham, and the Brabazon Masterplan on the site of the former Filton Airfield in South Gloucestershire. It was a really interesting and exciting mix of projects.

Next, I made the short journey up the A4 to the Bristol office of McGregor Coxall, who specialise in data-driven and research-led design underpinned by the philosophy of Biourbanism, which views the city as a series of interconnected living systems. There I worked as an Associate Landscape Architect. And then, looking for a new challenge, I came to Benoy. 

The thing I love most about landscape architecture is that it brings together two worlds that are very important to me: my love of the great outdoors and nature, and my passion for design. 

My childhood city of Manila was a very congested place, with lots of traffic and gated communities. In Australia, by contrast, where I completed my undergrad studies, the outdoors felt very inclusive and accessible, even in an urban setting. These experiences sparked a deep interest in landscape and how we can successfully integrate nature into our urban environments. They showed me how quality and robust greenspace is a vital ingredient of well-functioning cities; how it’s crucial to mental wellbeing, to the creation of community and resilience.

At the same time, I was always really interested in the arts and crafts and making things. So, for me, landscape architecture is an opportunity to combine my love of nature with my passion for creating and making. And what better way to explore creativity, than through designing places for people with nature at their core? 

During my studies, I became really interested in the ideas of Ian McHarg, the prominent Scottish landscape architect who wrote about the importance of designing with layers of natural systems in landscape and urban planning. These ideas helped me understand the complexity of systems at work within cities, and how these elements come together to create a functioning whole. When I understood that landscape architecture isn’t just about aesthetics and making urban spaces look pretty, but about wholistic and systems thinking, a form of environmental engineering, almost – that’s when I got really excited and inspired. That’s when I saw the breath and scope of what we can do as landscape architects. 

Placemaking and people are key for me. Having lived and worked in different countries around the world, I’ve come to see the importance of understanding how different communities use public space, and how public space can help to shape and strengthen those communities, fostering a sense of belonging and connection with nature. It comes back to layering; all those interactions between people, the built environment and nature; how individual components operate and combine within the bigger picture. As landscape architects, it’s our job to shape the narrative of how these pieces come together. I think it’s an important step in the transition from viewing ourselves as individuals to viewing ourselves and our cities as part of a wider community and set of systems. 

Sustainability is also critical to everything we do, and at Benoy we strive to ensure there’s rigour behind our sustainability processes and parameters. The danger with landscape architecture is that the term ​‘sustainability’ can be loosely and lazily applied because the discipline involves ​‘plants and greenery’. But there has to be rigour behind it, which is why we aim to apply sustainability checklists and criteria to the projects we work on. As landscape architects, we’re stewards of sustainable design, which isn’t just about minimising a project’s carbon footprint and environmental impact; it’s about delivering social and economic value as well. 

Regenerative design is a huge topic that’s gaining traction across the built environment. For me, regenerative design involves a mindset shift. I think there is often a misconception that humans have an entitlement over nature, that we are above or separate from it. But we need to understand that we are a part of nature; part of a wider, interconnected living system that is fundamental to our survival. This involves thinking about cities not just in terms of our immediate needs but considering a much wider set of stakeholders and incorporating natural systems into our cities in meaningful ways. By leveraging natural components and interconnected systems, we can create more liveable and not only resilient but regenerative urban spaces. And landscape architects are key players in that process. This has long been part of our discipline’s dialogue, so it’s really exciting to see it gaining momentum.

Having previously worked in single discipline companies, I’m really enjoying the multidisciplinary environment of Benoy. Having numerous specialisms under one roof is a great advantage, meaning you can work in a collaborative way. The best project teams are those that work collaboratively toward a shared vision, where you’re able to draw on multiple ideas and skills. Benoy enables that to happen. I guess it ultimately comes down to people; a good team of people is essential to the success of a project. We’re creating work that aims to bring society and the environment together, so the process itself needs to involve different people and different perspectives. The setup within our team at Benoy gives us opportunities to raise issues and share knowledge and ideas in a really inclusive way, which means our solutions are reflective of these diverse discussions.