Gustafson Porter + Bowman is an award-winning, international landscape architecture practice which has received public acclaim for creating authentically engaging spaces within a global portfolio. The development of our design work has continuously pushed the boundaries of what constitutes the field of landscape design. Above all, we believe that landscape architecture is an essential discipline for the creation of healthy environments in the 21st century.
The practice was established in 1997 as Gustafson Porter, when the acclaimed landscape architect Kathryn Gustafson opened a London office with architect Neil Porter. Mary Bowman joined the practice in 2002. Kathryn, Neil, and Mary, together with partners Sibylla Hartel and Donncha O Shea and Eduardo Carranza, are supported by a team of landscape architects and architects from around the world.
We keep a healthy balance between architects and landscape architects. This is a great asset when working in collaboration with other architects on complex projects, or when we need to design and build our own structures, as we did with Harbour Square in Beirut (2008-2011). Most of our design team are women, which feels an anomaly in the context of the wider construction industry today, though this is changing.
All our projects are sensitive to their site. Many have observed that our work is sculptural, sensual, fluid and diverse. In all our projects we investigate the most current technologies and methods and, if suitable, introduce them into our landscape designs. We often take reference from the immediate history and culture of a site. Ultimately, we believe in meaningful landscapes that connect body, mind, and soul with a physical and cultural environment.
We are open to work in all sectors and are currently leading designs, or collaborating with architects on projects, ranging from private gardens to major transport interchanges. Some of our most successful schemes are high-quality parks and plazas including Valencia Parque Central, Cultuurpark Westergasfabriek, International Quarter London, and Rathbone Square. We work on international projects in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia, where we can really push the boundaries of landscape architecture, such as Marina One, in Singapore.
In our twenty-fifth anniversary year, the practice is growing with the UK and Europe being the strongest markets. This year we are delivering on Boland’s Quay in Ireland, Space House and Curzon Street in London, and Site Tour Eiffel in Paris amongst others. In the end, our true values remain the same: To intensify the experience of time and place through landscape design. Landscape is a necessary feature of our built environments as well as an act of social and cultural expression.
Published on February 13, 2017
