Exquisite spaces to feed the senses.
Doug Holloway CMLI – MSGD is a chartered landscape architect and registered member of the society of garden designers. For 20 years he offered garden design and construction services, he now combines his experience as a trained horticulturalist, skilled craftsman, and professional landscape architect to create beautiful living spaces, with exceptional detailing, designed to last for decades.
“I aim to create simple, elegant, contemporary spaces, in keeping with their surroundings. I often combine abundant textural planting and striking architectural trees. I use clean refined lines, flowing curves, and simple geometry, to create a cohesive design. I work with the history, felt sense and architecture of a place, and with consideration for the clients and the project brief; bringing these elements of a project together with intuition, imagination and professional judgement. I like to consider how my designs can enhance a sense of connection to the natural environment; for example, how sunlight creates luminous textures in planting, spilling over paving, casting moving shadows as it sways in the wind. As a landscape architect my ultimate aim is to create spaces with a clear sense of place.”
Doug provides a detailed project monitoring service and via our sister company, we offer landscape construction as part of our complete in-house service throughout Oxfordshire, surrounding counties, the Cotswolds, and West London.
Professional Landscape Design. Site analysis. Intuitive approach. Creative ideas.
A professional and personal service.
Doug works with you personally, throughout the process, to develop concept drawings and masterplans, being physically present and involved in the creation of the landscape, using his hands on approach.
He likes to hand sketch initial concept ideas and plans, before presenting them to you. The design process he has developed, gives you the opportunity to fully understand what you want to do with the new space, by seeing ideas in vivid, colourful illustrations. Doug aims to show, in the first stage of the design process, simply and quickly, how the plants and trees, and hard landscape combine, to allow you to fully visualise the new landscape design. All design is conducted professionally with an aim to achieve your desired approach, whether you desire contemporary luxury, or a wild, creative and heartfelt landscape. Doug is passionate about every space that he works in, and aims to provide a competent and professional approach to design, creating practical and achievable proposals.
“I have experienced, that when care and consideration are used to design places, the new space is more than the sum of its parts. There is a deeper transformative effect and a grounded sense that the new place has always been there.”
The importance of layers and connection to ‘wildness’.
Garden design is a complex, intuitive process; involving people, places and the imagination. Doug believes in making the design process simple and enjoyable for the people he works with. He tries to weave together new ideas, the clients wishes and the history of a place; working with the natural characteristics and flow of the land, and taking into account the things that have happened in a place. Using this professional approach he can work in any style or history of property, creating thriving living spaces in keeping with their surroundings.
“I feel drawn to wild places. This reflects in numerous ways in my work: for example, whether a planting scheme has a feeling of wildness, whether an area of a landscape is redeveloped to work with the natural characteristics of the place, i.e. a wetland area, or whether we develop new areas of wild flower meadows within a site. My sense and experience is that by creating ‘wild places’, in whatever form, we create places that fill us all with a sense of physical and emotional well-being.”
Detailing excellence, landscapes designed to last.
As a professional landscape architect, Doug focusses on the importance of excellent detailing. This means that spaces are designed to function well and look beautiful, from the broad scale views, down to the fine details and architectural finish of materials.
Designing spaces to last for decades means liking the fact that some materials will age and gain in beauty over time. Caring about how plants and trees will mature (and offering on-going horticultural guidance) to encourage the living elements of design to reach their full potential, is essential to professional design. His wealth of experience, and the broad and diverse range of specialist associates Doug has developed working relationships with, enables him to lead on a project and guide all of our projects, from concept to completion and forwards into further horticultural advice. It is a testament to the longevity of our work, that clients are prepared to give us testimonials (reviews) many years after the project has reached completion.
The concept for a formal garden has worked well. The planting matured beautifully and many people compliment the garden. We have a different lifestyle now that the outside space feels so welcoming. The kitchen doors are open onto the patio as much as possible. It continues to give us a great deal of pleasure.
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