Landscape architecture

We seek to understand the tastes, routines, intended uses and the relationship the client wishes to establish with the outdoors.

We talk about how the space will be lived in: socialising, rest, contemplation, meals, circulation, play, growing produce, privacy or contact with nature.

We also analyse expectations regarding maintenance, seasonality, the desired level of involvement and the future evolution of the garden.

We do not begin by choosing plants or materials. We begin by understanding what the space should allow, convey and transform.

We study the land before drawing on it.

The space is not treated as a blank sheet. Its characteristics, limitations and opportunities guide the design decisions.

At concept design we define the general organisation of the space, the uses, the circulation routes, the relationships between indoors and outdoors and the planting structure that will give the project scale and identity.

The initial estimate allows the project to be framed within the client’s investment expectations from the first decisions. In this way, the design, the materials, the planting and the level of intervention can evolve consistently with the available budget.

Once the concept design is validated, we develop the written and drawn documents that allow the outdoor space to be defined, coordinated, quantified and built.

During detailed design, we develop the budget proposal for the works and align it with the client’s expectations. The construction options, materials, systems and planting are assessed together, allowing the proposal to be adjusted without losing the central intention of the project.

Where necessary, we develop or coordinate the documents for the outdoor component that form part of the licensing process, and we handle licensing processes.

Preparation also includes planning the works, organising the different specialist trades and defining the most suitable construction sequence. This work reduces uncertainties, conflicts and changes during construction.

When construction is handed to Diaplant’s Landscaping team, the landscape architect responsible for the design continues to manage and supervise the works.

This continuity prevents the design intention from being lost in the handover between drawing and construction. It also makes it possible to respond to the conditions found on site, without turning every adjustment into an interpretation made by a team unaware of where the decisions came from.

The landscape architect who designs is the same one who manages and supervises the works.

At handover, we pass on to the client or to whoever is responsible for maintenance the knowledge needed to understand the space and follow the development of the planting.

When contracted, Diaplant can also take on the full maintenance of the space. In projects built by our Landscaping team, the designer stays connected to the garden during the initial period and follows the implementation of the maintenance plan defined for the space.