LANDSCAPING & EXTERNAL WORKS
EARLY COLLABORATION FOR STRONGER LANDSCAPES
AN INTERVIEW WITH DARREN FIELD OF THE NEW HOME IMPROVEMENT GROUP
As architects face increasing pressure to deliver compliant, durable and design-led external schemes, early collaboration with specialist contractors is becoming essential. In this Q & A, Darren Field of The New Home Improvement Group discusses the launch of Architect Landscaping Services and how earlier engagement, technical expertise and practical installation knowledge can help practices deliver more robust and considered hard landscaping solutions.
What inspired you to introduce Architect Landscaping Services, and what challenges were you seeing in the market that made this feel like the right time to launch it? We had previously only worked with architects through client introductions. It quickly became apparent that we could offer a genuine value-added service by working with architects rather than against them. We’ ve collaborated successfully on a number of projects, which naturally led us to formalise this offering.
Who did you have in mind when creating this service, and at what stage of a project do you ideally like to get involved with architects or designers? Ideally, we like to get involved at the pre-design stage, bringing ideas to the table early on. We have an extensive back catalogue of projects to draw from, particularly in terms of innovative design and problem-solving solutions.
How does this new architect-focused service differ from the driveway and landscaping work you’ ve traditionally been known for? This is a more professional, structured offering. Traditionally, contractors are brought in after the build to present options to the client, which is common practice. However, schemes look far more considered and cohesive when they are properly designed and budgeted from the outset.
From your experience, where do architects most often run into difficulties when it comes to specifying driveways and external hard landscaping? Often, it’ s about providing a range of options rather
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