Landscape Insight September 2018 | Page 12

MONTH IN REVIEW LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS APPOINTMENTS RANJIT MATHARU PROMOTED TO ASSOCIATE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT 38 PROMOTIONS MADE AT LUC IN 2018 Landscape architecture firm Gillespies has promoted Ranjit Matharu to associate landscape architect, in recognition of her “exceptional design and team leadership” on a range of complex UK projects. Since joining Gillespies in 2010 as a landscape architect, Matharu has delivered a number of high-profile projects across a range of sectors including residential, retail, commercial and infrastructure. Notable projects include the redevelopment of Woking Town Centre, landscape design and mitigation proposals for Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Station and landscape design for Riverlight, a residential- led development that has transformed a five-acre industrial estate in the heart of the Nine Elms regeneration area. Steve Wardell, managing partner at Gillespies, said: “Ranjit joined Gillespies in 2010 as a landscape architect and has continued to impress the partners not only with her technical design ability and leadership skills, but also her dedication, contribution to office life and her ability to represent the business. Ranjit’s diverse skills and expertise will benefit our clients and enhance our management team in London.” 12 Landscape Insight | September 2018 LANDSCAPE PROJECT LUC’S UNIVERSITY OF NORTHAMPTON WATERSIDE CAMPUS PROJECT OPENS TO PUBLIC After three years of construction and six years of continuous involvement LUC’s University of Northampton Waterside Campus project has been completed and is open to the public. The £330m project has transformed 25 hectares of contaminated riverside on the site of derelict factories and a power station into the University’s new flagship Waterside Campus featuring anew academic and residential buildings, ‘Energy Centre’, restoration of listed railway buildings and two new major river crossings. The designs are framed within LUC’s landscape masterplan and ecologically inspired public realm to create a series of major new spaces and connecting routes which LUC say both “celebrate the site’s scale and the 15,000 students and staff who will use it”. Richard Hannay, LUC’s director of landscape architecture and project director for Waterside, said: “I’m proud that we have succeeded in creating a new campus with an immediate and distinctive sense of place out of the most unpromising of sites and challenging of design and construction environments. It’s testament to the right design strategy, good working relationships and loads of stamina that we have exceeded expectations”. Landscape architecture firm LUC has promoted 38 members of staff this year. Notable promotions include Mark Fisk and Ed Phillips, who have been promoted to directors of landscape architecture. Fisk joined the group in 2012 and has over 12 years’ commercial experience, and Phillips joined LUC in 2002, specialising in bringing people and places together through “well- executed urban realm schemes”. Landscape Planner Sally Marshall is now associate director of landscape and seascape planning. She joined LUC in 2003 and her areas of expertise include developing methodologies in landscape and seascape character assessment. Steven Orr has moved up to associate director of planning, and is an experienced environmental planner and historic environment specialist with over 10 years in practice. His work spans strategic planning, policy and guidance development, plan, programme and governance evaluation. A statement by LUC read: “Earlier this year we reported on the Gender Pay Gap and explained what LUC is doing to address it. A fundamental part of this is ensuring balanced representation throughout all levels of the business. Our overall gender balance is around 53:47 (Female:Male) and the promotions this year are 60:40 overall and 54:46 at Associate and above.”