Company Profile: Gustafson Porter

By Ronlad Lee on September 4, 2016 No Comments / 6972 views

Landscape Architects Network feature a company profile for Gustafson Porter . Established in 1997 in London by Landscape Architect Kathryn Gustafson and Architect Neil Porter, the office soon became an award-winning company, known all over the world thanks to several of its realized projects located in different places around the globe. Its main strength is a combination of ingenious design, sensual shapes and the use of advanced computation tools with which it is capable of producing its characteristic and original projects.

Gustafson Porter

Spreading a Culture About Landscape

One of the key points of Gustafson Porter’s profile is its interest in creating a culture about landscape involving the role of specialists such as landscape architects. It often gives lectures about these topics and it is part of examiners’ committees during degree programmes or design juries. “We are part of a wider community of professionals who believe landscape is at the forefront of contemporary design and development,” they report on their website.

New Ludgate. Image credit: Fletcher Priest

Design Approach

What makes this office different from other firms is its distinctive design approach based on different but equally important elements. Just consider, for instance, its huge intervention for the Westergasfabriek Park, of which you can read more in our article Westergasfabriek Park Goes from a Polluted Gas Factory to an Award-Winning Design, from Gerard De Silva; at a closer look, you will find out all of GP’s key elements; landform, water, planting, lighting, sustainability, ecology, inclusive design and safety.

Westergasfabriek Park. Image courtesy of Gustafson Porter

The combination and the analysis of all these elements defines Gustafson Porter’s amazing projects while its people-oriented design brings them right to the peoples’ hearts, giving its interventions a long-lasting life through many different generations. “Our work is intellectually rigorous. We weave in layered stories; in the botanical selection of species or the way the colour of the paving demarcates the ancient line of the sea. We sculpt the land so it unfolds as the visitor walks through it. We design landscapes which change through the day, through the seasons, through different uses. We make landscapes to be experienced, owned and loved.”

Working with Different Cultures

Being an award-winning firm with built projects located all over the world it means being capable of dealing with multicultural contexts and different cultural needs. And that’s exactly what Gustafson Porter’s team aims at doing for every single project. Research strategies and deep analysis of historical contexts, along with collaborations with a wide range of specialists, allow the firm to create spaces which meet the complex and changing demands of all users.

Zeytouneh Square, Beirut, Lebanon by Gustafson Porter

Creating a Project is a Combination of Different Elements

Unlike what common people could think, being able to create awesome landscape designs is not exclusively related to one’s design skills. Actually, inclusive community spaces such as GP’s combine a variety of fields from strategic economic planning to cultural programming, not to mention a community consultation process with the public and other stakeholders to receive feedback. A certain attention to sustainable techniques is also appreciated, to build appropriate solutions.

Being a Landscape Architect at Gustafson Porter

Working for such an important firm would be a great opportunity for every landscape architect willing to make a leap forward in his or her career. Gustafson Porter’s team is wide and varied and includes professionals from different sectors, capable of working together to create fabulous designs such as the Diana Memorial Fountain, of which you can read more in Diana Memorial Fountain: “Reaching Out, Letting In” by writer Win Phyo.

Aerial view of Diana Memorial Fountain | image credit: Jason Hawkes

Aerial view of Diana Memorial Fountain. Photo credit: Jason Hawkes

A Constant Search for Knowledge

Knowing Gustafson Porter and understanding its main project designs is something that someone wanting to be a landscape architect shouldn’t fail to do. This interesting firm, with its almost 25 years of design experience, reveals in its landscape projects to be exceptionally passionate about design and both the natural and built environment. Its attention to the spreading of a culture about landscape through lecturing, education programmes, and consultancy surely is a start towards a different future for the next generation. “The development of our design work has continuously pushed the boundaries of what constitutes the field of landscape design and our work is known for its sensual and sculptural features. We believe that landscape architecture is an essential discipline for the creation of healthy environments in the 21st century.”

Direct Information for Gustafson Porter :

Office Name: Gustafson Porter Founders: Kathryn Gustafson, Neil Porter Year of foundation and location: 1997, London Address: 1 Cobham Mews – Agar Grove – St Pancras – London NW1 9SB Website: www.gustafson-porter.com E-mail contact: enquiries@gustafson-porter.com Social networks: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIN