My Â鶹´«Ã½ Story: A Year in industry as a landscape architect with Maddy Nunan
July 08, 2024
In the My Â鶹´«Ã½ Story series, our designers, engineers, marketers, project managers, and leaders come together to share how their career journeys at Â鶹´«Ã½ have shaped their lives and moved them closer to their goals.
Tell us about your role¡
A Year in Industry (YinI) landscape architect, I¡¯m based out of the Soho office and work predominantly with the team based in Bristol. Since joining Â鶹´«Ã½ in September 2023, the role has allowed me to be involved in a breadth of projects both in planning and design. My tasks include producing baseline mapping, biodiversity net gain (BNG) plans, illustrative landscape masterplans, and photomontages as well as contributing to the Design and Access Statement (DAS) documents. These outputs require skills in AutoCAD, Photoshop, and Illustrator and report writing. I work with and support the landscape team, a varied experience with no two days the same.
What attracted you to a career at Â鶹´«Ã½?
As a landscape architect looking for my YinI placement, I wanted to find a role that would expose me to a wide range of projects and give me the opportunity to learn new skills and enhance my knowledge. I felt that as a large international business, Â鶹´«Ã½ would offer good structure and training, in addition to potential longer term career opportunities.
When applying for placements, I found the interview process at Â鶹´«Ã½ really positive and felt that the company and role would be a great fit. I was keen to work across and gain experience in planning and design areas, and Â鶹´«Ã½ offered the opportunity to support the team and projects in all areas.
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What do you enjoy most about your role?
One of the most enjoyable aspects of my role is the collaborative nature of working closely as a team, sharing ideas, and learning from experienced colleagues.
Working on a variety of tasks within projects has been really enjoyable, exposing me to the length and breadth of the processes involved. Additionally, I¡¯ve enjoyed going out on site, which gives a different perspective to the role and allows me to see firsthand the locations and landscapes I¡¯ll be working on.
How has your personal and professional development been supported at Â鶹´«Ã½?
Since joining the landscape team, I¡¯ve felt fully integrated and have been given constant support and guidance by my colleagues, whose experience and knowledge has been pivotal in my development. My line manager and more senior members of the team always take the time to explain tasks and remits thoroughly, give good feedback, and involve me in a wide range of work to support them on projects. Involvement in daily team meetings gives me the opportunity to learn how projects are managed, tasks are allocated, and how the teams work together. In addition, the regular continuing professional development activities and office ¡®Show and Tells¡¯ facilitate my growth and learning across the business.
Systems and software training early on in the role have been key to much of the work I undertake, and I have greatly developed and improved my skills, particularly within AutoCAD.
What has been the standout project for you during your time at Â鶹´«Ã½?
I¡¯m amazed at the range of projects that I¡¯ve had the opportunity to be involved in, allowing me to draw on my creativity and initiative freely as well as learning through discussions and research. One of the projects I was tasked with involved designing the landscape masterplan for a large residential scheme. This included the incorporation of green and blue corridors, a wooded wetland park, cultivation in landscapes and in the areas of the site with a lower risk of flooding, a mosaic parkland.
I¡¯m amazed at the range of projects that I¡¯ve had the opportunity to be involved in, allowing me to draw on my creativity and initiative freely as well as learning through discussions and research.
What are your ambitions for the future at Â鶹´«Ã½?
After undertaking a successful and enjoyable placement with Â鶹´«Ã½, I look forward to working for the team during my master¡¯s to further develop my career and to continue contributing to the amazing projects with the Bristol and London landscape teams.
What are your passions outside of work?
Outside of work, one of my main passions is sprinting. Since coming to London, I¡¯ve been involved with my local running club. I regularly explore the abundance of green spaces on my doorstep as well as weekends away to Yorkshire for long walks, gaining inspiration for my work and balancing city life with exposure to nature. I love music and have checked out various venues and events within London. Travelling brings me a lot of joy, and having visited Asia last year, I¡¯m hoping to spend some time this coming summer discovering Central and South America!
Why should others join the Â鶹´«Ã½ team?
Working for Â鶹´«Ã½ affords the opportunity for professional growth, with a real sense of community within your team, great training, support, and communication. With interesting projects and collaboration between disciplines, there¡¯s definitely a variety of experience to be gained.
With the opportunity to attend monthly socials organised by the London office social committee) the Developing Professional Group (DPG) has provided integration and enjoyable social connections across the various disciplines.
At Â鶹´«Ã½, we put people first, and for Maddy that means getting to explore all that a career in landscape architecture can offer.?