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10 Best Landscape Design Firms Globally
Our environment is significantly shaped by landscape design, which produces aesthetically pleasing areas that harmoniously integrate human contact with nature. Numerous businesses all over the world have proven to have remarkable talent, creativity, and knowledge in the subject of landscape design. These top 10 landscape design companies stand out for their outstanding contributions to the sector and their permanent impact on the environment around the world.
These firms have pushed the limits of landscape design by converting urban areas into a brilliant green oasis and building magnificent natural retreats. They have received praise and admiration from all over the world for their imaginative approach, exquisite attention to detail, and dedication to sustainability.
In this article, we highlight the top 10 landscape design firms worldwide, recognising their great accomplishments and highlighting the distinctive characteristics that make them stand out. Every firm on this list has made a substantial contribution to the industry and has won praise for their ground-breaking achievements.
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West 8 Urban Design & Landscape Architecture
West 8 is an award-winning international office for urban design and landscape architecture, founded in 1987 with offices in Rotterdam, North America and Belgium. Over the last three decades West 8 has established itself as a leading practice with an international team of 70 architects, urban designers, landscape architects and industrial engineers. West 8’s North American office was established after winning an international design competition in 2006 for the design of Governors Island Park – a 172-acre island in the New York Harbor.
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Gustafson Porter + Bowman
Gustafson Porter + Bowman is an award-winning landscape architecture practice which has received public acclaim for creating authentically engaging spaces within a global portfolio.
The development of their design work has continuously pushed the boundaries of what constitutes the field of landscape design and is known for its sensual and sculptural features.
Spanning climate zones, geographical characters, historical and cultural backgrounds, our exciting and varied projects include the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial in Hyde Park (London, 2004), Cultuurpark Westergasfabriek (Amsterdam, 2006), Old Market Square (Nottingham, 2007), Parque Central (Valencia, 2019) and the first ever landscape installation at the 11th Architecture Biennale in Venice (2008).
James Corner Field Operations
James Corner Field Operations is a leading-edge urban design and landscape architecture practice based in New York City, with offices in San Francisco, Philadelphia, Shenzhen, and London. Field Operations is renowned for strong contemporary design across a variety of project types and scales, from large urban districts and mixed-use masterplans, to large parks, waterfronts and public spaces, to small well-crafted, detailed places. Regardless of scale, there is a special commitment to the design of a vibrant and dynamic public realm, informed by the ecology of both people and nature, rooted in place and context. Of primary importance is the ecological basis of natural systems in relationship to urban form and public experience.
Important projects include New York’s highly-acclaimed High Line; London’s South Park at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park; Santa Monica’s Tongva Park; Chicago’s Navy Pier; Cleveland’s Public Square; Philadelphia’s Race Street Pier; Seattle’s Central Waterfront; Brooklyn’s Domino Waterfront; the Presidio Tunnel Tops and the South Bay Resiliency Initiative in San Francisco; Hong Kong’s Salisbury Gardens and Avenue of the Stars; Shanghai’s Taupu Central Park and the West Bund Arts District and Waterfront; Shenzhen’s City of Qianhai; and the Cultural Arts District and Central Park in Doha.
Snøhetta
Snøhetta is a transdisciplinary, dialogue-driven practice including architecture, landscape architecture, interior architecture, art, product design, graphic and digital design, often integrating a combination of interests across our projects. We share our name with a beautiful, remote, and historically important mountain in central Norway.
Snøhetta is a place nobody is from, but anyone can experience. Creating places for societies to connect with each other and with the world around them is a primary motivation in our work. Dialogue and diversity empower this approach.
Our first significant commission was in 1989 for Bibliotheca Alexandrina, reviving the ancient library in Alexandria, Egypt. This was followed by commissions for the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet in Oslo and the National September 11 Memorial Museum Pavilion at the World Trade Center in New York City. Since those early projects, many other internationally acclaimed works have been realized around the globe.
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Sasaki
Sasaki is a renowned global leader known for its expertise in creating authentic and captivating landscapes. The firm’s approach is rooted in systems thinking, enabling them to develop resilient solutions that promote the well-being and inclusivity of communities. Sasaki’s team embodies a passion for their work, a curious mindset, inventive thinking, and a willingness to break free from traditional norms.
The firm’s history traces back to its founding by landscape architect Hideo Sasaki in 1953 as Hideo Sasaki and Associates. Initially based in Cambridge and Watertown, Massachusetts, the firm underwent a transformation in 1957 when Hideo Sasaki partnered with Peter Walker, leading to the establishment of Sasaki, Walker and Associates. Two years later, Peter Walker relocated to San Francisco, where a branch office was opened. In 1964, the Watertown location transitioned into Sasaki, Dawson & DeMay, while the San Francisco office continued operating as Sasaki, Walker and Associates. Throughout its evolution, Sasaki has maintained a strong presence in both locations, further solidifying its reputation as a prominent landscape architecture firm.
Balmori Associates
Balmori Associates is an international urban design and landscape architecture firm led by partners Noemie Lafaurie-Debany and Javier Gonzalez-Campana. Founded in 1990, the firm boasts a multi-disciplinary, multi-lingual team that supports its diverse range of projects.
The firm has gained global recognition for its unique approach to integrating landscape and architecture. Their main focus is on establishing a distinct relationship between themselves and the natural elements of soil, water, air, plants, and animals. Balmori Associates strives to transform the way we interact with these elements, treating them as integral parts of our own being. Their design principles revolve around sustainability, emphasizing low-impact practices and regenerative design for the sites they work on.
With an impressive portfolio encompassing projects of all scales, Balmori Associates has been the recipient of numerous awards for design excellence and sustainability. Notable recent and ongoing projects include the development of public space and urban landscape guidelines for Madrid Nuevo Norte in Spain, a master plan for the Dong Mai central park in Hanoi’s new urban development, the landscape design of the new federal courthouse building in Harrisburg, USA, the Bilbao Ria master plan, the Campa de Los Angleses park design adjacent to the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain, and the design of the new zero waste South Korean government city in Sejong, among others.
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SWA Group
SWA is recognized as a leading landscape architecture, planning, and urban design firm, known for its expertise in tackling projects of varying levels of complexity both within the United States and internationally.
The firm’s core mission revolves around enhancing the quality of life within the public realm by crafting inclusive and multi-functional spaces for both people and nature through the transformative power of design. They firmly believe that landscape serves as the fundamental infrastructure necessary for achieving their goal of shaping the future of equitable and resilient cities.
SWA is deeply passionate about the intersection of ecological restoration and social engagement, as they view these elements as catalysts for reimagining place-making and fostering a profound connection between individuals and the environment. By fostering collaborations with public, private, institutional, and non-profit organizations, they actively seek opportunities to innovate and work across disciplines, engaging thought leaders from diverse fields. The firm’s collaborative approach ensures that clients are treated as active partners, working collectively towards a shared vision.
Martha Schwartz Partners
Martha Schwartz Partners (MSP) is a leading international design practice whose work focuses on activating and regenerating natural sites and urban centers. Situated at the intersection of landscape architecture, urban design and site-specific climactic considerations, MSP has over 40 years of experience designing and implementing large scale masterplans, mixed-use developments, urban regeneration projects, as well as civic plazas, parks, institutional landscapes, corporate headquarters, installations, and gardens. MSP works with city leaders, planners and builders at a strategic level so as to advocate for the inclusion of the public landscape as a means to achieve environmental, economic and social sustainability.
With offices in London, New York and Shanghai, MSP is engaged in projects around the globe and has to date worked on projects in over 40 countries and on six continents. The core team of design professionals consists of landscape architects, urban planners, architects, horticulturalists, field implementation specialists, and senior project managers, from diverse backgrounds. This diversity in disciplines and backgrounds affords MSP the agility to work across all scales and cultures, and allows its team to be nimble and understanding in even the most challenging urban and social contexts. In addition to its core team of professionals, MSP collaborates intensively with many internationally known architects and external consultants, expanding the breadth of the practice and enabling effective response to any scale of planning or design problem.
Turenscape
Turenscape was founded by Doctor and Professor Kongjian Yu (Doctor of Design, GSD, Harvard University) in 1998 and the company is a certificated first-level design institute by the Chinese government.
Under the leadership of Doctor Kongjian Yu in the past 20 years, Turenscape has planned and designed over 300 ecological cities and 1000 landscape projects in China. Projects are located in 200 cities and more than 600 projects are built and realized. Turenscape’s projects have earned great international reputation for innovative and environmentally sound designs and have consecutively won 13 American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Awards in the past 10 years and 5 World’s Best Landscape Awards at the World Architecture Festival.
Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA)
Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA) is dedicated to standing in solidarity with and supporting Black, Indigenous, and all People of Color, as well as individuals facing discrimination based on religious beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, age, ability, or financial status. The firm actively strives to be anti-racist, both within its offices and in the broader field of landscape architecture.
Recognizing the historic significance of the Black Lives Matter protests in the spring of 2020, MVVA acknowledges their role as a catalyst for action within the design community and specifically within the firm. They are committed to countering harmful thinking and promoting inclusivity, both internally and in their relationships with clients and collaborators. MVVA firmly believes in the inherently democratic nature of their projects, designing spaces that cater to and benefit all people. To ensure continuous progress in justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, the firm actively seeks external advice, engages in communication with peers in the discipline, and fosters dialogue around these crucial issues.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the world of landscape design is enriched by the presence of these top 10 firms, each of which brings its unique vision, expertise, and creativity to the table. Their extraordinary contributions have shaped enduring initiatives all around the world, improving public areas, altering urban settings, and integrating the built environment with nature.
These firms have continuously shown their capacity to design breathtaking landscapes that engage the senses and improve the lives of those who experience them, as seen by their tremendous portfolios and dedication to sustainability and inclusivity. They continue to push the limits of landscape design, setting new standards and motivating upcoming generations of designers with their creative approaches, collaborative nature, and commitment to quality.
These leading landscape design companies will surely be essential in influencing how we interact with our environment in the future by producing harmonious and sustainable landscapes that enhance our cities’ and communities’ aesthetic appeal and utility. They address important environmental and social issues, promoting a closer bond between people and nature. Their significance goes well beyond aesthetics.
We recognise the significant contribution these outstanding firms have made to the world of landscape design and show our excitement for the ground-breaking initiatives and innovations that lie ahead by honouring their accomplishments. They create landscapes that not only inspire and excite us but also leave a positive legacy for future generations through their combined efforts, inspiring us to reinvent our planet.
Note: It is important to note that the order in which the firms are listed does not imply any ranking. Each of these firms has made substantial contributions to the field of landscape design and is widely recognized for their expertise and innovative approaches in crafting outdoor spaces.
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One Comment
Warm Greetings from Harare
This is a great article which was compiled firmly. I am Interested in building a natural look side road drive through place where one can buy an ice cream and or confectionery. The place should have a LUF aspect or a natural landscape look. A concept that dots around the surbabs of Harare as a pilot project. Any recommendations on who can design such beauty.
Regards
Dr Brian Tayengwa