Great Spaces was delighted to have been awarded Silver Medal for UK Garden Design Company of the Year at a prestigious awards ceremony held at the 5 star Intercontinental Hotel at Hyde Park in London.
Sponsored by the Daily Express and the New Homes Marketing Board, this award is presented to the designer who has demonstrated the most outstanding commitment to the design and creation of attractive, creative, functional gardens and outdoor space across a range of new house building projects.
Tamsin MacKenzie of Express Group Newspapers said "The Daily Express is delighted to again be supporting excellence in garden design and landscaping as media partners of this year's New Homes Garden Awards."
The importance of these awards was further demonstrated by Ben Vanheems, Editor of the Garden Design Journal, who commented "These awards reward excellence in garden design and emphasise the importance of the space around a home. As editor of a journal committed to promoting excellence in garden and landscape design, I see these awards as a positive development for our industry."
Ian Bush and Richard Eagleton of Great Spaces collected their award from celebrity entertainer for the awards ceremony Bobby Davro and Ben Vanheems of the Garden Design Journal.
The judging panel consisted of some of the leading experts in the garden design and housebuilding industry. Full details as follows:
David Hoppit
David is the inspiration behind the New Homes Garden Awards and comes from a family steeped in the history of the house building industry. David is a former Daily Telegraph journalist and respected property and gardening writer. David is passionate about the awards initiative and for many years has campaigned for the construction of quality gardens and landscapes around new houses.
Andrew Fisher Tomlin MSGD MIHort
Andrew trained in horticulture before moving into design and now has a practice working throughout the UK and Europe. Andrew is an author, broadcaster and award-winning designer. He is currently Chairman of the Society of Garden Designers and a visiting lecturer at the Victoria & Albert Museum, English Gardening School, Oxford Brookes University, Inchbald School of Design and the University of Reading.
Sally Court Dip ISD FSGD
Sally established her garden design practice nearly twenty years ago. During that time she has created award-winning gardens at the Hampton Court flower show, Gardeners World and the Westonbirt International Garden Festival. Sally is a published gardening author, lecturer, broadcaster and a Fellow of the Society of Garden Designers.
Mary McHugh BA (Hons) MLD MLI
As a landscape architect Mary has broad experience covering all scales and types of project work including private practice and local authorities. Mary is Assistant Director of the Landscape Foundation and a consultant to Essex County Council and the Green Grid Partnership for the Thames Gateway South Essex.
Nigel Philips FSGD MIHort
Nigel has a wealth of experience and has been a garden designer since 1981 when he graduated from Merrist Wood College. 1981 was also the year he received his first award at the Chelsea flower show when his graduation year design project received a Gold Medal. Nigel teaches garden design at Plumpton College and is a Fellow of the Society of Garden Designers.
Nigel Thorne BSc (Hons) MLI MIHort ILAM
Nigel is a Chartered Landscape Architect and Director of his own practice in London. His clients include multi-national organisations, local authorities and commercial and residential developers. Nigel is Senior Vice-President of the Landscape Institute a lecturer at Reading University and a respected judge for the Civic Trust Green Flag Awards.
Christine Parsons MSGD
Chris holds a degree in art and design and is a self-taught horticulturalist. She trained at RHS Harlow Carr and established her design practice in Sheffield in 1997. Chris is a council member of the Society of Garden Designers, a writer, lecturer and broadcaster.
Andrew Smith
Andrew is a Chartered Landscape Architect with over fifteen years experience. His work has covered the creation of residential and commercial parks, plazas and squares and the design of award winning gardens. Andrew is a Director of Fabrik a multi-discipline practice of landscape and urban designers and planners.
Andrea Watson
Andrea is a writer and journalist from an international background. Andrea, the daughter of a diplomat, has considerable experience writing about property both here and abroad. She is a graduate in Art and Architecture and as well as running her own European property-buying consultancy is property editor of the Daily Express.
Anne Keenan MA Bed (Hons) DipLA ALI MSGD
Anne is a garden designer, landscape architect and lecturer. Anne is a former school teacher who decided to become a garden designer in the early nineties. She has designed urban and rural gardens throughout the south of England and lectures regularly at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, KLC School of Design and Merrist Wood College. Anne is an associate member of the Landscape Institute and a member of the Society of Garden Designers.
Andrew Whitaker MA MRTPI
Andrew is Head of Planning at the House Builders Federation. Andrew has over 18 years experience as a town planner in both the public and private sector. The HBF is the principal trade federation for private sector house builders in England and Wales and its members account for approximately 80% of all new houses built each year.
Annabel Downs BA (Hons) Mphil MLI MSGD
Annabel has been involved in horticulture since 1977 and is a qualified garden designer and landscape architect. Annabel has worked with some of the country’s leading designers and during that time has undertaken projects at the Kings Library, Chelsea, the private gardens of the US Ambassador, Cambridge Science Park and the University of East Anglia. Annabel is a member of the Landscape Institute and on the council of the Society of Garden Designers.
Jane Slade – Property Editor, Sunday Express
Jane has been mad about buildings, architecture and outdoor space since her Father built her a dolls house when she was five. Jane formerly edited a fine arts magazine where she could indulge her passion for stately homes and the architecture of Sir Edwin Lutyens. Jane was previously a property writer for the Daily Express, Sunday Telegraph and Mail on Sunday and is now in her ideal job as Property Editor of the Sunday Express.
Paul Southern
Paul studied at Capel Manor and the Pickard School of Garden Design and has had his own garden design consultancy since 2001. Paul has built award winning gardens at the London Garden Show and Urban Gardens and is a member of the Society of Garden Designers. Paul is also a lecturer and broadcaster with his 'New York Loft Garden' design being featured on the London Weekend Television show, Border Patrol.
Benedict Vanheems
Benedict has a degree in horticulture and a lifelong passion for plants. He studied at Reading University and worked for many years at a plant nursery. He has given talks as far a field as Tasmania and Oregon in the U.S.A and is now the Editor of the Garden Design Journal.