Todd Longstaffe-Gowan: Studying Obscure And Unconventional English Garden Makers

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An award-winning Landscape Architect, Todd Longstaffe-Gowan has a passion for the historical and cultural potential of landscapes.

Todd has worked across a host of mammoth projects (both in size and stature) in the years since entering private practice in 1990.

He sits on several garden advisory boards, including the Historic Royal Palaces. As the author of several books, his latest publication ‘English Garden Eccentrics’ studies a series of obscure and unconventional English garden-makers from the last few centuries.

In this interview with Horticulture Magazine, Todd describes his approach to redeveloping historical landscapes and shares some of the backdrops that have inspired him throughout the years.

Please note that all imagery in this article has been provided with permission by Todd Longstaffe-Gowan.

How Did Your Early Interest In Environmental Studies Evolve Into A Passion For Landscape Architecture?

“Environmental Studies, as it was then called, was a multi-disciplinary environmental design programme at the university I attended,” says Todd.

“It formed the basis for subsequent studies in architecture and landscape architecture. I decided to specialise in the latter in my fourth year.

“I had always been a keen natural historian and gardener and had a great interest in spatial design.”

Looking Back At Your Career, What Would You Say Are The Milestones That Shaped Your Journey?

“The peripatetic nature of my childhood was among the single greatest contributors to my personal development,” he explains.

“I grew up and was educated in South and Central America and the West Indies and was encouraged by my parents to indulge my natural curiosity.”

Can You Describe Your Approach To Conserving And Redeveloping Historic Landscapes While Maintaining Their Original Essence?

“I enjoy landscapes that are multi-layered. This means landscapes, whether mundane or extraordinary, that are rich in cultural, social and ecological significance and encourage us to explore and contemplate complex and conflicting legacies.

“Although I have worked on the conservation of many historic landscapes, I do not strive obsessively for authenticity or historical fidelity. I prefer evocation as it is, in my view, neither possible nor desirable to replicate with any degree of certainty earlier designed landscapes.

“I believe it is better to conjure the spirit of a place.”

How Do You Continue To Find Inspiration And Stay Innovative In Your Work?

“I am curious and find myself agreeably stimulated by being exposed to what is new, unfamiliar, unpredictable and uncertain,” he says.

“One of the most compelling attributes of landscape design is the instability of one’s own creations. I love and embrace the inherent dynamism of ecological processes and the inevitability of change.”

Can You Share Some Of Your Favourite Gardens Or Landscapes, Either One You’ve Worked On Or Others That Inspire You?

“When I was young, I was enthralled by the Cerro de Santa Lucia (Sta Lucia Hill),” Todd shares.

“This lofty volcanic plug at the heart of Santiago de Chile was for a short, but very memorable time, my childhood playground. I was later overwhelmed by the sublimity of Machu Pichu, which I visited in the late 60s – when llamas outnumbered tourists!

“I have always been beguiled by landscapes in decline and enlivened by ruins. They are landscapes of memory and imagination, and they evoke impermanence and the inevitability of change.”

How Do You Ensure That Your Projects Are Environmentally Sustainable?

“As a design studio, we’re interested in the dynamic conservation of ecosystems and landscapes to ensure the continuity of as many ecological processes as possible,” he says.

“To this end, we collaborate with ecologists and other specialists to guide and inform our proposals. We are furthermore committed to responding proactively to the impact of climate change and to be nature-positive.

“In as much as we often work on designed landscapes of outstanding historic importance, we are keen to manage change by retaining and enhancing key features of cultural significance whilst also considering how we can respond positively to the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss, as well as to managed decline, and the acceptance of loss.”

Are There Any Upcoming Projects That You Are Particularly Excited About?

“We are currently collaborating with Historic Royal Palaces in the review of their Conservation Management Plan for the gardens and estate at Hampton Court Palace,” shares Todd.

“This exercise is not merely a perfunctory quinquennial review of its management and maintenance prescriptions, but also the cultural assumptions that underpin it.

“This includes rebalancing interpretation or evocation of the past with awareness of the present, challenging established ways of thinking and feeling about the gardens and the wider estate and assessing the need for a new approach to visitor engagement and to managing visitor expectations.

“I have been closely involved with the royal estate for almost thirty years and look forward to this exciting new chapter in the long-term management of this exceptional cultural landscape.”

What Advice Would You Give To Aspiring Landscape Architects?

“Be bold and trust your intuition.”