In the emerging post-pandemic world, with a focus on wellbeing and offering something different to a home environment; we are seeing the importance of well-designed outdoor commercial spaces come to the fore. However, once that beautifully designed landscape has been created, without a properly specified and managed landscape maintenance contract, that investment, is all too often at risk.

Overseeing and managing the implementation of a landscape contract, ensuring its compliance and identifying areas for improvement is a specialist skill-set, and an area where ASA Landscape Architects have been able provide support to Facility Managers for a number of decades.

With extensive experience in this area, we have written landscape maintenance specifications for numerous commercial developments and has provided support of the procurement process through to overseeing the management of the contract. In our experience we have found that working in collaboration with the Facility Management team, and in carrying out regular assessments of the maintenance works, we can ensure that best value to the client is provided, and that landscapes look their best to occupiers all year round.

Furthermore, with a deep knowledge of the industry, we can provide a one-stop design and management service; identify and designing planting schemes for up-grade and rejuvenation on a rolling basis, improving site biodiversity, as well as working with the maintenance team to ensure best practice.

In recent years there has been a move to digitise all facility management information. In response to this we have developed a GIS (Geographical Information System) to assist larger clients in managing their landscape assets. Developed and used over the last 10 years, this management tool enables clients to increase their understanding of their landscape asset, its components, extent, quality and need for renewal, whilst delivering the inputs and long-term costs that are required to manage and maintain it. This can assist in resource planning, and quality monitoring (KPIs) and identifying the implications and opportunities for Biodiversity Net Gain.

A focus on high quality landscape design and ongoing maintenance can pay dividends, not only through occupier retention, but also through nationally recognised awards, as explained in the following case studies at Milton Park, Chineham Business Park and Winnersh Triangle Business Park.

We have been involved with these three parks for a number of years, and have been influential both in creating new, and renovating existing landscapes to many individual developments and also across the estates. In addition, we have been employed to set up and manage the ongoing landscape maintenance of these estates, to ensure that the design intent and quality of appearance and biodiversity aims are met.

Innovations have included new permanent and ‘pop-up’ out-door seating areas, including meeting pods, pocket parks for informal recreation and seating, grey to green urban drainage solutions including bioretention swales and enhancing existing ditches, bespoke recreational facilities such as a new sports hub, table tennis, boules and skittles for occupiers to enjoy.