Returning to the BALI National Landscape Awards 2017

With the upcoming BALI National Landscape Awards 2018 right around the corner, we’ve decided to revisit some of our Principal Award winners from the 2017 award ceremony, including the Grand Award winner Maylim for their One Tower Bridge project. For the full list of last year's winners visit the BALI awards website. The current 2018 National Award winners list can be found by clicking here. This page will be updated following this year's ceremony, which will be held on Friday 7 December 2018.

Principal Award winners included:

Domestic Garden Construction - cost between £30k – £60k – sponsored by Hedges Direct

The winner for this award went to Spruce Landscapes for the project The Eco Garden. The designer’s vision in setting out to design this garden was to truly create a connection between the inside and outside spaces, but as a garden distinct from a living room. The aim was to create a sense of being immersed in the garden even when seated inside.

Soft Landscaping Construction (Non-Domestic) Cost between £300k-£1.5m – sponsored by Todds Nursery

The winner for this award went to Kingston Landscape Group for the project Dickens Yard. The project was full of logistical challenges. Being in the busy centre of Ealing made getting things to site difficult and the raised height areas meant moving materials by crane and hoist or moving materials through buildings. The finished result is a stunning mix of both public realm and private residential areas.

Hard Landscaping Construction (Non-Domestic) Cost under £300k sponsored by Vande Moortel

The winner for this catergory was In-Ex Landscapes for the project Woodberry Down, Block 1. The architects were instructed to design a very high-specification landscape solution that would not only complement the development that sat within it but would showcase the knowledge and exacting standards the client has in regard to concept and finishes for landscape works. The scheme comprises paved and pedestrian areas to accommodate walkways and communal areas for relaxation and socialising.

Grounds Maintenance – Free Public Access – sponsored by Harrowden Turf
The winner for this category was idverde UK for the project Manor Gardens. Contractor idverde has been responsible for the maintenance of Manor Gardens since November 2013. The company employs one full-time gardener on-site to ensure the gardens are maintained to the contract specification. The gardener is supported by additional idverde contract staff as and when required. Typical tasks carried out include grass cutting, shrub and border maintenance, and hedge cutting.

Grounds Maintenance – Private, value under £50k – sponsored by John Chambers Wildflower Seed

The winner for this category went to Bowles & Wyer for the project 18 Addison Avenue. The owner of the garden is an experienced garden designer herself and having trained at the English School of Garden Design, she set about reorganising the space. Working alongside Bowles & Wyer’s maintenance team, plant selections were discussed and a few select plants were retained, including a Phyllostachys vivax aureocualis and two olive trees in the side border.

Special Award winners included:

Special Award: Sensitive Land Restoration – presented by Thrive

The winner for this category went to Beijing Tsinghua Tongheng Urban Planning & Design Institute for the project Landscape Renovation of Chaka Salt Lake. The Chaka Salt Lake, 3,000m above sea level and 200 miles from Xining City, is also known as the “Mirror of the Sky” in China. A deserted salt refinery has been transformed into a popular scenic spot. Recognising the need to protect the area’s delicate ecosystem, the tourist meeting and activity area was placed 700m away from the lake, ensuring that the lake itself was protected.

Special Award: Design & Build – sponsored by British Sugar TOPSOIL

The winner for this category went to Garden Club London for the project Merchant Square, Floating Pocket Park. Development of the design involved careful consideration of the existing site and collaboration with a marine engineer to meet the brief. The footprint is proportionate to the body of water and ensures freedom of movement for ducks and swans. The scheme provides increased biodiversity, aesthetic interest and high-quality public amenity space.

Special Award: Outstanding Charitable Contribution – sponsored by GreenBlue Urban

The winner for this category went to Endrick Landscapes for the project Horatio’s Garden, Scotland. Horatio’s Garden is a charity that creates and lovingly cares for gardens in NHS spinal injury centres. Leading garden designers develop the stunning sanctuaries for patients and their family and friends, creating an environment that becomes an integral part of their lives and care while spending many months in hospital. 

Special Award: Best First Time Entrant – presented by BALI Chalk Fund

The winner of this category was Talbot Farm Landscapes for the project Hyde Park Parade Ground Reinstatement Works. The Parade Ground needed to be reinstated in the winter following continued use for major events over the summer. Involving approximately 11ha, this was one of the largest turf reinstatement contracts issued in the UK. Talbot Farm Landscapes understand not only working with such a prestigious client but also what is required to manage the traffic in an open park situation.

Special Award: Best Newcomer – sponsored by Natural Paving Products a member of the Talasey Group

The winner for this category was Spruce Landscapes for the project The Eco Garden.  The end result when you are seated inside the house and looking upon the garden is that it acts as a calming backdrop and picture, as distinct to when you sit in the garden, where you are immersed and escape the connection, and its confines, of what we call house, home and room. In this way, the garden becomes a distinct, but complementary, separate space.

The 2017 Grand Award:

Grand Award – sponsored by Green-tech

The winner for the Grand Award went to Maylim for the project One Tower Bridge. One Tower Bridge is a mixed-use development by Berkeley Homes spread across nine blocks. It includes residential and retail space as well as a variety of new restaurants and a state-of-the-art theatre. The scope of the external works landscaping package included the detailed design, procurement and installation of more than 8,000sq m of high-specification landscaping.

Maylim’s remit included detailed paving designs, water features, granite cladding and a large range of soft planting with mature trees, specimens, hedging and shrubs. The work was split across four main sections — a ground-floor podium slab; a first-floor communal residents’ garden; the remodelling of Potters Fields Park adjacent to the mayor’s office and Tower Bridge; and S278 works to Tower Bridge Road and Tooley Street. Works were executed in 14 phases across a 30-month period and culminated in the construction of the focal point of the scheme, a large granite-clad water clock feature framed with bespoke timber seating and 12 Carpinus betulus mature specimen trees.