Ryan Sudall CMLI, Fira & Andy Thomson, BCA Landscape & Anthony Collins, Hardscape & Ben Bevan, Hardscape & Craig Mitchell, BCA Landscape & James Watts, BCA Landscape

Host

Ryan Sudall CMLI, Director, Fira

Ryan joined Fira in 2004 and has worked on some of the largest landscape schemes in the country. He enjoys influencing the world around him through his designs and has led on a number of landmark schemes in education, healthcare and housing. A deep understanding of the impact that landscape can have on people’s learning and wellbeing informs his work across a wide breadth of sectors. Working with collaborative teams who strive to get the most out of each site for the benefit of the people who will use it, results in landscapes that are both interesting and timeless.

Speakers

Andy Thomson, Director, BCA Landscape

Andrew has over 25 years experience as a designer and Chartered Landscape Architect, during which time he has designed and delivered a series of celebrated public Landscape Architectural projects. Widely regarded as a creative innovator in community engagement and social inclusion, his collaborative ‘Face of Liverpool’ scheme in 2006 gaining The Best National Community Project & President’s Grand Prix Award. Recently his work with the Rotunda Community College in North Liverpool has won the Landscape Institutes’s top design award and the NW top Echo Environment Award for helping to create a new thriving community landscape on an area of derelict land.

Anthony Collins, Sales Director, Hardscape
Anthony joined Hardscape as a Project Coordinator in 2004 whilst at University. After graduating in 2005 he joined the team full-time and became Logistics Manager. In 2006 he moved into a sales position as North West Sales Manager and developed the role to greater success and accomplishment for the company. In August 2014 Anthony was promoted to UK Senior Sales Manager being directly responsible for all UK – North sales, managing his own area whilst overseeing and managing sales activities of the North of England and Scotland. Finally, he joined the Hardscape board in November 2019 as Sales Director responsible for the company post-tender sales functions and order intake.

Ben Bevan, North West Sales Manager, Hardscape
Ben joined Hardscape in 2007 as Logistics Co-ordinator and swiftly moved to the position of Logistics Manager in early 2008. In 2012 Ben moved to a commercial role as Sales Support Manager responsible for overseeing initial customer enquiries, project managing the detailed components of schemes in liaison with the National sales team and overseeing procurement and logistical movement of materials. In June 2013 he moved into a full-on sales role covering Cheshire, West Midlands and North Wales.

Craig Mitchell, Landscape Architect, BCA Landscape
Craig is an experienced landscape architect and researcher with an interest in the spatial and temporal interactions between natural processes and human activities. He specialises in bringing his skills as a researcher into his live projects and utilising nature-based solutions to enhance the built environment. As Landscape Architect for the Liverpool City Centre Connectivity scheme, it redefined the way people moved through the city with a focus on sustainable systems and adaption to climate change. He has exhibited internationally and he was a guest speaker at conferences on rural desertification. As a Liverpudlian, he is proud to be working in a city he loves and is passionate about improving the environment for future generations.

James Watts, Senior Landscape Architect, BCA Landscape
With interests both in planting design and the way in which we work as landscape architects James continually looks to develop the way in which BCA Landscape work and deliver award-winning, sustainable landscape schemes. Winner of the student RIBA Nationwide Sustainable Housing Award in 2009 James has continued to develop sustainable landscape solutions over the last ten years working on projects such as the LI award-winning Rotunda Community College Garden and the RIBA National Award-winning Wirral Metropolitan College, part of the wider Wirral Waters development. He's been involved with the Wirral Waters scheme for 8 years, starting with sometimes very small seed projects that aim to gradually lift the social and economic appeal of brownfield sites through landscape interventions.