Graeme is a Chartered Landscape Architect, a Fellow of the Arboricultural Association and a BALI Registered Designer. With over 40 years’ experience in the industry, including working as Tree and Landscape Officer within a local authority and as a University lecturer in Landscape Architecture, Graeme’s experience and qualifications give him a unique holistic understanding of the three main areas of our business – landscape design, trees and planning. Having recently established a new company, BNG Works, Graeme is now looking to develop projects forward into sustainable design areas, mitigating environmental impacts of development through the creation of resilient and biodiverse landscapes.
Karolyn is a fully qualified (BSc Hons) Landscape Designer, qualified in Arboriculture to L4, Practice Manager and Member of Society of Garden Designers. Now working part time, Karolyn continues to drive Open Spaces and, now, BNG Works, forward at a strategic level, taking a keen interest in sustainable design practices and products and a variety of avenues for the development and reinstatement of biodiverse habitats. Wilding and re-wilding projects are of particular interest, including those with a community and educational focus.
Willow only happened along this year. She’s young, enthusiastic about everything, including landscapes and UK wildlife. We are offering her a range of training programmes, some of which she’s showing real aptitude for (and some, not so much). She has a keen passion for the outdoors and assessing all types of grassland is her speciality, as is digging down into the detail. Like Sian, she displays many terrier traits and is set on becoming a valuable team player.
Sian has had a varied and exciting career with a breadth of experience across many industries. Graduating with a BSc(Hons) in textile design from Huddersfield University she worked within the design field for several years before moving to the middle east and gaining experience in business administration. In recent years Sian has developed her keen interest and practical background in horticulture to become a horticultural advisor with the RHS and brings her full skill range to bear in the smooth running of the office administration and Ecology Department.
Having gained an MA in Landscape Architecture, Wendy has a particular interest in the impact of new development on the landscape both visually and its longer-term impact on wellbeing. Proficient in LVIAs and projects where biodiversity and habitat creation are the focus, Wendy is now well-embedded in the Pathway to Chartership process and brings a wealth of experience in client facing project management, and a considered and thoughtful approach to technical design and troubleshooting.
Adam joined Open Spaces in 2021, having completed his Postgraduate Diploma in Landscape Architecture. Now on the Landscape Institute’s Pathway to Chartership with Graeme as his mentor, Adam takes on a multitude of tasks, including IT responsibilities and social media but with his technological mind, he takes the lead on larger development projects, including detailed design stage and projects that involve BIM management requirements.
Keelan has recently joined Open Spaces to further develop the ecology side of the Practice. With a robust knowledge of natural histories due to his previous career working as a nature reserves Warden for a conservation charity, he is also a Qualifying member of CIEEM and is currently on track to be an Associate member in the very near future. Having attended numerous courses provided by the Field Studies Council and other industry accredited organisations, Keelan is already making an impact within the Practice, especially in relation to UKHabs assessments and Biodiversity Net Gain requirements.
Dan is a consultant ecologist with over 15 years’ experience in a wide range of surveys and ecological work, including Preliminary Ecological Assessments, nesting, wintering and breeding birds, bats, badgers, dormice, great crested newts, reptiles and water voles. Dan has experience in protected species mitigation design and managed many reptile and great crested newt translocations. Holding a First Class Honours degree in Applied Ecology from University of East London Dan is a full member of CIEEM.