Print this page Advanced Garden Design Studies

The Advanced Garden Design Studies course runs for one day a week over an academic year and has been established for students who wish to further develop their garden design skills alongside professional practice.

“This is such an exciting course to launch at Inchbald: finally there is a course that caters for the developmental needs of graduates who are in the workplace. You will meet once a week through the term receiving lectures and studio tuition, and actively engaging in peer discussion and feedback as well as formal critique with tutors. You will also develop a conceptual awareness within your design practice through a series of lectures looking at ideas that affect the perception and appearance of space.”
- Andrew Duff, Director of Garden Design

The expert knowledge of Inchbald’s professional design team will help you develop your individual design style. The course includes four garden design projects, but will also accommodate projects that you are undertaking in your professional practice, should you so wish, providing they meet the course criteria.

Advanced Garden Design Studies – course aims

• To guide you through the first year of graduation or professional practice, both with new and challenging projects, but also with help on your first real-life projects.
• To enable you to undertake the greater depth of research and experiment to a more advanced design level.
• To ensure that you receive and gain the skills, knowledge and understanding which is vital during your first year of practice.
• To enable you to specialise in one chosen area and to investigate this in greater detail.

Advanced Garden Design Studies – course contents

The four in-depth garden design projects that form the core of the course are as follows:

Project 1 A large historic private estate. You will consider the challenge of creating a contemporary garden for a historic private estate, explore gardens of the past and how they were received by the contemporary public and question whether to approach the site by restoration, preservation or with a new design.

Project 2 A public space. You develop your own brief through interviews and research to redevelop an existing public space that will revitalise the surrounding area. You will be encouraged to choose your own public space, allowing you to specialise, and also opening potential for the production of a real job.

Project 3 A show garden. This will be timed to coincide with the application dates for the Hampton Court, Future Gardens and Chaumont sur Loire garden festivals. You will create a complete application package containing design analysis, design and budget breakdown in order to submit your proposal to the competition of your choice.

Project 4 A personal project. You will seek a site of your choice reflecting your individual needs in design for this final project. This can be a public space, private space, emerald necklace, international space or a real job which you have sourced.

The projects all demand:

• in-depth design analysis including site specification, surveys and client briefs; the creation of an Inchbald standardised masterplan
• fully specified detailed areas to develop your awareness of hard landscaping materials and fixtures and fittings to a high degree of finish
• contractor-ready sections, elevations and construction drawing for these detailed areas
• planting plans to advance planting knowledge as well as individual style and personal areas of interest
• 3D visuals using computer aided design as well as hand drawn images, and sometimes 3D models to assist the design process and design presentation.

This Advanced Garden Design Studies course is taught using lectures and studio group work, and also includes garden visits and workshops. Students are also eligible for discounted entry to the Inchbald Lecture Series.

Places on the Advance Garden Design Studies course are limited to ensure students gain close working relationships with teaching staff.

Advanced Garden Design Studies – entry requirements

This garden design course was devised for graduates of Inchbald’s Vocational Diploma, Diploma and Postgraduate Diploma courses. We also welcome students and graduates from other design schools, subject to portfolio assessment and interview.

If you are interested in this advanced garden design course, please contact the Course Administrator.