Landscape practice relocates into city

Mar 26 2008 by Iain Laing, The Journal

ONE of the country’s longest-established land- scape practices has seen further expansion with a move to much larger city-centre premises.

Anthony Walker+Partners (AWP) has relocated from an office in North Tyneside, where it has been based for nine years, to new three-storey office accommodation providing 2,700sqft of space on Summerhill Terrace off Newcastle’s Westgate Hill.

Recognised both regionally and nationally as a leading environmental design practice with many awards to its credit, the practice was taken over in 2005 by Steve Laws and since that time has seen steady growth with staff numbers now standing at 14.

Under plans for expansion, this number is expected to rise in the next three to four years to around 20.

With a strong track record in the education sector, AWP has worked on more than 100 school projects in the past five years. The practice is currently working on 16 schools under the Newcastle Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme and is expected to announce a further BSF contract win outside the region in the near future.

This latest win, together with appointments to leisure developments and regeneration projects, will underpin ongoing expansion that is likely to increase turnover by as much as 30% year on year.

Steve Laws said: “This is an exciting time for AWP. With a steady increase in staff numbers and workload from new and repeat business across a diverse range of clients, we were desperately short of space and needed accommodation that would allow us to grow.

“Our new offices, in a more central location, not only better reflect AWP as a creative innovator which embraces best practice but they will also help us with the further recruitment and retention of high-calibre staff to support the cosmopolitan team of professionals already in place.”

The firm believes that demand for its services will grow as decision- makers in the commercial and public sectors begin to demonstrate a greater understanding of the positive impact of good urban and landscape design on the environment, lifestyles and healthy living.

Laws added: “As we continue to export our North East-based skills to a growing number of projects throughout the UK, it is my intention to maintain investment in technology which will ensure we stay at the forefront of urban design delivering cutting-edge design and high-quality presentations to clients across a diverse sector base.”