IN CONVERSATION WITH DUANE ENSING

Duane Ensing

 

As seen in SNAP November, 2011

 

I had the pleasure of meeting Duane Ensing earlier this year and knew he would be the perfect candidate for our 'In Conversation With…' series because not only is he a very talented and creative individual, he is also a local!

 

Duane Ensing Landscape Design is the go-to place for landscaping. They can cover the full gambit of landscaping needs, from consulting, to project management, to a full design/build including outdoor kitchens, lighting, drainage/irrigation, patios, water features and more. Duane is getting noticed for his work on a global scale, with features in Architectural Digest, Boulevard, and Homes & Living in addition to local newspapers. His outdoor spaces seem tranquil, relaxing, current, and of course - beautifully maintained.

 

I can't wait to hear what's next for Duane, please read on to get in on the conversation…

 

Iván Meade - What was your first experience with landscape design?

 

Duane Ensing - One of the greatest memories growing up in Vancouver was spending time downtown looking at and experiencing urban venues like Robson Square and the life that the landscape can bring to the space around you. I saw how the environment was changed by the use of art, architectural and landscape elements. I also loved the changes in gardens from season to season in successful landscapes. Those are some of the things that first piqued my interest and wooed my imagination.

 

Landscape by Duane Ensing

 

Iván Meade - Who or what has influenced your style aside from nature itself?

 

Duane Ensing - Coming out of University with a BFA in Visual Arts has impacted the way I see the world and has allowed me to challenge and explore the limits of design we see everyday. I love architecture and working with it in the landscape to create a permanence that it can bring. Architects like Tadao Ando and Santiago Calatrava to name a couple, move beyond the traditional, but keep the simplicity and effectiveness of the design to the table. I like that, and aim to develop spaces and sculpt the landscape to work together in a cohesive design.

 

Landscape by Duane Ensing

 

Iván Meade - What attracted you to a career in landscape design?

 

Duane Ensing - After starting in the landscape industry, I soon decided that a lot of what I saw on landscape plans was really quite generic and mundane to me. I picked up a pen, paper and my arts schooling, and began designing and sculpting landscapes. I found that the transition between creating sculptures at UVIC and creating landscapes were very similar in terms of building three dimensional settings in which to experience life. The time I spent working in a garden centre and installing landscapes aided in the knowledge base of what it takes to make a garden grow and be a successful space, aesthetically and practically.

 

I love meeting people and the challenge of a new solution to develop. The attraction of landscape design for me is the attraction of art and the creation process. Transitioning a piece of land into a space that inspires, extends your outdoor living environment or engages your senses are all ways to build and cultivate the imagination.

 

Landscape by Duane Ensing

 

Iván Meade - What are gardens for?

 

Duane Ensing - When I think about gardens, I see engineering, I see architecture, I see nature. They are structured, complex and yet so simple. They are static and ever-changing. I see a garden as window into a room, a sculpture to examine, a book to read and a painting to engage with.

 

Landscape by Duane Ensing

 

Iván Meade - Your designs are stunningly well balanced, modern yet timeless, spacious but not stark. How do you keep current in the garden design industry?

 

Duane Ensing - I like to keep up with several digital blogs and magazines, both garden and architectural, but also mix it up with unrelated industries to see if some new seed can be sown as a launching pad for my imagination. I love the surprises that emerge out of the mind.

 

Landscape by Duane Ensing

 

Iván Meade - One of my favourite characteristics on your landscape design is the use of water as a visual element - Why is water so important in your designs, what are your thoughts behind the use of water?

 

Duane Ensing - Water is everywhere. Life is everywhere. I like to include water in many of our projects to help bring life into the space and to develop an identity that works with the location, nature and our client. Designed right, and executed well, the inclusion of a water feature can establish an atmosphere and presence in a package that delivers for a long time, and with less maintenance and frustration than many people realize.

 

Landscape by Duane Ensing

 

Iván Meade - How do you choose and position sculpture/art in the garden?

 

Duane Ensing - Art is all about relationship, on so many levels. What it evokes, how people react and interact with it. It can create surprise. It can help you speak. I find the best kind of solutions come through time as we build a relationship with our client. The personality of a client reveals to us what we choose and where it is placed.

 

Landscape by Duane Ensing

 

Iván Meade - What kind of things do you have to keep in mind while creating a landscape design that the client might not realize is important for you to know?

 

Duane Ensing - I love getting to know my clients. Asking questions and keeping up with how they direct conversation reveals a lot about them, but I've found that moving the conversation to a dialogue unrelated to the landscape has led to many interesting and unexpected comments that have greatly impacted the design.

 

Landscape by Duane Ensing

 

Iván Meade -  Does your personality come out in your gardens?

 

Duane Ensing - Absolutely. Exercising my fine arts degree has helped me develop a style that enables me to express myself through what I do. Is it always the same? No, but there are definite elements which repeat that are expressed in the canvas of each landscape. Do I have one particular style? I'd have to say no again; rather its an expression that permeates each design.

 

Landscape by Duane Ensing

 

Iván Meade - How do you want people to feel in your gardens?

 

Duane Ensing - I want you to look past the plants, and I want you to look at each leaf. I want you to see the landscape, but I want it to disappear. I want you to see natural beauty and I want you to be intrigued by intentional design. At the end of the day, I want our client to have peace with the creation we leave, and be able to relate well to the design intent.

 

Landscape by Duane Ensing

 

Iván Meade - What’s the most important lesson you have learned about making gardens?

 

Duane Ensing - That's a great question, and one that will be different for each designer. I believe as a designer, it would be scale and rhythm. These are two elements that are really uniquely key in any landscape space, but from a personal perspective, developing a trust relationship with a client is key by exercising honour and integrity at every turn on the path we are walking together.

 

Landscape by Duane Ensing

 

Iván Meade - What project are you most proud of?

 

Duane Ensing -   I have pride in each project as it is designed and built, even as it continues to evolve  into the final product, but I'd have to say my proudest was one of the most fun projects as well. Great clients and an open palate to 'paint' with. It was a complex site, but the design and intent was carried out and completed in a way that allowed it to attain the 'People's choice' award, along with several other awards. It was the success of the completed spaces that satisfied me. I look at each space on it's own and treat each on like a separate project. At this site, the house, the landscape, and its context worked really well together in theory and fully built. I like to challenge myself to develop a broader sense of 'landscape' and 'garden' at each turn of the road, and to maintain an open mind to what lies ahead.

 

Landscape by Duane Ensing

 

Iván Meade - What's next for Duane Ensing Landscape Design?

 

Duane Ensing - I have a strong desire and enthusiasm for design, and I so enjoy landscape design, but I also crave spending time re-establishing my own art and sculpture more. I'd really like to involve my children in this too and have them develop a journey and understanding of their own. Working with plants and working in art. Teaching them and leaving a legacy of what relationships and family mean. I'm currently expanding my own artistic palate to include painting - a medium I haven't worked with at school, but have recently found new passion in.

 

I invite you to visit Duane Ensing’s website at:

 

MEADE DESIGN GROUP - THE BLOG. Copyright 2007-2011

In Conversation with Christian Barnard

I had the opportunity to meet Christian Barnard almost a year ago when he approached Meade Design Group to design his new graphic identity. From that moment we established a professional relationship that later became a friendship. It was truly a pleasure to work for him and his portfolio was an amazing source of inspiration.

Landscape Designer, and overall naturalist Christian Barnard is one of the island's most talented young people. Because I appreciate his talent I wanted to showcase him via a blog interview. I sent him some questions I always wanted him to answer and I wanted to share them with my readers.

Christian Barnard -Landscape Designer

Iván Meade - What was your first experience with design?

Christian Barnard - I clearly remember windsock design and construction with my mother at a young age. I was amazed how the environment and its elements brought my creations to life.

Sherwood Plan

Iván - Who or what has influenced your style aside from nature itself?

Christian - I look to varying artistic mediums like sculpture, fashion and architecture. Many different things influence me, and inspiration comes in a multitude of forms and may strike at any time. I always have a sketchbook with me, and I am continuously filling it with drawings, thoughts and work that stimulate me.

Sculpture Garden

Iván - What attracted you to a career in landscape design?

Christian - One of the attractions is that it combines such a diverse range of disciplines, including art, science, horticulture and engineering. I have always enjoyed creating, and this in combination with my education and extensive experience working in gardens and construction, have led me to where I am now. Over the years I have formed a close relationship to, and found inspiration in, the earth and its cycles. I feel our outdoor environment is essential to our society and our quality of life. Ultimately I want to design outdoor spaces that engage and inspire people, as it does me, every day.

Hartford Legacy Screen

Iván - Your designs are stunningly well balanced, modern yet timeless, spacious but not stark. How do you keep current in the garden design industry?

Christian - I spend a lot of time reading art, landscape and architecture books and magazines. Time away from the studio and travel is also important to stay fresh. The key is being mindful not to cling to the trends, to trust your instincts and create your own unique approach and style.

Sherwood Concept Sketch

Iván - Do you feel that Victoria is ready for a change? Where do you see landscape design going in the next 10 years?

Christian - Absolutely Victoria is ready for a change. We are so lucky where we live and I feel the interest and appreciation for the west coast in a local and global sense is growing. In the years to come there will be a deeper understanding and commitment to the space we are given, and a greater need to utilize our outdoor environment. I feel the home in its context, the occupants and their immediate outdoor setting will need to be more environmentally active and balance harmoniously, both functionally and aesthetically.

Iván - You received your education from London's Inchbald School of Design and began your career in England; what has the European culture brought to your designs here in Canada?

Christian - Green space is highly valued in European cities, where space is limited, work hours are long and holidays short. These spaces are used to relax and are key to the communities well being. I was left with this awareness and knowledge of how important the time in this valuable space is to our culture and health.

Sherwood Residence

Iván - Victoria is also your hometown, what do you think your Canadian background brought to your projects in Europe?

Christian - Growing up on the Canadian west coast filled me with a deep respect for the land and its rhythm and allowed me a more sensitive approach to each project. Instinctively my designs reveal and agree with the deeper context and are more functional, economical and sustainable over time than designs that disregard it.

David Residence Plan View

Iván - What kind of things do you have to keep in mind while creating a landscape design that the client might not realize is important for you to know?

Christian - It is critical for me to know how much time the client has to maintain my vision. I do not create complicated gardens; it’s just that a landscape or garden is not finished when construction has been completed. A garden takes time to shape, it needs to evolve and establish.

Hartford Legacy Screen Concept

Hartford Legacy Screen Completion

Iván - What is the most unusual request that you have ever received from a client?

Christian - No request has ever been too unusual, the more unusual the better.

Iván - What do you consider to be your greatest strength and weakness?

Christian - My strength is that I completely immerse myself in every project. I love what I do and pride myself on attention to detail in all aspects of the design and management process. My weakness would have to be my passion for fine footwear.

Davis Residence

Iván - What project are you most proud of?

Christian - It is a garden I grew up shaping and working in from a young age. The client showed me the important aspect of the sense and history of a place, while creating your own unique style within its context. It is a garden where I learned through experiment, a space for work, play and relaxation. It has been an ongoing project now for roughly 16 years.

Iván - What would be your dream project if you were given carte blanche?

Christian - It would have to be an avant-garde urban landscape where the public could experience my work. A green space that reveals local natural processes and resources, improves environmental quality and stimulates other initiatives. A place to build knowledge and relish in biodiversity.

Davis Residence

Iván - What is your favourite plant to work with?

Christian - Every site and project is unique with different requirements and I rarely, if ever, look at plant material for a singular quality. My plantings are created in a painterly fashion, using them en masse, or as “living sculpture.” I select plant materials for their structural character, mutual compatibility, and how they contrast together.

Hartford Legacy

Iván - What is your most valued possession?

Christian - My tan briefcase and its contents.

[ I wonder what the contents are ... ]

Iván - What's next for Christian Barnard Landscape Studio?

Christian - I am currently consulting and working on some very unique projects. What's next? Well, it's really about being open to each distinct challenge and opportunity and embracing the unknown.

To see more of Christian Barnard stunning work please visit:

www.christianbarnard.ca

Christian Barnard Studio

Suite 300 # 3 Fan Tan Alley

Victoria British Columbia V8W 3G9

P 250.590.5098

F 250.590.2930

MEADE DESIGN GROUP - THE BLOG. Copyright 2007-2011