Austen Associates are a team of landscape architects who work to create both distinctive and environmentally sustainable landscapes with the level of designed intervention gauged by our clients’ aspirations and in accordance with what is appropriate to any particular site and its environment.
We look both to the natural and man-made features of our environments to provide inspiration for our landscape design work seeking to conserve our rich heritage whilst forging a path to create new landscapes that achieve synchronization between the needs of human beings and nature.
Our philosophy with regard to landscape stems from a desire to both enrich peoples’ lives and to minimise our impact on the natural world and in this regard the practice will always attempt to introduce principles of sustainability in to its designs. This includes, for example, selection of landscape materials that have a reduced environmental impact throughout their lifecycle and designing planting schemes utilising native species that will reduce maintenance inputs. For detailed building schemes, measures, such as, on-site grey-water collection and sustainable drainage systems are seen as integral to contemporary landscape design.
Our team currently includes:
Tim Austen B.Sc. (Hons.) Geography, M.Sc. Landscape, Ecology, Design and Management, MILI, MGLDA, Principal Landscape Architect established Austen Associates in 2007 in response to his self-driven desire to bring a new dimension to Irish landscape architecture and beyond.
Tim has over fifteen years of experience in landscape planning, design and management with his background in geography and nature conservation infusing his approach with a holistic view of landscape. He is passionate about plants and what they can bring to any given design and has established a separate wing of Austen Associates that deals specifically with garden design. His has received awards for his design work including the top award at the Bloom 2009 festival in Dublin.
Tim lectures on landscape and garden design and his work has been published in both Irish and international newspapers and magazines and has featured in gallery exhibitions. He was judge of landscape design on RTÉ television’s Super Garden on the series shown between 2010 and 2012. For the past few years he has judged show gardens at the Northwest garden show also.
Eunan o’Donnell, BSc. Landscape Architecture, Dip. Amenity Horticulture, GILI, Landscape Architect has been working on landscape design and planning projects with Austen Associates since 2008.
While studying as a mature student at UCD, Eunan immersed himself in college life, winning the Patrick Dempsey prize for plant identification and setting up the inaugural Larcsoc (Landscape Architecture Society). He has spent many years working as a landscape gardener running his own successful landscape company, O’ Donnell Landscapes, and has overseen the construction of many landscape projects from the design stage through to completion. He thus brings creative design flare infused with a detailed knowledge of practical landscape construction to the work of the practice.
Although Eunan’s work encompasses all aspects of landscape architecture, he has specific responsibility for compiling presentation graphics and design drawings for clients.
Camelia Austen, BSc. Horticulture, MSc. Plant Protection, Planting Designer reinforces the strength of the practice in plant selection. Camelia has a background in horticulture and worked in the nursery stock sector before becoming a professional floral designer. Her horticultural knowledge and eye for a good plant combination are referenced in the practice’s landscape designs. Camelia also manages Austen Flowers & Events a full service floral and event company and runs a floral design school.
Collaborative Team Members:
Austen Associates are also pleased to work with freelance and independent designers on some commissions.
Małgorzata Okołowicz, M.Sc. Landscape Architecture, Landscape Architectbrings additional landscape design experience to the practice for larger commissions. She is currently a Fulbright scholar at UC Berkeley, California. In her research she aims to establish guidelines for creating sustainable and useable urban public spaces. Małgorzata writes for landscape architecture magazines, participates in thematic conferences and undertakes a diversity of design projects.
Brian Gaynor, BSc. Landscape Horticulture, Pg. Dip. Environmental Decision Making, GILI, Landscape Architect brings technical know-how on hard and soft landscape design, sports ground design and knowledge on sustainable landscape practises and construction techniques to our work. He is currently studying for a Master’s degree in World Heritage Management at University College Dublin.
