MA Landscape Architecture student, Alex Pettitt, is jumping from success to success. In autumn 2021, he appeared in Pro Landscaper magazine's 30 Under 30 for 2021. The initiative, which is sponsored by Green-tech, recognises young rising stars in the Landscape Architecture sector.
Alex is a managing director and landscape architect at Topoforma Landscape. The company combines a passion for garden design excellence, environmentally conscious design, and the desire for creative freedom and inventive design processes.
This year, Alex contributed to a silver medal-winning RHS Flower Show Tatton Park garden, 'It's Okay Not To Be Okay'.
Alex said: "Working closely with the designer and building a show garden was a fantastic experience, particularly considering the message of the garden and the difficult 18 months everyone has been through. The opportunity to show a wide audience our skills and passion for good design at an RHS show fills me with great pride and a sense of accomplishment".
The space was created to share the message of positive mental health discussion, primarily with focus on breaking the stigma surrounding men talking about their feelings and problems. Four oak pillars represented the one-in-four people who suffer from mental ill health. The planting was naturalistic and slightly wild to create a soft, comforting space, with muted floral colours.
Alex explained: "The course at Writtle University College has given me the broad range of skills and knowledge required to work on a project such as this. From a grounding in good design practises, a knowledge of landscapes of the world and plant and horticultural practices, to the nuance of applying theoretical understanding and design narratives to create stunning projects, a garden like this wouldn't have been possible without my time at Writtle University College."
In 2021, Alex and Topoforma Landscape also worked at RHS Chelsea on Ellie Edkins' 'Hot Tin Roof' garden. They drew of a wide variety of skills and used multiple materials to create a style-conscious container-based space using verdant planting.
Lecturer Dr Saruhan Mosler said: "We congratulate Alex on his award-winning projects and 30 under 30 2021 award by Pro Landscaper Magazine! It is great to see our students are successfully joining in the landscape architecture profession and contributing to shape our landscapes through application of their knowledge and skills formed by our landscape architecture course at Writtle University College. We wish Alex a long and successful career and many more awards in the profession!"