Sam Cheetham Landscape ArchitectureApproachAboutContact

February 2016

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We like to make strong foundations these days.

what about reducing foundations to the minimum and allowing the soil to thrive?

Landscape architect mediator, guiding people and nature back together with knowledge, hard work and care. Nature is people and people are nature but we have created a confusing disconnection to a point where we don’t know where we are placed in the world. We feel are only causing problems and there is no solution.

Deconstruct and reconstruct then see what u got.
Hard graft, care, commitment, love and knowledge.

Pastoral landscapes and English pantry gardens


read my blog to find out more about this:

September 2024

My ideas haven’t changed much over the years I’ve been working, thinking, exploring and studying. I’ve found It's essential to maintain a philosophy and to continuously question every aspect of your own work and the work of your peers. For me it’s important go beyond established approaches and be critical of the foundations of our beliefs and approach. It's important to stay grounded and avoid blindly following ideas that seem promising simply because they're endorsed by greenwashing that we’ve been conditioned to accept.

There is a mainstream approach to landscape architecture and there needs to be one within our economic and societal system. We live according to a structure

So for me it’s important, to Questioning the mainstream approach to design and planning whilst respecting alternative perspectives from across the globe is, I believe, essential to being a true architect—not just a design architect. Keeping your mind fresh by engaging with the physical environment around you ensures that your designs remain meaningful and relevant.

Something reaimportant For me is soil. It’s not really u deltoid and yet it provides us with everything.
In many projects, the focus is on buildings, while soil is reduced to small pockets around foundations. It’s often removed, and plants are placed in artificial containers. However, soil carries not only historical and spiritual significance but also contains essential microbial life and health benefits. Most importantly, the sustainability of civilization itself depends on healthy soil.
A century ago, soil was respected and its value to society understood, but modern society has become disconnected from these values. Values for the natural world and things which make us healthy. Values lie within commodities. One simple approach that interests me is minimizing the use of foundations to preserve the soil in its natural state. By leaving the soil undisturbed, we can adopt a regenerative approach to this invaluable resource.
While there’s a growing movement to plant more trees and vegetation, true sustainability in development comes from respecting and preserving the soil. With a few thoughtful changes, we can achieve this balance.

Read my posts below and form your own opinions. I welcome disagreement and angry responses—this is essential otherwise whats the point. I don’t need the self -gratifying greenwashing; we need critical thinking and honest debate. Explore some of the approaches I've developed for putting these ideas into practice.

  • Who owns that land?
  • Whys is nothing happening here?
  • Whats the council doing with my money?
  • Why don't we grow more things?
  • We intrinsically know whats best for us and is this respected by those in power?
  • There is a top-down power structure - are we fooling ourselves with the idea of democracy? yes
  • Environmental technocracy to confuse and divide.
  • What actually is going on with climate change and why is this used by large corporations to promote there monopolisation of environmentalism?