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Growing up all I wanted to be was the next Peter Schmeichel, the goalkeeper for Man Utd when I was a boy. I’ve played every sport going but football has always been my passion. I’ve played a bit of County League football, First-XI Uni football and (humble brag warning) have played at Wembley in the national fives tournament too. (Granted the stadium was about 95% empty but I did get my mug on the big screen!) It taught me a lot about working hard but more importantly about working together. Team before anything else. However, despite my best efforts, it was never going to pay the bills.
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Instead, my studies came to the rescue. I did Design Technology, Geography and Business Studies A-Levels at school but at the time never thought I’d find a career that combined all three. I studied Town Planning at Oxford Brookes University and then worked as an Urban Designer for eight years in the UK and New Zealand.
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A landscape architect colleague of mine then spotted a job advert in the Landscape Institute Journal for a Specification role in this industry. A lightbulb went off in my head – I’d found something that combined all three of my schooling interests. The design and formation of places (Geography), the materiality and construction of it (Design Technology) and the competitive world of business (sport & business studies). Jackpot!
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Twenty very happy years later either working in a landscape & urban design team or helping and working with landscape professionals on their projects, I’ve loved every minute.
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Whichever side of the fence I’ve sat on, either designer or supplier side, it is the natural stone projects that have always stood out as being the special projects. There’s something about the creativity, craftmanship and long lasting impact natural stone has on a place that is very special. Other materials have their place but I can look back on natural stone projects that I was involved with 18 years ago and they’re still looking amazing to this day.
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I’ve been very lucky to be involved in some of the biggest natural stone projects in the country in the last decade, many of them multiple award winners. Projects like Battersea Power Station, The Strand Aldwych, New Bond Street, The O2, Nine Elms, Earls Court…the list goes on. The designers and clients that have developed these schemes are remarkable and it’s been a joy to contribute to these and help bring them to life.
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I guess my strengths lie in my attention to detail. Whether I’m winding my wife up about stacking the dishwasher correctly or taking three hours to hang a picture frame, my view is – if you’re going to do something, do it to the best of your ability. I just can’t understand why you’d do something half baked!
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And that’s what I bring to Tectonix…a genuine love for the creation of quality landscapes and a customer service that seeks to go above and beyond.
