Victoria Chesterfield
Victoria graduated with Distinction from the London College of Garden Design in 2016 and went on to become Joint Winner of the SGD Student Domestic Award earlier this year.
With over two decades of experience designing and constructing gardens and a professional Diploma in Garden Design, Victoria has also acquired relevant computer skills in Vectorworks, Sketchup and Photoshop.
With a sensitivity to client needs, Victoria has a tenacity for detail and an ability to deliver sympathetic and stylish designs.
Victoria is a pre-registered member of the Society of Garden Designers.
Twitter – @VCgardendesign
Biography:
Previously a corporate litigator in the city for some years, I decided to retrain and follow my passion for garden design.
I believe that my previous career gave me an essential grasp of both commercial and practical issues which enables me to empathise with clients and their various requirements. I understand the importance of working closely with clients to achieve the desired outcome and relish overcoming obstacles and communicating ideas.
Since graduating I have been working on a variety of projects with other designers on a freelance basis.
Every aspect of the process of designing an outdoor space is immensely satisfying and a hugely rewarding journey filled with anticipation and endless possibilities.
This was the winning project I submitted for the SGD Student Domestic Award 2016.
The Judges said: “A strong, elegant design with a clear narrative that takes you on an interesting journey through the garden. A cohesive theme throughout with some exciting cantilever elements.”
It is a design for a suburban garden in South East London for a family with teenage children. The owners of the property had updated the 1930’s-style semi-detached house with a contemporary garage and loft conversion and the challenges posed included a sharp decline of 4m from the back of the house to the bottom of the garden and heavy London clay soil.
The design brief included requirements for parking for 1 car to the front, and to the rear, a large outside dining area near the house with additional screened seating areas scattered through the garden, improved privacy on the side boundaries, no lawn just deep borders and terraces and a fire pit at the end of the garden to benefit from the evening sun. Key elements were a large garden room with a green roof, cantilevered sun canopies and a small fish pond.
The inspiration for the design came from the strong rectilinear shapes used in the garage extension and the textile work of Anni Albers of the Bauhaus School influenced the choice of colours and materials. The style is contemporary but with scruffy edges with emphasis on interesting textures and materials.
