Austen Landscape Architects

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Austen Landscape Architects

AUSTEN landscape architects design integrative landscape plans to build accessible, sustainable, responsive and interactive green spaces

We are about garden and landscape design

08/05/2026

An Exciting New Chapter for Keith!

After 6 years with our team, Keith is moving on to a new chapter.

Joining the practice just before the pandemic, he quickly became a reliable and steady part of the team through a challenging and uncertain period.

Over the years, Keith has been involved in designing and delivering a wide variety of projects from housing developments and private gardens to site surveys, planting plans, inspections of design builds, motorways and key road networks , and major public realm projects including the Dublin Port Tolka Estuary Greenway.

Thoughtful, hard working, and always a gentleman, Keith has been a pleasure to work alongside.

We thank him for all of his work and wish him every success in his next adventure!

01/05/2026

🌿 Portarlington Park🌿   We were delighted to attend the official opening of the People’s Park in Portarlington, Co. Laois, a bright spring day and a fantastic community event, brought to life by a live brass band and thoughtful contributions from local leaders and stakeholders.

The event featured an address from Minister Dara Calleary TD (Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht), a welcome from Angela McEvoy (Director of Services: Planning, Regeneration & Economic Development, Laois County Council), and a passionate contribution from Caroline Whitelegg (Acting Chairperson, People’s Park Committee & Tidy Towns Committee), reflecting decades of dedication and true community spirit. Mark Sheeran, local business owner and Chairperson of the Mountrath Town Team, also shared remarks, alongside a community representative who spoke to the importance of ongoing stewardship.

ALA were commissioned by and coordinated with Laois County Council to deliver the enhancement of this important public space. We are proud to have contributed to a project that places community, accessibility, and biodiversity at its core. Our approach focused on creating a more inclusive and engaging environment which included:

🌿 A new plaza designed to support arts and community events
🌿 A highly interactive sensory garden with a strong emphasis on accessibility, education, and biodiversity whilst also showcasing local artists with unique and creative sculptures
🌿 The enhancement of the existing Mountrath River Walk – reimagined as more accessible and rich with native Irish species and featuring a ‘Tree Trail’. Also strengthening existing connections to key heritage spaces such as the Quaker Graveyard.

We also wish to acknowledge Brian Gaynor for his early work on biodiversity strategies in Mountrath, which helped inform the direction of the project.
Projects such as these demonstrate how thoughtful, well-considered landscape design can meaningfully support biodiversity, enhance community wellbeing, and strengthen lasting connections between people and place.

03/03/2026

1,000 Projects and Growing 🌿

We are proud to share that Austen Landscape Architects have officially reached 1,000 projects — a collective body of work spanning completed landscapes, ongoing designs, and projects currently going to tender or under construction.

From our early days designing small private gardens, to award-winning show gardens, and into large-scale commercial and public realm projects, this milestone reflects a journey of steady growth, learning, and ambition.

Throughout every stage, our ethos has remained constant. We design green spaces that are inclusive, sustainable, and enduring; places rooted in accessibility, responsiveness, and community interactivity. Our work is about more than beautification; it is about enhancing the planet and fostering well-being.

By embracing diverse perspectives and global standards, we deliver innovative, tailored solutions. Our team of specialists in landscape architecture, design, horticulture, and ecology collaborate to harmonise hard and softscapes, maximise green space within development, and create thriving natural habitats through nature-based solutions that ensure longevity and vitality.

Over the coming weeks, we will be showcasing projects from across the years highlighting the diversity, growth, and impact of our work.

Reaching 1,000 projects would not be possible without the trust of our clients, collaborators, and communities.

It continues to be a pleasure working together to deliver high-quality green spaces that connect people and place.

Thank you for being part of our journey so far — we look forward to shaping the next 1,000 together.

We are Austen Landscape Architects 🌿

19/12/2025

✨ As we close the studio for the holidays, we would like to thank our clients and everyone we have worked with this year.

It has been a fulfilling year, and we look forward to returning on the 5th of January refreshed and ready for the year ahead!

From our team to yours, we wish you a joyful and restful Christmas and all the best for 2026! ✨

24/11/2025

Director Tim Austen is visiting the Kilternan Gardening Club this evening to deliver a talk on the work of the practice. The talk will focus on the delivery of public realm projects to create community and biodiversity.

The below project, completed in Portarlington last year, will feature along with other completed schemes and a number of gardens including his own in Wicklow.

07/11/2025

Members of the ALA team attended the annual Irish Landscape Institute Conference.

Jjoined by an abundance of industry movers and shakers shaping the future of our profession, coming together to share and inspire through their experience and projects.

What incredible energy there is here!

06/11/2025

Congratulations to on the official opening of Ireland’s first Lidl Net Zero Supermarket in Maynooth, Country Kildare!

A long term project we have been involved with from inception, ALA’s approach to the landscape design enhances green spaces, supports biodiversity and habitat creation, and preserves existing features, creating functional areas for people and wildlife.

We commend everyone involved in this collaboration, from design through to build!

10/10/2025

🌿 Avondale Estate: Where History Meets Modern Landscape Design 🌿

We had the privilege of redesigning the historic Walled Garden at Avondale Estate — a site with roots dating back to the 1770s. Our goal was to create a space that honours its rich heritage while welcoming today’s visitors with fresh, functional features.

🔹Reimagined pathways leading to the beautifully restored ticketing office

🔹Designed access routes connected by a charming bridge to the Seed Café

🔹Created a sensory garden that engages all five senses, offering a peaceful escape beside the courtyard

🔹Developed a modern children’s play area and an outdoor dining terrace

🔹Incorporated seasonal crops and herbs to continue the estate’s gardening traditions  
The result?

A vibrant, living garden that invites visitors of all ages to explore, relax, and connect with nature and history.

Swipe through to see how heritage and contemporary design come together at Avondale Estate!

11/09/2025

🌍💚 Celebrating World Green Building Week with Lidl Zero 💚🌍

As part of World Green Building Week, Lidl Ireland was invited by the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) to showcase its Lidl Zero store in Maynooth — the first of its kind in Ireland — during a special Open Day for the public and invited groups.

🏢 During the Open Day, guests enjoyed presentations from Lidl and the architects behind the project, detailing how the store was designed and constructed to be carbon neutral, energy-efficient, and aligned with sustainable building principles. From smart energy systems to low-carbon materials, Lidl Zero is setting a new benchmark for green retail in Ireland.

🌿 Outside, Principal landscape architect Tim Austen from Austen Landscape Architect expanded the conversation exploring how sustainability doesn’t stop at the building walls. It is the external environment that is carefully considered and designed for to support both people and planet— not just a car park, but an integrated landscape including:

🌿Native trees, hedges, and ornamental planting
🌿Nature-based solutions and SUDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems)
🌿Carefully considered grass seeding and biodiversity planning

🌱 A standout feature of the project is the transformation of an adjoining piece of land into a unique biodiversity and community garden, made possible through the creative use of PVC panels. This is an experimental space — a living example of adaptability, where some plants will thrive, others may not — showcasing nature’s resilience and the evolving relationship between humans and our environment.

🚶‍♀️🚴 The garden also improves active travel access for pedestrians and cyclists, creating deeper connectivity with the wider community. Thoughtfully placed benches and informative signage encourage people to pause, learn, and enjoy the space.

🌳 The garden features predominantly native planting, including hedgerows, ferns, and grasses, and makes a special effort to preserve the existing whitethorn hedge along the boundary — a vital wildlife and biodiversity corridor teeming with wildlife.

25/07/2025

A studio catch-up like no other! 🌿

On Tuesday, our team met at the Wicklow studio and had the pleasure of a personal tour through own garden — the first of its kind for our full team.

Six years in the making (and many more in the imagination), Tim’s garden is filled with the kinds of planting mixes, specimen choices, and design ideas we bring to life in our own work — and it was a real treat to see them thriving in situ.

It was the perfect setting to discuss ongoing projects, reflect on our practice, and work through some of those ever-present design conundrums — all while sharing our passion for landscape architecture in a space that embodies creativity and care.
…and yes, Mrs Conroy’s infamous raspberries made a guest appearance too. 🍓

Address

Renishaw House, Ballyguile Beg
Wicklow
A67XH92

Telephone

+35340466827

Website

https://austenlandscape.ie/, https://timaustengardendesigns.com/

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