.png)
.png)
.png)
creating exciting places which enhance lives
desert INK - multiple award-winning landscape architecture firm
Since 2015, our landscape design studio has created some of the most exciting new places in the world. From net zero developments combining native plants with power-generating trees, to stunning rooftop resorts in the sky. Sustainable eco-hotels on the edge of the desert to urban parks constructed from waste materials. desert INK’s regionally responsive view on development is consistently pioneering and sustainable. There are many things that inspire our designs, but there are a handful of rules that guide us…
1: Observe + Listen first. Design later.
2: No egos. It's a team effort.
3: Default mode = Sustainable
4: Inspired by exciting places & mother nature.
5: COPY PASTE
6: Context-driven designs.
7: Challenge = Innovation
8: Have fun!
.png)
.jpg)
Sustainability cannot be an afterthought; our most sustainable projects result from early planning, inter-disciplinary collaboration and a clear set of project goals.
Default mode=Sustainable
We embrace natural processes and materials to make exciting spaces for people which work with nature, not against it.
Inspired by nature, designed for people
Every site and every brief is different and each of our designs reflects this. We are boutique and bespoke, not a production house.
COPY PASTE
It could be a view, a level change, materials found at site, an adjacent development or a local craft; the seeds of an exciting design are scattered waiting to be discovered at the site.
Inspired by nature, designed for people
CLICK TO FIND OUT
MORE ABOUT HOW WE VALUE AND INCORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY
We visit our sites and speak with our clients to better understand the potential of each project before bringing our own ideas to the table.
Observe+Listen first. Design later.
Rarely are engaging places the result of a single visionary; we work collaboratively as a team together with our stakeholders.
No egos. It's a team effort
.jpeg)
Sustainability cannot be an afterthought; our most sustainable projects result from early planning, inter-disciplinary collaboration and a clear set of project goals focussing on these five areas.
sustainability
+ water
We increase sustainability credentials through careful material use:
-
Default to local materials
-
Utilize recycled materials
-
Avoid or minimize use of concrete
-
Eliminate the use of tropical hardwoods
+ materials
+ microclimate
Consider maintenance during the design phase:
-
Specify hard materials which require little maintenance
-
Specify plants which require minimal trimming, fertilization and intervention
-
Guide maintenance teams to allow plants to grow to their full potential without constant trimming
-
Work only with robust materials that last
+ maintenance
We minimise water use through the following strategies:
-
Utilize drought tolerant plants
-
Design subsurface irrigation which reduces water loss
-
Strategically reduce the irrigated area
-
Recycle waste water for irrigation
-
Capture water from infrequent rains to recharge the soil
-
Eliminate or reduce water features
-
Utilize plants to shade and clean waterbodies
+ native plants
We carefully consider the site and how to create microclimates by:
-
Position dwelling spaces to benefit from shade from buildings and trees
-
Promote green roofs using native plants
-
Shade facades with plants
-
Utilize light coloured surfaces which reject heat
We have become experts at using native plants in the following contexts:
-
Utilize native plants well adapted to the environment
-
Specify native plants to encourage biodiversity
-
Prioritize vegetation which provides shade
-
Limit the extent of lawns
CLICK TO FIND OUT
MORE ABOUT HOW WE VALUE AND INCORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY
We visit our sites and speak with our clients to better understand the potential of each project before bringing our own ideas to the table.
Observe+Listen first. Design later.
1.
Sustainability cannot be an afterthought; our most sustainable projects result from early planning, inter-disciplinary collaboration and a clear set of project goals.
Default mode = Sustainable
3.
We enjoy what we do, and it shows.
Have
fun!
8.
We arrive at our most exciting ideas when we’re faced with an unusual constraint. Often what others perceive as a problem can become the catalyst for new thinking.
Challenge =
Innovation
7.
OFF
ON
CLICK TO FIND
OUT MORE
ABOUT OUR
PROJECTS
While experiencing different places inspires our creativity, our focus on natural materials and processes keeps us grounded.
Inspired by exciting places & mother nature
4.
.png)
our collaborations
.png)
It could be a view, a level change, materials found at site, an adjacent development or a local craft; the seeds of an exciting design are scattered waiting to be discovered at the site.
Context-driven design
6.
Every site and every brief is different and each of our designs reflects this. We are boutique and bespoke, not a production house.
COPY PASTE
5.
.png)
Rarely are engaging places the result of a single visionary; we work collaboratively as a team together with our stakeholders.
No egos. It's a team effort
2.
.jpg)
.png)
