About
Simple solutions and astrong sense of place
The terra firma Consultancy is a professional landscape architecture practice specialising in all aspects of landscape planning, assessment and design; at all scales, in all sectors, throughout the UK and overseas.
About
terra firma
terra firma has been creating simple, sustainable and beautifully designed solutions for a huge range of projects since 1985.
Our services encompass the entire range of the landscape architectural profession’s remit from inception, assessment, concept to delivery and on-going management beyond.
The scope of the Practice’s work engages in every sector; strategic landscape masterplans, landscape design for private estates and gardens, upmarket flats and houses, prestigious corporate headquarters, health and community care complexes; sports and leisure centres, school, college and university buildings, heritage schemes, retail schemes, industrial and office complexes, public parks and open space, theme parks, urban streetscape, waterside, inner-city action programmes, sustainable community initiatives etc.
Launched by ex-Portsmouth City Chief Landscape Architect John Wigham in May 1985 and, from 2000, was under the leadership of Lionel Fanshawe until December 2020, when Alison Galbraith and Robyn joined Lionel as equal partners and directors. terra firma have worked in 30 countries, across six continents in its 39 year history. Based in the rural market town of Petersfield in the South Downs National Park, as well as offshoot offices in Vilnius and Dubai, terra firma’s work spans the globe – but never without a personal touch.
Over the years, we have won many awards and were awarded the 2020 Winner in the ‘Landscape Architect Company Over 10 Staff’ category in the Pro Landscaper Business Awards; the previous year were the first firm ever to be outright winner of two of the five categories of the Local Government News Street Design Awards: the Muslim Cemetery Peace Garden, with Woking Borough Council, and the i360 Plaza, with Brighton and Hove City Council. Additionally, we assisted in projects that were highly commended in no less than four of the South Downs National Park Design Awards and one of the New Forest’s. More recently we have been part of the team that won a RIBA National and East Award for work for the National Trust at Sutton Hoo in 2022 and in 2024, part of the team that won a RIBA Wales Award for work at Hay Castle.
We are very pleased to share the announcement of the uploading of the Humanitarian Landscape Collective’s website. Lionel is a founder member and we are pleased to say terra firma is a sponsor of this worthy initiative.
terra firma is a Landscape Institute Registered Practice, a Law Society Registered Expert Witness, a Member of the Urban Design Group and an Associate of the Institute for Environmental Management and Assessment.
The practice is a Registered Limited Company, obtained Investors in People Status in 2004 and is Quality Assured to ISO 9001:2015, keeping both current following regular re-appraisals. We obtained ISO 14001:2004 environmental accreditation in March 2013 and ISO 14001:2015 in April 2018.
You can read our Quality Policy here.