Stuart Ryder is our principal landscape architect and one of the Directors of our practice. He has 20 years experience of working in both private practice and local authority situations. He set the firm up in 2007 with is his wife Sarah to allow him to offer clients a focussed landscape service combined with the highest level of public and technical engagement. He has a passion for rivers and lake based design work and heritage matters and has authored national landscape design guidelines on the topics for both the Environment Agency and Defra. Stuart is also an assessor on behalf of the Heritage Lottery Fund and Examiner on the Landscape Institute’s Chartership exams.

Ambition:

To design, build and fly his own single person hovercraft.

Sarah Ryder set up the practice with her husband in 2007 and is a Director and Company Secretary. Her background is one of law and community engagement having worked in a number of policing roles with the Cheshire Constabulary. She is responsible for the financial and administrative functions of the firm and acts as in-house Quality Assessor for the firm’s ISO:9001 Quality Management System. She is a keen runner and volunteers as a teaching assistant in a local primary school one day a week.

Ambition:

To run the marathon in under 3 hours.

Alice Cooper is our Associate Landscape Architect and joined the Practice in 2009. She has over 13 years experience of working in private practice, local authority, charity and community group situations.

She has a passion for design and visualisation and is enjoying the variety and range of projects that working for Ryder Landscape Consultants offer.  Alice is currently developing and leading a range of Heritage Lottery Funded park restoration projects; working closely with clients, local people and specialist interest groups.

Ambition:

Learn to walk the tight rope, race sports cars and find a design project which involves sailing, fountains and the tagging of palm trees.

James is an accomplished urban designer and frequently leads landscape planning matters within the practice. He has worked on schemes throughout the UK, USA and in the Middle East. His attention to technical detail allows him to develop innovative solutions where at first they may not appear feasible. He has a particular forte in 3-D Design software such as Sketch-up, Key Terra Firma and the production of visual analysis diagrams. He is a keen cricketer and a fan of basketball and American cheesecake from his time spent living in Princeton, New Jersey.

Ambition:

To hit an unbeaten double century against the Austrailians or West Indies at Lords, he isn’t fussy which!

Jonathan has over 5 years experience working on a wide range of projects in both the public and private sector. His experience includes Housing, Regeneration, Public Realm Design, Education and Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment. He has been responsible for the delivery of projects through concept to detailed design, planning, tender and implementation and has worked with a number of multidisciplinary design teams throughout the UK. He is able to establish a good working relationship with clients, consultants and contracting teams through all stages of a project contributing significantly to the design process.

Ambition:

After many years running the Manchester 10k and Wilmslow half marathon he is contemplating his next challenge – a possible entry into the London Marathon.

Nina Esmund is a graduate landscape architect at Ryder Landscape Consultants having recently completed her studies at Manchester Metropolitan University after embarking on a career change. Previous experience working as a graphic designer has proved to be extremely useful in the field of architecture, but facing a new set of design challenges and issues in the design of landscape and  functional space is a continuously enjoyable and inspiring experience. Design interests include innovative and contemporary planting design and coherent spaces that provide a stage for nature in all its glory.

Ambition:

To design and build her own state- of-the art duck pond for a collection of exotic ducks.

Rick is a Graduate Landscape Architect with us and provides key technical support in the design and delivery of a range of projects. His strong grasp of a variety of software packages enable him to produce a range of material from sketch design up to presentation standard. He takes inspiration from a range of different media and experiences in particular art, sculptural interventions and large scale public events. Rick is currently enrolled on the Landscape Institute’s Pathway to Chartership programme, and is looking forward to facing new challenges as a chartered member of staff.

Ambition:

To own his own cheese farm.

Suresh joined the team in 2009 and since then has become a key member. He has considerable design and planning experience working on high profile commercial and retail planning applications.

More recently he has gained invaluable experience assisting the delivery of large flood alleviation works on site, most notably, acting as a site based Landscape Architect on the Nottingham Flood Alleviation scheme. Suresh has a keen interest in graphic design and 3d visualisation which he uses on his project work allowing clients to gain a greater understanding of the designs they are being shown. Suresh is currently working towards his Landscape Institute Chartership.

Ambitions:

To be completely self sufficient and own a small hold of farm animals and to cross the English Channel in Stuart’s homemade hover craft.