Martin Watt Ba.Dip has been designing outdoor spaces since 1988.
Having qualified twice from Heriot-Watt University in Landscape Architecture and Town Planning, I worked several years in local authorities, private practices and in Australia, establishing my own business in 1990. With over 30 years’ experience I can meet the expectations of any client to deliver a great service with value for money. I have never lost a business contact in over 30 years and get most of my work from recommendations because of the quality and reliability of my service.
Why Choose Me
Save money / achieve more - The service I offer is guaranteed to save my clients money and hassle by working through a good design process to identify and specify all the best details to obtain keen and fixed prices for all projects.
Unique - I offer clients a unique service with a very personal style to produce hand crafted designs that are creative, inspired and beautifully detailed. I design to budgets and deadlines for simple effective garden projects or dramatic Chelsea flower show level requirements.
One Stop - With my garden design experience and range of contacts I can offer a one stop shop for all my clients’ design and build needs including more specialist elements such as lighting, irrigation, glass and steel work, full building services, roof terraces, road building etc. I can also deal with obtaining any planning permissions or building warrants.
Fixed Fees - I quote fixed fees for projects with any extra work on an hourly basis. My fees and hourly rates are competitive and I always aim to keep fees and drawing productions to a minimum unlike other consultancies who charge fees of up to 15% of a client's budget to produce often unnecessary volumes of drawings and specifications.
Build Estimates - I will give you very accurate ideas of costs for every detail and option all along so that you know the design is achievable. It is very easy to design projects that clients would love, the bigger challenge is to design to a clients’ budget which only very experienced designers can do, there and then without having to go away and measure up design options. I produce very accurate details that can then be used as construction and contract drawings.
Contacts - I have a number of excellent landscape contractors and builders whom I have worked with for many years who give my clients great value for money, making a good job of building my designs and maintaining a good name for me. As a result I enjoy many recommendations that generate more than half of my work.
Range - I do a very large range of design work with private clients designing front and back garden areas often producing master plans for whole property redevelopments including extensions, outbuildings, garden rooms and pools.
Scale - I enjoy the challenge of any scale or style of project, making sure all my designs make the most of my clients’ site and budget.
Design to Budget - I am very knowledgeable on prices and timescales, so I can advise clients accurately about the cost of various options so I can design to a budget and never miss a deadline
Experience - With over 30 years’ experience, my surveys and designs can make the most of your space and budget, looking carefully and thoroughly at all options.
Affordable - My affordable fixed fee services cost much less than a landscape contractor would have to budget for in his price, for working things out on site with you, and you will get a much better design and a better fixed price build quotation.
Comprehensive - My rates are very competitive so my clients can afford a complete, comprehensive professional service to get their job right in every detail.
Great Ideas - I love the challenge of surprising clients with what is possible even in small gardens and I always come up with ideas you would never think of.
Evolved Designs - It’s cheaper and more effective to look at ideas and evolve them on paper than on the ground with wasted materials and time.
Accuracy - Having an accurate survey and design will create contract drawings to help you compare quotes and get competitive, realistic fixed prices from landscape contractors.
Lasting Investments - My designs stand the test of time and add value to your property as genuine investments, because of my experience and understanding of details and materials allowing me to design lasting features.
Complete Service - With all my experience and contacts I can offer a one stop shop for any project, from concept through design, obtaining any permission required and onto build, with all trades required to complete.
Feng Shui - I use a lot of techniques common to the Chinese art of placement and relationships between everything “Wind and Water” that explains in subtle terms why some details work and some do not. All my designs start from first principles in the fullest possible context. I also use the western principles from “Pattern Language” which are very similar in guiding priorities of design and how to read a space and its context. I work hard to bring out the best potential in every design relative to balancing the needs of a client, budget and priorities.
Sustainability and Ecology - I am very conscious of sustainability and environmental issues and I consider those factors in my design choices, decisions and advice. Wildlife, carbon footprint, embodied energies, soil retention and hydrology protection issues are always important to me. I live in my own self built wooden eco-house with a solar powered office. I am experienced in protecting and creating wildlife habitats, protecting valuable specimens and safeguarding any valuable natural asset during a development. I can design wetlands, river bank stabilisations, soft engineering solutions and flood prevention measures. I am regularly asked to detail land drainage solutions and attenuation details for surface water management without scouring of valuable water courses.