Meet the Team

Anya Griffith

Our design team are a wonderful melting pot of ideas, creativity and hard work. We realised that these days, when we are getting out and about much less, it would be a great idea to briefly profile each of the team to share something more about them. Here is another of our amazing designers Anya

Background

Landscape architect/garden designer and urban planner/researcher with 15 years of experience, she designed parks, private- and apartment-residence gardens and public spaces, both in her native Russia and in the US, with extensive education in the field of landscape architecture and urban design. Anya’s priority is to make  clients successful  and bring  commitment to the creative stewardship of the land.

In 2015 Anya graduated from the Master’s Degree Programme “Building the City Now: Contemporary design instruments for a qualified urban space”an extensive program provided by the Barcelona Polytechnic University which included urban research, developing concepts, designs and planning for the city.  In 2020 she graduated with a Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture from New Mexico University, Albuquerque, USA.

To improve conditions for people in both urban and rural settings, she takes time to get involved in volunteer projects in Russia, America, and most recently in Armenia. She is inspired to work with people of all ages to share her passion to create comfortable outdoor spaces with a sensitive and responsible approach to the environment.

Project

She knows how important every detail can be, and at the same time knows how to look at everything from a distance, evaluating and understanding the importance of context. To Anya every project has been special in one or another way. She  sees a design project not as a way to reveal her own artistic talent but more as a opportunity to solve the problems and attend to the needs of humans and the environment.

Describe your style

Her motto is “It’s all about the land, creative design and creative stewardship”. Her garden style derives from years of exposure to John Brooks work, modified by a more modernist approach. One critic has mentioned that Anya is meticulous when called for, otherwise extravagant.

Favourite plants

All plants are valuable to her if they are in the right place. She believes aesthetics derive from a landscape created when plants are placed according to their shape, color and mass. In nature, the plant world has its own special place as an inspirer and a teacher to her. Just looking at the forms, colors, light and movement, there is no end to the enchantment and delight.

How does your background inspire your creativity?

Thanks to her  parents, Anya has  always had a strong passion towards art and design. Her father was a sculptor and her mother a ceramicist and painter. Anya was surrounded by books and works of art that inspired her to create, and became an inner engine that has worked through years. Inspiration for projects may have come from different sources, depending on the project. When working with a client she wants to learn first what is serving as an inspiration for a client, then she interprets their vision into a style that is most suitable for the project.

Traveling and meeting people, visiting historical places broadens her view especially when working with big scale projects for public use. Learning about open accessible public spaces encouraged her to follow and expand these ideas when planning parks, pocket parks and small city gardens.

Do you have any hobbies that influence your design approach?

Painting portraits helps me to learn psychology and appreciate a person or a group of people. Drawing is a way to meditate and think about detail. Geometry, lines and composition have a special place in my life as well as photography.

Anya is part of the design team at CGLA who are an award winning team of Garden Designers, Landscape Architects, Landscapers and Garden Maintenance Operatives working in Buckinghamshire, London and the South East, as well as on prestigious design projects across the UK and abroad. We are currently working in Oman, Jersey and France, and welcome enquires for design, landscaping or garden maintenance. Contact us here