In January 2025, LI Education Team and Fira Landscape Architects launched an employer-led project with 25 Level 3 Year 1 Spatial Design students at Northampton College. Through the project the students were presented with a real-life design challenge whilst also giving them insight into the world of landscape architecture. The students worked on the project for 6 weeks, expertly guided by their course leader, Peter Clapson. The students’ learning experience was further enriched with a walking tour of Birmingham, led by Fira, and a visit to the Landscape Architecture team at Birmingham City University. At the end of the 6 weeks, final design boards were submitted to Fira for review.
Earlier this month, representatives of Fira and the LI Education Team returned to the college to celebrate the student work, provide supportive and developmental feedback, and announce the two winners of a work experience prize with Fira at their Birmingham studio.
Congratulations to the prize winners, Gemma and Leah. You are a credit to yourselves and the college. Enjoy the work experience at Fira and soak up the opportunity it presents to support your ongoing study and future career.
Jeremy Parker, Director, Fira Landscape Architects said:
“It was a pleasure to celebrate the students’ achievements at the end of the six-week landscape design exercise.
The range of approaches and response to the brief was varied, interesting and inspiring. The group demonstrated great design skills, graphic abilities and 3D modelling in their first introduction to landscape design.
We look forward to hosting the winners, Gemma and Leah, for a placement at our design studio in Birmingham this summer and hope to have inspired many others to consider a career in landscape architecture.”
Peter Clapson, Course Coordinator Level 3 Interior Architecture & Spatial Design, Northampton College said:
“Working with Briony from the Landscape Institute and Fira Landscape Architects has been a great opportunity for our L3 Interior Architecture & Spatial Design students, as this is an area not previously covered on the course. The project has enabled them to expand their knowledge and understanding of wider spatial design concepts to include landscape design. Students were presented with a project brief created by Fira which included a research walking tour to help understand landscape design and associated issues. The project has really helped students broaden their creative career choices with some of them starting to explore options in landscape design as progression options and as part of their personal project work.”
Leah, Level 3 student, and prize winner, said:
“In the Landscape architecture project, I really enjoyed the different elements that this project had which my previous projects didn’t have, the landscape elements were really inspiring to me and led me to choose to do landscape architecture in my Year 1 final major project. It has also influenced me to rethink about my future career choices. I’m looking forward to my work experience to get a clearer understanding of how a landscape architect would work and understand the skills required to succeed in this profession.”
Gemma, Level 3 student, and prize winner, said:
“I really enjoyed my landscape architecture project with Fira because it gave me the chance to see how outdoor spaces can be designed to be both functional and beautiful. I found it interesting to learn about how different plants, materials, and layouts can shape the way people use and experience a space. It was especially rewarding to see how creativity and environmental thinking come together in real projects. This experience has made me even more interested in landscape architecture, and I am really looking forward to learning more and developing my skills in future opportunities.”
Steph Lee-Vae, Curriculum manager for art and design, Northampton College said:
“This is such a unique opportunity for our students to spend time at one of the country’s top landscape architecture firms and we would like to thank both Fira and the Landscape Institute for investing so much of their time into this project. Throughout the competition, students demonstrated remarkable resilience and adaptability, mastering industry-standard digital tools such as SketchUp and Lumion to bring their designs to life. By engaging with sustainable practice and responding to a real-world industry brief, they have not only developed their creative skills but also gained vital experience for their future careers. A huge thank you to our course team – Peter Clapson, Peter Lane alongside Jeremy Parker [FIRA], Briony Marston [Landscape Institute], David Williams [FIRA], and Abby Staniland [FIRA] – for their exceptional support and effort in guiding students through this challenging & innovative project. Their dedication has been instrumental in enabling our students to achieve such a high standard of work. Providing students with opportunities such as this is exactly why we do what we do. We would encourage all employers to continue to partner with further education colleges to open doors and create opportunities for talented young people, who can truly excel when given the chance.”
Briony Marston, Education Manager, Landscape Institute, said:
“It has been a delight to collaborate with the Northampton College curriculum team and Fira Landscape Architects to design and implement this successful employer-led project for the Level 3 Year 1 Spatial Design cohort. The project was quite challenging for the group, given they are at the early stages of their 2-year qualification, but the students (and their teachers) certainly rose to the occasion. Their impressive work demonstrates the impact that a sustained and embedded project of this kind can have, ensuring that students can develop and broaden their understanding of Landscape Architecture through practice. I hope we have inspired some to pursue this exciting, green and creative career path. I also look forward to future projects and to strengthening our partnership with Northampton College.”
Employer-led projects in the 16–19 education sector
The Landscape Institute’s Employer-Led Projects programme brings together schools, colleges, and local registered practices to provide students aged 16–19 with meaningful, work-related learning experiences. These projects enable students to experience Landscape Architecture, and the landscape profession more broadly, in action, helping them to develop a deeper understanding of the diverse skills and knowledge the career requires.
