For John Storch, landscape architect and the founder of A Total Concept, a holistic design approach is essential
Meet the designer
What attracted you to landscape design?
My grandfather was a creative inventor and gardener. When I was a child, he was forever talking to me and showing me his ideas and designs, and pointing out shapes, details and plants, and how these went together in the world. He taught me how to be creative and to observe, feel, and understand good and bad design, both in the natural and built environments.
When he passed, his ideas, sketching notes, and images became mine, and he instilled in me a lifelong habit of collecting ideas and details, sketching, and a love of plants. These ideas form the basis of the concept images library that we use when designing a garden. It was my grandfather who encouraged me to become a landscape architect. I now have well over 35 years’ of experience and a job that I love.
How do you approach the design process?
The image at the top of the page accurately reflects my philosophy on design: simplicity. I believe that simple design lines, simple shapes, and simple colour palettes always work better than complex, intricate designs. They create more peaceful spaces, are more pleasing to the eye, and more inviting — and they are timeless. This, together with the use of quality materials and good detailing, ensures a garden project that won’t date.
Do you have a preferred style?
I believe a good designer should be able to work in any style and not be restricted to a particular design period. For my last home in Sydney, I designed a lush, tropical rear garden and opened the back of the house to the outdoor space, integrating the two together. For the front yard, I designed a very traditional garden. Ultimately, the gardens sold the property. My team and I have always worked on a broad range of projects, both in terms of size and design styles. Such diversity tends to keep you refreshed, open to new ideas, educated, and up to speed with all current trends.
Why is a holistic approach vital?
Using a design company that views a site holistically and can provide good design advice on both the home and the external spaces — and how to seamlessly link the two together — leads to the best results, I believe. If one company looks at everything, the finished project will be designed to flow better and appear more integrated with a consistent design approach and material use throughout. In addition, it allows for better planning of the project to ensure that works are undertaken at the appropriate time, thereby saving on the costs of having to rework areas, even if the later works are years off.
How do you build relationships?
Over the years, I have found that clear and constant communication is the best way to ensure a successful client relationship in the short term. This usually takes the form of weekly progress updates. To ensure client satisfaction in the long term, the answer is to holistically design an integrated space and involve the client in the design process. Also, to create a design that suits the client’s budget and particular lifestyle, not mine!
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