Sectors
MCA works with major commercial and residential developers to produce sustainable developments which enhance biodiversity and create attractive environments in which to live and work. The practice is currently working on a wide range of projects in the following fields;
New urban quarters with high density residential areas grouped around high quality public spaces and including new schools, civic buildings and libraries.
Large-scale residential areas in previously undeveloped or reclaimed land on the edge of settlements including tree-lined streets, new parks and green spaces, new schools and local facilities.
Urban infill developments where redundant or underused resources are redeveloped to reinvigorate neighbourhoods and create new homes and communities.
Commercial Landscaping
Completed MCA commercial landscape designs range from business parks, shopping centres, retail parks and individual office complexes. Mark Cooper has been involved in the design of the landscapes around commercial developments and their infrastructure since the 1980’s and subsequently the practice has delivered many schemes for business parks, shopping centres, retail parks and individual office complexes.
Residential Landscaping
MCA offers a long-term service in relation to residential developments which extends from initial site acquisition through landscape and visual assessments, strategic landscape design and detailed proposals culminating in inspections and approvals of the finished landscapes.
MCA are experienced in, and currently working on, all kinds of residential developments including high-density, high-rise urban housing schemes and lower density urban edge or urban infill schemes.
MCA often becomes involved in a scheme when the developer is assessing the viability of a site for acquisition. The practice may provide landscape, ecological or arboricultural surveys or work with independent ecologists and arborists to establish a site’s baseline condition on which the new landscape and the site layout itself can be built.
The impact of a development in visual and landscape terms may be assessed using recognised industry standards to establish an objective conclusion backed up by verifiable views which accurately illustrate the appearance of a scheme within the existing landscape.
As the scheme design progresses MCA will work with the design team of Architects, Civil and Structural Engineer’s and many other specialists to develop a site layout in which landscape plays an integral part and is both sustainable and attractive.
Landscaping for Education
We have a long history of landscape consultancy on schools as these are often associated with large scale residential development.
MCA has produced detailed landscape designs for brand new Secondary Schools and Primary/Junior schools allied to new housing developments. The practice has also designed and supervised improvements to the environments and play facilities of existing urban schools affected by adjacent residential refurbishment and reconstruction.
