Hal Forbes Adam (HFA) is a garden design and landscape Architecture studio based in London, working on a broad range of projects across the UK, from intimate urban gardens to expansive rural landscapes.
Hal’s approach to garden-making is that each project should be entirely unique, based on the particular wishes and lifestyle of the client, as well as the surrounding landscape and architectural context. The studio is known for combining generous naturalistic planting schemes with elegant, timeless hard landscape details. Their work is a celebration of the unfolding layers of the seasons, conjuring an ongoing sense of anticipation, exploration and delight.
Through his formal training as a Landscape Architect, and his extensive experience as a horticulturist, Hal brings rigour and structure to the studio’s work, which is complemented by a profound appreciation of plants and ecological processes. His background in nature conservation has instilled a desire in him to create landscapes which benefit wildlife as well as people.
"Our gardens have a charm and a romance which sets them apart. We combine plants and materials in a way which is enchanting, immersive and wonderfully atmospheric."
"We pride ourselves on our highly personal and collaborative approach. Listening carefully and understanding our client's wishes is fundamental to how we go about designing gardens and landscapes.
We provide a bespoke design service to suit the specific requirements of each project, whether it is private or commercial. This can include everything from site analysis to paving, walling and planting design, as well as lighting, furniture and water feature design. We regularly collaborate with a network of craftspeople to create beautiful, bespoke landscape features.
Ecology is central to the studio’s philosophy and our work regularly involves nature restoration and habitat creation, often in the form of richly biodiverse meadows, woodlands and water features.
We are passionate about the rich histories and traditions wrapped up in garden-making, and we employ this knowledge in a way which brings depth and authenticity to the gardens we create.
We have recently completed work on a large country estate on the Ards Peninsula in Northern Ireland, where we developed a sweeping driveway through wildflower meadows, past a new wildlife pond, and up to a formal front garden surrounded by luscious woodland-style planting and structural topiary cushions. In the back garden, we created a multilevel terrace for dining and relaxing, and a series of flowing naturalistic planting beds, punctuated by striking multistem trees.
Within the Howardian Hills AONB in North Yorkshire, we were commissioned to design a multifunctional family garden which enhances the stunning views across the valley. We introduced broad stretches of planting reaching out towards the view, framed by a loose avenue of flowering crabapple trees. Additionally, we designed herb and vegetable gardens, wildflower meadows, a small native woodland, and a network of meandering paths which tie in the different areas of the garden. This project is currently under construction."
