Practice Profile
Barber is a Melbourne-based Landscape Architecture Practice. Founded in 2002 by Sam Barber, the studio is renowned for its thoughtful, gentle and pragmatic approach to landscape design.
Refined yet congenial, Sam and his multi-disciplinary team connect clients and the architecture they inhabit to the natural world through crafted experiences grounded in wellbeing, balance and ease.
Barber’s spaces are characterised by a commitment to provenance, proportion and cohesion, where architecture and landscaping are a seamless and symbiotic expression. By listening and learning deeply, to both the site and the client, Barber creates intuitive and connective spaces, that balance rigour with joy and evolve naturally rather than forcefully.
Barber works with both private clients and architects, and is well-versed in large, multi-residential and public realm projects, as well as private residences large and small.
We see every project as an opportunity to contribute positively and generously to our client’s way of life.
Practice Philosophy
Provenance – For a landscape to be experienced and felt, it needs a sense of place. We seek to deeply understand the original fabric of a site, as well as the architectural built form. From climate and topography to history and locality, this understanding informs and inspires a sensitive and authentic response.
Health and Wellness – Nature’s role in our wellness is central to Barber’s practice, as both a personal passion for Sam and a key driver in our landscape responses. Whether it’s respite or restoration, we pursue subtle tailored landscapes that provide harmony and ease, reducing stress, enhancing wellbeing and healing through materials, colour and texture.
Collaboration – Relationships are key to creating a harmonious connection between people and nature. Every Barber project is a collaboration, with clients, specialist practitioners, craftspeople and growers. Low on ego, Barber’s personal connection with our clients and contractors are at the heart of our ability to create successful and unique natural spaces that feel good.
Creative pragmatism – We are experimental but grounded in pragmatism. Our consistency of approach is balanced by what we call our “unique creative”. Rather than impose a formulaic house style, we always strive for new creative expressions unique to client and site. Rooted in deep practical knowledge, they are delivered with an open, honest and no-nonsense approach.
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