Outdoor space design
Private gardens, public spaces, school playgrounds, parks: from advice to full design and project management, or support for a local authority.
Alice Stevens designs gardens and public spaces from a careful reading of the site: its soils, water, vegetation, uses and history. Plants are treated as a living, evolving material, and maintenance is built in from the start, with choices suited to the people and resources available.
For private clients, support ranges from advice, for those who want to transform their garden themselves, to bespoke design and help during construction. For local authorities, Saje works as lead or team designer and as client-side adviser.
During three years at the CAUE de la Mayenne, Alice Stevens supported local authorities with their development projects; this experience informs her knowledge of local contexts and of the issues towns and villages face.
How a design commission unfolds
For a public space, the commission follows the standard French project stages. Each one ends with the client’s approval before moving on to the next.
- EP Preliminary studies Site survey and analysis, initial directions, feasibility check.
- ESQ Sketch design One or more overall layout proposals, tested against the brief and budget.
- AVP Outline design The chosen scheme is developed: plans, materials, plant palette, detailed estimate.
- PRO Detailed design Full technical definition of the works and planting.
- DCE Tender documents Written and drawn documents for inviting contractors to tender.
- ACT Contract award support Analysis of bids and help choosing contractors.
- VISA Review of contractor drawings Checking that contractors’ construction drawings match the design.
- DET Site supervision Site meetings and quality control of the works and planting.
- AOR Handover Acceptance of the works, follow-up of snagging and plant establishment.
Client-side project support
Before a project starts, Alice Stevens helps local authorities see clearly: site analysis, defining needs and the brief, initial layout options, support with consultation. In Yzernay, for example, she worked for the Vic-Ouest consultancy, the town’s project adviser, on the site analysis and design of the Shifting Islets Nature Park.
