1. Key Skills & Attributes:
• Co ordination and management of design teams.
• Tender package development.
• Construction package development.
• Site monitoring and project delivery.
• Client liaison and development.
• Extensive supply chain contacts.
• Long established specialist sub consultant relationships.
• Proven experience in sports stadia and training complexes.
• Track record in delivering high end time share developments.
• Wide ranging history and experience in the restoration of parks.
• Delivery of public realm projects.
Steven T Dawson CMLI
Landscape Architect, Golf Course Architect and Project Manager
Education : BA, DipLA, Landscape Architecture
Professional Institutions : The Landscape Institute CMLI
Steven is a registered Landscape Architect with over 25 years of experience in the UK,
Europe and the Middle East. During this time he has had a core involvement in the planning,
design and implementation of significant projects in the UK and overseas for public and
private sector clients.
Within the UK, he has worked upon complex restoration projects at Stanley Park Liverpool
and The International Garden Festival Site in Liverpool. Major leisure developments in
sensitive landscapes such as Cameron House and The Carrick Golf Course on the banks
of Loch Lomond within Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park together with a
number of sports stadia and complexes such as the new Anfield for LFC and Chelsea FC’s
training academy at Cobham. Plus delivered high end public realm works and bespoke
private residencies.
Through the many projects Steven’s role has evolved from design to managing design
teams, developing designs into viable and effect construction packages and procurement
of contractors to project management on both client side and within construction teams.
This has created strong relationships within supply chains and amongst specialist sub
consultants. This comprehensive experience and associated knowledge are major assets
in reducing risk during project delivery.
Steven is currently working freelance.
Selected Projects:
Parks & Public Realm Projects
Stanley Park, Liverpool.
Stanley Park is a 45ha listed park, designed by Edward Kemp opening in 1870. It is
significant among Liverpool’s park due to its layout and architecture, containing grand
terraces, lakes, walks and expansive bedding schemes with fountains. Steven worked
closely with LFC, LCC and English Heritage and played a pivotal role in its restoration
through design and site monitoring.
Liverpool International Garden Festival.
The IGF originally opened from May to October in 1984. After the initial success it went
through a series of failed leisure projects and lay untouched for almost 20 years. Through
funding from Langtree Developments and the NWDA the gardens were restored with major
new interventions introduced. Steven managed the design team working closely with local
communities and the original Japanese garden designers whilst being novated to the
contractor in order to maintain the spirit of important retained elements.
Experience:
2013 - Present Peracto Projects
2002 - 2013 Planit I.E. Ltd
2001 - 2002 Landmark EDI
1992 - 2001 Tyton Design Ltd
1990 - 1991 Clifton Design
1985 - 1990 BAM
Interests:
• Travel. Europe and the Indian
subcontinent are two favourites.
• The Arts. Reading, music and films.
• Current Affairs.
M : 07879 485 662
E : steventdawson@hotmail.co.uk

2. Private Residencies
Mobberley Old Hall.
Cheshire : Parts of this beautiful residence date from the 17th Century, the most obvious
of which within the gardens is the remnants of a moat. This has been restored and brought
back to life with aeration systems and fish life. Else where a maze has been introduced,
manicured lawns, extensive herbaceous perennial beds, a bridge over the moat to connect
gardens to the house and large wildflower meadows on the approach to the house. A large
courtyard has been created within the stables to connect the converted stables to the
original house. The redevelopment of the external areas took place over a number of years
with Steven taking responsibility for management of the design team and implementation
of the works.
Blythe Hall, Lancashire.
Blythe Hall is a large grade II listed country house, it was probably built in the late 16th
Century or early 17th Century and has extensive grounds. The client comprehensively
redeveloped the gardens, the main drivers being providing a sympathetic setting for the
house and leisure opportunities for the family, friends and to accommodate major charity
events. Large lawns with mature tree planting were introduced with formal water bodies. A
sunken 5 aside astro pitch with terraced seating, together with tennis courts and peripheral
privacy planting were introduced. Existing ponds were drained regraded with filter beds
introduced. A gallops and helicopter landing pad completed the works. Steven managed
the design team, contractor procurement and monitored site works.
Sports and Leisure
The Ridge Golf Club, Kent.
Steven was responsible for the golf course architecture and landscape architecture for
the project and was resident on site throughout the construction in a design / construction
management role. This parkland course receives much acclaim due in large part the
mature apple orchards that it sits within, the site was previously a redundant apple farm.
The orchards and their poplar shelter belts provide an instant wooded back drop to the
course and have been brought into production where viable blocks exist.New lakes were
created as for both visual benefit and to provide reservoirs for the course irrigation. Making
the course self sufficient in terms of irrigation, which was essential for its financial viability.
Cameron House, Loch Lomond.
Cameron House Hotel and Golf Course is a world renowned five star leisure complex on the
banks of Loch Lomond, within the National Park. With a historical hotel, luxury time share
lodges. Additional leisure activities include fishing, shooting and walks. Whilst working at
Tyton Design Steven lead the team that carried out detailed environmental and historical
audits of the estate. This base line information was used to inform the redevelopment
proposals, comprising time share lodges sat within the protected landscape, alterations to
the golf course and a golf teaching facility within the walls of the old kitchen gardens.
Sports Stadia and Training Academies:
Chelsea FC, Cobham Training Complex.
Cobham is Chelsea FC’s non match day base and training complex for all levels within
the club from junior teams to the first team squad. The brief was to provide instant privacy
initially for the first team squad training pitches, upgrade the immediate environs to the
main building and to design a formal lake that acted as a reservoir for the pitches irrigation.
Steven worked direct to the main board on behalf of Planit-ie, designing and monitoring the
site works. A week was spent in Germany selecting almost 200 semi mature trees some
upto 80cm in girth, the trees were planted above pitch level to avoid undersoil heating,
fibre optics and irrigation systems. To this end bespoke sub soil and top soil mixes were
produced to plant the trees on and in. A fully automatic irrigation system was installed
providing water to each of the trees and thundreds of meters instant hedging.
Steven T Dawson

3. Liverpool FC, New Stadium (AFL / HKS)
The proposals for the creation of a new stadium for LFC were intrinsically linked to the
restoration of Stanley Park, as the new stadium was to be located to the margins of the park
and the club being one of the funders for the works. Steven acted as a link between both
projects and managed Planit’s design team for the external works element of the stadium
package. Great emphasis was placed upon accessibility for all, security and sustainability.
Whilst the stadium package was never realised it was a great education, created lasting
professional relationships with a wide range of specialist sub consultants and led to Steven
being part of the successful bid team for Planit on the current redevelopment of Anfield.
Commercial and Retail:
New Brighton Development, Wirral.
This retail and leisure development sits immediately adjacent to the sea wall and is allegedly
the second most windest foreshore in western Europe. This location has created one of the
most difficult environments within which to establish plant life. Through his work at Planit on
the project and latterly direct to the client and working closely with Tim O’Hare Associates
Steven has developed a plant palette that is able to with stand the prevailing conditions. The
complete site was flooded in 2013 when the sea breached the flood defences, this required
extensive testing of retained soil and the introduction of bespoke soil mixes designed to
allow reduced retention of salt and the successful establishment of selected grasses.
Sci-Tech Daresbury.
One of two National Science and Innovation Campuses established in 2006. In 2010 a new
JV involving Langtree Developments was formed to develop and promote the campus. As
part of these works upgrades to highways and peripheral landscaping was proposed and
implemented. Due to the nature of the site these works required considerable planning and
close liaison with site facilities management, Steven provided this role and monitored the
site works. Buildings had to be demolished, involving bat survey’s and piecemeal works
so that sensitive monitoring equipment within the site was not disturbed. The works are on
going and should provide a campus all can be proud of.
Education:
Crawley Schools, West Sussex.
BAM retained Steven as a landscape consultant on this major PFI project to provide a
number of secondary schools and a junior school. The site was originally agricultural
land adjacent to a new housing estate, it contained a number of mature specimen trees
that had to be retained requiring careful level solutions in order to maintain level access
to classrooms. The development of the design required extensive consultation with the
educational authorities and local authority ecologists and tree officers. Extensive sports
facilities were provided within the constraints of the site levels and existing vegetation. The
project successfully passed CABE reviews and is still standing the tests of time.
Fairway Primary School.
Is a community school, situated in the NW of the Borough of Barnet, near the A1 and
adjacent to Mill Hill Golf Course. Designed by ACP Architects, the design of the building
itself and most importantly its interface with a restricted sloping site required careful
consideration of site levels. This manifested its self dramatically when external class rooms
and play areas were being designed. Also located centrally to the building is a mature oak
which had to be retained. Extensive retaining walls, often gabion walls were introduced to
accommodate the constant falls across the site. These combined with an environmental
green roof and timber cladding to the building have softened the building mass within the
green belt allowing it to ‘nestle” into the ground. The perimeter woodland belt was carefully
retained and an ecological teaching area with ponds introduced.
Steven T Dawson