Ian
Simkins BSc, Dip LA, PCHE, PhD, FHEA, MI Hort, CMLI
Chartered Landscape Architect
Ian
Simkins Curriculum Vitae
Ian Simkins
BSc, Dip LA, PCHE, PhD, FHEA, MI Hort, CMLI
Chartered Landscape Architect
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Freelance Landscape Consultant practicing as:
IMS landscape consultancy
Resume
Since graduating from Leeds Metropolitan University in 1999 my professional career has been complimented by research and teaching in both Further Education (2004 - 2007), and in Higher Education (since 2000). PhD research developed methodology amenable to revealing spatial aspects of the place experience of primary school aged children in ways relevant to landscape design decision making. The research responded to the importance of encouraging an increase in young people’s use of the outdoor environment, and in particular to promote positive behaviour in children through contact with experientially rich outdoor settings.
I am co-founder of Experiential Landscape, with colleague Dr Kevin Thwaites of the department of Landscape. Experiential Landscape co-ordinates and employs a person-centred process generating socially sustainable solutions that benefit how people relate to each other and the outdoor settings they routinely use. Developed through research and practice since 1999, the process builds social capital by making socially restorative environments which emphasise the delivery of fulfilled lives in processes of environmental improvement.
Since its foundation in 2003, I have also been an active member of the "core team" of UStED (Urban Sustainability through Environmental Design) an International network of researcher's educationalists and practitioners, gathering, updating, co-ordinating and disseminating tools of Sustainable Urban Design, with special emphasis on ‘public space’ (www.usted-urbandesign.org).
I am a member of the Executive Management Board of the Centre for the Study of Childhood and Youth, at the University of Sheffield. The centre is a multi-disciplinary organisation with international partners to create collaborative research on cross-cultural issues. It brings together academics and researchers and is committed to actively involving children and young people in the research process.
PROFESSIONAL
QUALIFICATIONS/MEMBERSHIP
Chartered Member of the Landscape Institute (CMLI)
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
Corporate Member of the Institute of Horticulture (MI Hort)
Member of The Urban Design Group
Member of IAPS – International Association For People-Environment Studies. Joint Convener: IAPS Children, Youth and Environment Network (CYE)
Partnership Board Member:
Centre for the Study of Childhood and Youth, the University of Sheffield.
OTHER
CRB Enhanced Disclosure
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
PhD, 2004 - 2008 Department of Landscape, the University of Sheffield
Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education (PCHE), 2004 - 2006 the University of Sheffield
BSc (with Distinction) [University of Leeds] Land Management and Technology, 1994 - 1995 Askham Bryan College York
HND (with Distinction) Landscape and Horticultural Technology, 1991 - 1994 Askham Bryan College York
ACADEMIC
ACHIEVEMENTS Graduate Diploma Landscape Architecture - Distinction
Attained one of five distinctions awarded on the Graduate Diploma
Course.
BSc Land
Management and Technology - Distinction
Achieved highest ever marks on the BSc course, and awarded one of
only two distinctions.
HND Landscape
and Horticultural Technology - Distinction
Achieved second highest mark amongst HND peer group.
HND design selected to represent Askham Bryan at the 1994 Chelsea
Flower Show, final design received a Silver Medal.
Ibstock cup winner “Best first year Landscape Design Student”.
RECENT
CAREER HISTORY Nov 03 to Date FREELANCE LANDSCAPE CONSULTANT
TUTORING
EXPERIENCE Higher EducationTutoring
2003 to Date
The University of Sheffield - tutoring: Undergraduate modules:
Integrated Urban Design
Advanced Landscape Construction Basic Landscape Construction Post graduate modules:
Technical Drawing
Urban Landscape Design
Integrated Urban Design
Special Project – phase 1 examination review
Special Project (formerly special design)
Special Design (Master planning/Whole site proposals)
Special Design (Planting)
Exam Panel Moderating: Special Design
2000 to 2003
Leeds Metropolitan University: Post graduate modules:
Habitation Option.
Autocad additional support following departure of staff member.
Further Education Tutoring
Askham Bryan College York:
September 2006 to March 2007 - Northern College for Further Education (NCFE) Level 2 Certificate in Garden Design.
September 2005 to February 2006 - Open College Network Level 2
Certificate in Garden Design.
September 2004 to July 2005 - City & Guilds Level 2
Certificate in Garden Design.
Dec
02 to Nov 03 HARTLEPOOL BOROUGH COUNCIL Senior Landscape Architect
Portfolio of work included several primary school projects involving
the Borough Architects and members of Partnering teams and SRB and
Heritage Lottery work.
Sept ’99 to Dec
02 HARTLEPOOL BOROUGH COUNCIL Community Landscape Architect (SRB funded
post)
Provision of a comprehensive Landscape Design and project management
service.
• Green Corridors and Gateways Project (SRB)
Development and implementation of a landscape strategy of environmental
improvements on strategic and major corridors throughout the two
SRB areas. Schemes were executed with involvement of the local community,
ward members, agencies and public bodies together with business
stakeholders. The projects also required the maximisation of local
employment, training and safety initiatives. The schemes were driven
by consultation and participation of the community through workshops
and exhibitions.
• Grounds for Learning Project (SRB)
This project involved a variety of landscape improvements to schools
within the SRB area. The improvements were developed through workshops
with pupils, teachers and governors. Proposals were then finalised
and managed to completion.
• Intermediate Labour Market (ILM)
Various projects of environmental improvement implemented by the
management of the ILM, basic horticultural techniques demonstrated
at induction lectures and handbook compiled for reference.
July ’95 to June
’98 Freelance Landscape Designer
Provision of bespoke designs for commercial and domestic clients.
May ’97 to Nov
’97 CITY PARKS SERVICES
(Division of City of Sunderland Direct Services) Software application design (freelance)
June ’94 –
Sept’94 CITY PARKS SERVICES
(Division of City of Sunderland Direct Services) System auditing and re-organisation.
Aug ’92 –
Sept’93 CITY OF SUNDERLAND PARKS CONTRACTS SECTION
(Division of City of Sunderland Dept. of Leisure) Assistant to Landscape Manager (undertaken
as part of HND course)
Part of Landscape team that undertook all new landscaping works
awarded to the department.
April ’92 LAND
RECLAMATION SITE St. HELENS
A Groundwork Trust project in the reclamation of a derelict spoil
heap in Lancashire. Sub-contract Drawing
Working under the direction of the freelance Landscape Architect
for the site interpreting sketches, provision of formal drawings
for planning application and original detail design work.
RESEARCH:
March 00 to Jan 03 LEEDS METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY Research Assistant (part time)
For a resume of research activity please click here
IAPS
Restorative Environments Network
An international network of academics, practitioners and students
researching restorative environments, formed November 2007.
Conveners: Kevin Thwaites, Dept. of Landscape, University of Sheffield
and Terry Hartig of the Institute for Housing and Urban Research
at Uppsala University.
IAPS Children, Youth and Environment Network (CYE)
Joint Conveners: Ian Simkins and Sandrine Depeau
Centre for
Place and Learning (Centrum för Plats och Lärande) www.placelearning.org/omoss.aspx
An interactive forum for researchers and practitioners interested
in the significance of Place for Learning – and Learning for
Place.
Project group: Mats Lieberg, Swedish University of Agricultural
Sciences, Alnarp, Pia Björklid, Stockholm Institute of Education,
Lars-Owe Dahlgren, Linköping University, Gunilla Halldén,
Linköping University
Suzanne de Laval, Swedish Association of Architects, Maria Nordström,
Stockholm University, Susan Paget, Swedish University of Agricultural
Sciences, Uppsala, Anders Szczepanski, Linköping University
Petter Åkerblom, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences,
Uppsala
Multimodal
Representation of Urban Space Sensory Notations
Advisory board associate, University of Strathclyde research project.
Urban Sustainability
through Environmental Design (UStED) www.usted_urbandesign.org UStED, is an International Consortia conceived
by Dr. Sergio Porta of the Politecnico di Milano. The origins of
the organisation date to 2003, with a vision to establish an initiative
which includes three areas: Network, Research and Education, for
the purpose of gathering, updating, co-ordination and dissemination
of tools of Sustainable Urban Design, with special emphasis on ‘public
space’.
Interested parties were
brought together in an inaugural conference at the Politecnico di
Milano in January 2004. Following the success of this event the
consortia has moved to strengthen its internal relationships and
a core team has developed to develop and promote the original aims
and culminated into the imminent publication of: Urban Sustainability
Through Environmental Design: Approaches to Time, People and Place
Responsive Urban Spaces. eds: Thwaites. K., Porta. S. and Romice.
O. Book commissioned by Spon Press, London.
UStED Core team
members: Ian Simkins, Kevin Thwaites, Alice Mathers, Sergio Porta, architect, PhD in territorial and environmental planning and Professor of Urban Design Department of Architecture, University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. Ombretta Romice is a lecturer in the Department of Architecture, University of Strathclyde. She is an architect actively involved with the International Association for People-Environment Studies (IAPS). Barbara Golicnik specialized in landscape architecture at Edinburgh College of Art, Heriot-Watt University, UK. She is a researcher at the Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia. John L. Renne, AICP, is an assistant professor of urban planning and transportation studies at the University of New Orleans and an associate director of the University of New Orleans Transportation Centre.
Centre for the Study of Childhood and Youth, the University of Sheffield. www.cscy.group.shef.ac.uk/
The Centre aims to be a multidisciplinary Centre of international excellence in the study of childhood and youth that can contribute to theory and its application to policy and practice.
The Centre brings together a range of academics and researchers from different and diverse disciplines to explore the nature of childhood and youth in modern society. This multi-disciplinary approach brings together academics and researchers from sociology, education, criminology, law, health, social work and social policy, landscaping, management school, psychology, geography, nursing and midwifery.
The Centre is strongly committed to actively involving children and young people in the research process. It is actively involved in exploring and developing methodological approaches that gives 'voice' to children and young people in the research approach.
The Centre is also actively involved in trying to improve the lives of children and young people. Many members are involved in helping to shape and influence both national and local policy-making especially in relation to children's and young people's services. As a result the Centre is committed to working closely with policy makers, practitioners and other interest groups who are aiming to improve both the lives of children and young people and the quality of services. This involves the Centre in a programme of knowledge transfer and dissemination to a broad audience including children, young people and their families.
