Success at the Society of Garden + Landscape Designers Awards 2025

Posted on 5th March 2025

Congratulations to 2024 Garden Design Diploma graduate Holly Knight and Garden Design Diploma Tutor Adolfo Harrison for their outstanding achievements at the Society of Garden + Landscape Designers (SGLD) Awards 2025! Both received well-deserved recognition for their exceptional work, showcasing the talent and dedication fostered at West Dean London.

The Society of Garden + Landscape Designers Awards celebrate the best in garden and landscape design, with a focus on innovative and sustainable practices that contribute to the environment and the future of the industry.

Holly Knight, a 2024 graduate of the Garden Design Diploma, was awarded the prestigious Society of Garden + Landscape Designers Student Design Sustainability Award 2025. Holly’s design draws inspiration from a historic yew tree located at Saxon Meadows. The tree’s hollow trunk, large enough to step into, offers a unique cocoon of silence, immersing visitors in its ancient and natural world. Holly’s design incorporates the distinctive bark of the tree, which features deep striations resembling flowing water. The judges were impressed by the project’s sustainable approach, which addresses pressing environmental issues such as biodiversity decline and water scarcity. They praised Holly for striking a harmonious balance between hard and soft elements, and for presenting a beautifully executed masterplan that reflected her exceptional skill and thoughtful consideration of both the environment and the user experience.

Adolfo Harrison, Garden Design Diploma Tutor at West Dean, was honoured with two prestigious awards at the Society of Garden + Landscape Designers Awards 2025. Adolfo received the UK/International Roof, Podium, or Raised Garden award for his Florence Street Project, and the Small Residential Landscapes & Gardens award for his Cleaver Street project. Reflecting on his work as a tutor, Adolfo shared, “I’ve been part of the incredible teaching team at KLC School of Design for about seven years, and in that time, I’ve seen Course Leader Humaira grow the Garden Design Diploma into one of the most vital and relevant courses in the country. The course is always evolving to address the latest technical and cultural changes in the industry, and it’s an honour to be part of that movement. My own practice benefits directly from the innovative ideas and skills developed through teaching.”