Design and build Outlook 2016

I am writing this the day before Election 2016, which is relevant, particularly for our West Coast members who have not yet felt the benefit of the alleged economic improvements. Our viability depends strongly on the type of government we elect and the way they manage “our projects”. Fine Gael and Labour have initiated some infrastructural development which has started but I fear quality landscapers such as ALCI members might not reap the rewards unless the current plans are put into action and fast.

ALCI is a National Association of reputable landscape contractors. Initially, I was going to report on what percentage turnover had improved among our members, region by region, but most are reporting little or no improvement or a slight improvement from a very low base, other than the exception of Dublin where margins are still very tight but at least contractors are back at work. The general consensus is optimistic, the glass half full. We are all of the belief that there is work in the pipeline, but that it has not commenced or has not reached the “landscaping stage” just yet.

Competition in the Maintenance arena is still very strong. There is the suggestion that current rates are below sustainability levels when the return on investment in mechanisation is taken into account. As always barriers to entry into the market are rock bottom. The power of buyers remains high which is also fuelling competition. The cost for clients switching between suppliers of landscape services is low and there appears to be little brand loyalty in the industry or ability to obtain a premium for higher service levels, with a few exceptions.

Those of us involved with public works have one core issue, which is the way our public contracts are being awarded, particularly some of the PPP projects. Main contractors have control over who they appoint as Landscape Contractors; this role had been taken away from the Landscape Architect. Yes, I might sound like a broken record but something had to be done about this. Contractors are currently awarding on price rather than quality which has left a lot of ALCI members putting staff on short-time or short-term lay-off while rogue contractors are kept busy carrying out sub-standard work at prices way below what it would take to work to specification. Contractors ordering 10-12cm trees where 20-25cm were specified, poorly finished grass areas, the list goes on.
There are reported changes afoot however which may have an influence on the Business environment in the “medium term” future:

a) H&S requirements of clients are getting more stringent and not all contractors will be able to achieve approvals
b) There are moves in the government’s contract procurement processes to make a minimum of 40% of contract value quality driven. (MEAT)
c) As the industry gets busier the value proposition for greater margin due to quality and service will increase.
d) All clients, architects, now have to ensure that Architects and in-turn the Landscape Architects issue Compliance Certificates for their designed works. Over the last number of years, competitive advantage on tenders arose in the most part by “What you could leave out or get away with”. This measured amelioration of the power/significance of specification compliance will quickly change. Once professionals are required to sign their name to a document, stating that the works are substantially compliant with their issued specifications and drawings, they will make sure they actually are. A market becoming more aligned with the need for compliance and penalties for underperformance will benefit the better contractors in the industry i.e. ALCI members.

THE SHORT-TERM:

ALCI is continuing to audit public works along with the back-up of IALI, but we are calling on the help of the public too, take a school project for example. If you are on the Board of Management or a landscape contractor with the “unsuccessful local bid” and you consider you are not getting what has been signed up to or poorly finished work, contact us. Where possible we will assist you to audit the site and give you a report which you can use to make sure you get what you are paying for before signing off on the job. Some of what we require includes a copy of the specification, up to date drawings and permission to enter the site. Our aim is to raise the standards in the industry, you can contact Ross by email, info@alci.ie or call him on 01-247 9037 with details. Thomas can be contacted at www.thomasjcrummy.com 0719663086, 086 8577750 and thomas@thomasjcrummy.com ✽

If we are to find some positivity in the last few years of recession, it is that it has been somewhat cathartic and as we are still struggling to emerge from that recession, that catharsis is still on-going. During the boom, quality in design and build was scarce on the ground. The availability of landscape work brought many new contractors and designers into the market, some with no qualifications or experience whatsoever. When the flow of cheap loans dried up there were a lot of tadpoles out there swimming in an ever-shrinking pond, wriggling to the bottom for fear of being left high and dry; only those ahead of the curve likely to survive.

In a challenging market, the survivors are those that stand out in some way – more skills, excellence in what they do, specialisation in a particular field. These early innovators will be up and gone and have found a nice cozy niche for themselves. Meanwhile those ‘playing it safe’ remain at the bottom hoping for rain, a risky strategy and the view from the bottom is a little depressing. This is the point we are at right now: we need to stop this race to the bottom!

As a designer one of the ways to stand out from the crowd is to become a member of the Garden and Landscape Designers Association. Your work is assessed by an independent body of assessors. In a profession where you are constantly learning and improving it is another step along this path, and the effort of putting together the required portfolio will be of benefit in building knowledge and professionalism and a higher profile.

The GLDA is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year. The recession has had its challenges for our organisation too, but that challenge has brought out the best in our members. The committee has become a strong team with everyone pitching in and working to their strengths. This teamwork was evident in our recent and extremely successful seminar Ebb & Flow on February 20th; well organised, well run and well attended and with a fascinating line-up of speakers from around the world.

We are stronger than we have ever been, and as chairperson, my chief aim for the year ahead is to build on that strength, raising the GLDA profile through talks, promotion and educating the public on the advantages of good design. I also aim to build up a body of information for our members, in particular, to provide professional practice tools with which to conduct their business.

Last but by no means least, the environment and climate change are very high on our agenda. The choices made at the design stage in a landscape or garden can have a huge influence on flooding, drainage, wildlife, etc. It is a subject that we would like to highlight more and provide some guidelines in this area.

As an organisation we look forward to the challenges ahead with enthusiasm. In thinking about this article I had discussions with many people in the industry but I leave you with these parting words from Paul Woods of Kilmurry Nurseries ‘The world is what you make it’ ✽

From informal discussions with colleagues at events and within the ILI Council, I understand that there has been a pick-up in work for private practices over the last twelve to eighteen months. This has allowed some practices to expand their workforces; this includes restoring positions that may have become part-time during the leaner years back up to full-time posts, as well as taking on some new staff. In addition, senior staff has started to see salary increases commensurate with their skills and experience, having suffered severe drops in salary and pay freezes for a fair number of years.

Work, generally, is available in such sectors as schools, health, housing, transport (cycleways and walkways), parks and playgrounds, commercial and mixed-use developments.

The type of work becoming available is, loosely, commissioned in two ways. Firstly, developers are beginning to, once more, submit planning applications for development sites that may have remained dormant for the last number of years. Some of these sites have changed hands several times and are now being developed by new players in the market. Landscape architects are involved in producing planning drawings, as part of development applications. Some local planning authorities specifically require a landscape architect to be involved. There is a possibility of follow-up tendering and on-site supervision of designs but this end of the market is not being readily offered at this stage, being primarily ordered at the developer’s behest. It is one of the goals of the ILI that landscape architects feature more widely in the staff of all local authorities (within parks and/or planning departments) and, where this is the case, it will more routinely lead to the specification of high-quality design from landscape architecture professionals and consequently more work for the membership at source and at delivery. The ILI is seeking to encourage the government to fill the long void Senior Parks Superintendent position within Dun Laoghaire Rathdown.

Secondly, local authorities have begun to implement landscape improvements associated with various initiatives that they are involved in, such as civic improvements, urban design and the development of new parks and play spaces. Some of this work is issued directly by local authorities but much is via the e-tenders public procurement system. The current government procurement system is very detailed and in many cases does not seem to fit the bill when it comes to issuing well worked up landscape design tenders; there is quite some variation in the way these contracts are issued for tender between authorities. Huge demands are made of those tendering, involving many man-hours of work, with much information being sought that may not really have a bearing on a landscape architect’s ability to actually undertake the work. It would be a goal of mine, through the ILI, to produce some standards for tendering to assist local authorities in procuring landscape architects.

We have recently established a Parks Chamber within the ILI, with the express aim of giving greater credence and support to our members who operate in the areas of landscape management and as parks professionals within our various parks departments. It is hoped that this will reinvigorate this side of our membership to feel that they are strongly included in and have the support of the ILI.

This matter is part of ongoing ILI initiatives to improve membership services and encourage new membership into the institute.

We continue to provide an ongoing series of high-quality lectures and events and have just had one of our most successful awards events. We will continue to lobby for the protection of our title, improvement of standards across the industry and to see the profession of landscape architecture attain greater national status with appointments at local authority and state level being an ongoing goal. We are also involved in a cross-body initiative, The Irish Association of Landscape Industries (IALI), with a number of industry partners to promote ethical, environmental and commercially sustainable practices in Ireland’s landscape sector. So, lots to keep us occupied, for which we are grateful for the continued support of our members, sponsors as well as industry and professional partners in other organisations and institutes. ✽