Founded in 2021 by Greenwich Alumni Amund Hugin and Michael Hallifax; is a small multi-national studio that creates enduring, engaging, and innovative landscapes at a range of scales to investigate alternative actualities beyond those driven by the market. They won the Generator Bursary last year and we wanted to catch up with them on their progress so far.
Introduce yourself and your business.
We are Amund Hugin and Michael Hallifax, two University of Greenwich Master of Landscape Architecture graduates who together in 2021, started Aarde, a Landscape Architecture practice based in London. Our approach to landscape is to find chance relationships and narratives between the urban fabric and the ecological processes.
What have been some of your biggest achievements with your business so far?
Working with established and highly reputable and award-winning architects such as Hawkins\Brown, 31/44 Architects, A Small Studio and Office S&M amongst others.
How has the Generator Bursary of £1250 supported you?
The Generator Bursary came at a crucial moment for us as an emerging practice. The bursary gave us the ability to invest in technological support and software which empowered us to produce higher quality work and in turn allowed us to grow.
What’s the biggest lesson you learned from starting a business?
While we always continue to learn so far the biggest lesson has been to maintain milestone markers to work towards that gauge both successes and failures.
What advice would you give to students looking to start their own business?
Advice is always situational, however, we would advise any students wanting to start a business to seek and apply to programmes such as the Greenwich Generator Bursary. Not only do they fund ideas but they also provide knowledge, tools, and support that will considerably benefit your start-up.
What are your next steps for your business?
We are forecasted to grow as a team and in projects. This means we are seeking a collaborative workspace and offering a company culture that embraces creativity and fosters experimentation.
