Why the smartest landscaping decisions happen below the surface

When budgets tighten on a landscaping project, most people immediately look at the surface materials.

  • Can we change the paving?
  • Can we reduce the spec?
  • Can we swap products?

But according to Phil Storey, Head of Design and Engineering at Marshalls, that’s rarely where the biggest opportunity sits.

“People naturally focus on the visible elements of a project because that’s what everybody sees,” says Phil. “But in reality, some of the biggest savings are often hidden below the surface.”

For Phil and the MaDE team at Marshalls – Marshalls Design & Engineering – the real value comes from understanding how a scheme is designed and engineered from the ground up.  That means looking beyond products alone and interrogating the specification, the build-up, the construction methodology and the long-term performance requirements of the space.

“Quite often, pavement designs are developed using standard guidance, which is absolutely important,” Phil explains. “But sometimes those designs become over-engineered for the actual demands of the project.  In practice, that can mean deeper construction build-ups, more material and more cost than a scheme genuinely requires.”

Phil recalls one public realm project where the Marshalls team reviewed the proposed pavement construction and identified an opportunity to reduce the build-up depth across a large area of paving.  

“Reducing a pavement build-up by even 50mm across several thousand square metres can create a significant saving,” he says. “Not just financially, but also in terms of embodied carbon, material use and programme efficiency.”

That balance between creativity, engineering and commercial reality sits at the heart of MaDE.

Recently repositioned under a new consultancy-led identity, MaDE brings together Marshalls’ design, engineering and digital expertise to help customers create landscapes that are not only visually ambitious, but buildable, efficient and sustainable too.

For Phil, the key is involving design and engineering expertise earlier in the process.


“The earlier we engage with a project, the more opportunity there is to add value,” he says. ““At that stage, you can challenge assumptions, simplify complexity and help avoid problems before they happen – giving customers greater confidence that what’s being designed will work in the real world.”

That thinking also challenges the traditional idea that design and engineering are two separate disciplines.  

“We never see them as separate conversations,” Phil says. “Good design only works if it’s buildable – and good engineering should never compromise the quality of a space. The best outcomes happen when both work together from the start.”

Because ultimately, the success of a landscape project is not just about how it looks on day one. It is about how intelligently it was designed in the first place.

Written By

Phil Storey

Phil Storey has more than 30 years’ experience across technical, specification and design roles within the landscaping and built environment sector. Since joining Marshalls in 1994, he has played a central role in the evolution of the company’s design and engineering capabilities and is now Head of Design & Engineering for Marshalls Landscaping.

Read Phil's full profile.