Max Askew - Managing Director
Max is a Chartered Landscape Architect with over a dozen years experience in the UK, continental Europe and southern Africa. He has managed a diverse range of challenging design and development projects for public and private sector clients. Skills and experience include landscape design, landscape master planning, landscape appraisals, landscape strategies, impact assessment, conservation management plans, detailed hard and soft landscape design and contract administration.
Much of his experience lies in historic landscapes: he has worked on the restoration of nationally important landscapes as well as the design of new and contemporary landscapes within a historic context. He has prepared several successful funding applications for the restoration of historic parks and gardens (e.g. Heritage Lottery Fund).
Max has a keen interest in the role of landscape architecture in sustainable development: in Botswana he worked closely with Environment Watch Botswana (Somarelang Tikologo) to create a new Eco Park on derelict public land in the centre of Gaborone. This community park is a showcase for sustainable urban living and environmental technologies. It includes a recycling facility, Green Shop, community vegetable garden, new play area and drought-tolerant indigenous planting.
Design awards include the New Homes Gardens Awards (2006), Landscape Institute Awards (2007) and Civic Awards (2008). He is currently chair of the Landscape Institute's Accreditation Review Group for the University of Gloucestershire's Landscape Architecture degree courses.
Max also has a degree in Greek and Italian. He has lived and worked in Italy, Greece and Botswana as well as the UK.
Lucy Nelson - Marketing Director
After 10 years in the London advertising industry Lucy left her position of Board Director at Leo Burnett to join Max in setting up Askew Nelson.
During that time in London Lucy worked on the management of various business and marketing projects for such clients as Vodafone, Lloyds TSB, McDonald's, COI and Coca Cola. Each project demanded the application of the right mix of marketing strategy and tools covering the whole gamut from online promotions, through direct marketing to TV advertising.
Lucy draws on this experience to manage the client service, business administration and marketing promotion of Askew Nelson.
Sarah Cotter Craig - Landscape Manager
Sarah Cotter Craig is a landscape manager who specialises in the conservation of historic landscapes. She has worked on Conservation Management Plans for the National Trust, for the gardens at Nymans and Mottisfont Abbey and has recently completed a 20 year Landscape Management and Maintenance Plan for the gardens at Wrest Park, which English Heritage used to support their successful £1.4million HLF application to restore the gardens.
Sarah previously worked as a landscape manager maintaining the English Partnership land portfolio. She also has extensive horticultural experience having trained in Horticulture with Plantsmanship at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
Sarah is a freelance consultant who works out of the Askew Nelson offices and has worked with Max Askew on many projects over the last five years.
Sarah has a passion for annual flowers and has recently opened her own Cutting Garden specialising in growing the more unusual annuals and cottage garden favourites. She will start work on her MA in the Conservation of Historic Gardens and Cultural Landscapes at Bath University in the autumn.
