Successful design and construction of the public realm demands a complex mix of skills and professional disciplines. We are comfortable both coordinating and contributing to these.
Our designers constantly strive to deliver an unrivalled product within every sector and for every client. We assure this through our design process and technical review systems.
Clients benefit from continuity of contact with individual designers. These catalytic relationships produce an unrivalled design service.
Our senior team includes :
Managing director - Peter Owens
Peter founded Colour in 2000 as a new brand synonymous with contemporary landscape architecture. As a chartered landscape architect and urban designer, Peter brings over 17 years experience of large budget projects within multi-disciplinary teams across Britain and the Far East.
Peter applies a clear rationale and effective design process to achieve creative and appropriate solutions that profoundly enhance people's lives. A philosophy of vision, robust concepts and expert delivery are fundamental to this approach.
Peter’s design of 55 Degrees North was awarded the 2003 Newcastle Lord Mayor’s Award for urban landscape and features on the CABE on-line library. He is currently contributing to environmental design of the 2012 Olympics white water canoe slalom course in Hertfordshire.
Associate - Stephen Blacklock
Stephen has over 14 years experience in the field of landscape design and urban regeneration in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. This includes management of all aspects of the tender and construction process across all sectors and regeneration awards in the Thames Valley region.
Stephen managed the CABE acclaimed and winning South Tyneside & Gateshead BSF bid, the winning South Ayrshire Schools PPP bid and co-ordinates the £400 million University Hospital of North Staffordshire masterplan.
Associate - Jon Eachus
With experience in planning, design and management of projects in a wide-ranging portfolio, Jon's expertise lies in the areas of community and urban regeneration, particularly in enabling and delivering learning environments through national educational initiatives.
Jon joined Colour UDL in July 2007 and he has led a variety of projects including key public spaces within Newcastle University campus; the successful Tameside BSF and Durham BSF bids and the competition winning design for Sandygate Square, Burnley.
Jon’s design of Moorside Community Primary School was awarded the 2009 British Council for School Environments Industry Award for Best External Learning Environment. He is currently undertaking more design work at Moorside and contributing to several education design projects across the country.
Associate - Emma James
Emma has been a practicing landscape architect working in the north east for the last 8 years. During this period she has worked on a wide variety of projects from conceptual design to their successful delivery on site including Leazes Park restoration works, the award winning landscape design at Trinity Gardens and Newcastle Hospitals PFI project.
Emma joined Colour in January 2008 and has a particular interest in urban landscape design and the creation of healing landscapes associated with hospital developments. She is currently responsible for the delivery of the St Lukes Hospital PFI project in Middlesbrough and the creation of contemporary urban spaces at Newcastle University.
Associate - usue ruiz arana
Usue Ruiz-Arana joined the practice in August 2008 in an Associate position, bringing over eight years experience as a Chartered Landscape Architect. Usue has worked extensively on projects throughout North East England and Spain, including being responsible for the design and delivery of the award-winning Sunniside Gardens, the Bilbao International Urban Garden Competition and Newcastle City Library.
Joining Colour at a time of continued expansion and distinction in its field, Usue will be taking responsibility for the delivery of the New Leaf Leisure Centres in Leeds and creative proposals for the external space at St Joseph’s RC Primary School in Newcastle’s West End.
educationalist – professor patrick dillon
Professor Patrick Dillon is an educationalist, biologist and historian with cross-disciplinary interests in education, culture, heritage, landscape, design and creativity. He holds professorial positions at the Universities of Exeter, UK and Joensuu and Helsinki in Finland.
Through the synergy of practice and research, Patrick and Colour-UDL together have been making ground-breaking advances in the utilisation of external space for teaching and learning since 2006 (reference : Creative Partnerships) www.creative-partnerships.com
Patrick has conducted research and managed projects funded by the European Union; learned societies, professional associations, multinational companies, government departments and funding councils in the UK. He has written several books, over 80 scholarly articles, and given presentations at over fifty international conferences including many keynote addresses. In addition, Patrick is a Creative Agent in Northeast England.