Andrew Burton Anderson

Andrew Burton Anderson

Photo credit: Benny & The Becks Photography

Andrew Burton Anderson is a landscape architect, biocultural planner, practice-based researcher, and UNESCO World Heritage expert, with nearly three decades of experience in the design, management, conservation and restoration of landscapes, cultural sites and ecosystems. His work revolves around the protection of the world's natural and cultural heritage at the intersection of design and science. Andrew was the first landscape architect to obtain a UNESCO Master of Science in World Heritage Management (UCD, 2011). His consultancy is based in Québec, Canada, with project work worldwide.

What first inspired your interest in natural and cultural heritage?

I have been interested in the intersection of science and design since I was a child, although I didn't know it at the time. This led me to earning my undergraduate degree in landscape architecture from the University of Guelph in 1997. Through my project work as a young landscape architect, I realized that the most interesting, dynamic and rewarding projects were those that involved the conservation, interpretation and celebration of both cultural and natural heritage. This led to a growing desire to focus my life's work on the conservation of both nature and culture.

What led you to pursue your master's degree at UCD?

Mid-way through my career as a landscape architect, I realized I was on the wrong side of the table. I wanted to defend, protect and enhance places of natural and/or cultural significance, not destroy them. Having been involved in several projects involving or adjacent to UNESCO World Heritage Sites, I quickly determined that I wanted to learn how to combine my professional skills with World Heritage conservation. I was attracted to the UCD Master of Science in World Heritage Management because of its combined emphasis on both natural and cultural heritage. While the course has evolved since my graduation in 2011, the combined emphasis on natural and cultural heritage remains vital and increasingly relevant.

What did you enjoy most about the master's programme?

I really enjoyed the opportunity – mid-career – to dedicate my time to being a full-time student again, immersed in an academic environment of curiosity, discovery and learning. I also enjoyed being part of a very small class of students from both Ireland and abroad. It must be said that I also loved living in Dublin while having the opportunity to discover many other parts of Ireland, from Sceilg Mhichíl to Céide Fields and everything in between.

What skills and personal attributes have enabled you to forge a diverse career that has taken you to many fascinating places around the world?

Prior to studying at UCD, I was trained as a landscape architect at the University of Guelph in Canada. I owe many of my diverse career experiences to the skills that were first nurtured in the design studio, then honed over the years in private and public practice. The most exciting professional projects, experiences and solutions lie at the intersection of science and art. To paraphrase Leonard Cohen, that's where the light gets in.

I cannot overstate the importance of listening – not just hearing – to stakeholders, being respectful of and curious about cultural differences, being open with arms outstretched to opportunities as they arise, having a keen sense of observation, and cultivating a sense of wonder at the endless delights and curiosities of the natural environment.

What's the most important lesson you have learned in your work and studies?

The most impactful ideas are meaningless if they cannot be communicated. Not everyone is a natural writer. Or a gifted illustrator, or a skilled speaker. Identify the communication method that most closely aligns with your interests and aptitudes, and polish it to a shine. Communicate your thoughts and ideas with clarity and conviction. Choose the people with whom you spend your life very carefully. Work with people whom you respect, but – more importantly – that you like. It is very rewarding to suddenly realize that your colleagues and clients have become your friends.

What have been the greatest challenges in your career?

The greatest challenges in my career have revolved around striking a balance and setting boundaries between professional and personal life (I'm still working on that one), and navigating the sometimes-treacherous intricacies of interpersonal relationships, especially when working on large projects with many different cultures, perspectives and priorities sometimes colliding. Nothing worth doing is easy. But the rewards of living an unexpected life make it worthwhile.

What successes are you most proud of?

While I am most proud of the successes of my family and friends, I am also very proud of a few of my professional successes:

Back in 2007, a group of like-minded colleagues in Toronto – friends – under the guidance of editor Lorraine Johnson formed an Editorial Board and started a new professional quarterly magazine. Ground: Landscape Architect Quarterly was born. 19 years and 71 issues later, it remains one of my proudest professional achievements.

I am very proud to be affiliated with one of the world's great scientific institutions – Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh – as a Research Associate with the RBGE Centre for Middle Eastern Plants. My background in landscape architecture and natural and cultural heritage conservation complements the scientific approach of my colleagues at RBGE.

I am very proud of my record of project work that exemplifies the benefits of multidisciplinary collaboration. Immediately following my time in Dublin, I spent nearly a decade of my life in the Sultanate of Oman. As part of a huge team of inspiring and committed scientists, my role was to translate science into design, acting as the bridge between the botany and conservation team, the design consultants and contractors. Together, we have brought a dream to reality: the development of one of the world's largest botanic gardens, and the first of its kind in the world dedicated to the native flora of one country. From the initial sketches on the proverbial napkins – working closely with an international team of landscape architects and engineers from Arup, architects from Grimshaw and interpretation designers at Haley Sharpe Design – what was once a dream is now substantially complete and will open to the public soon.

Most recently, I have been incredibly fortunate to have been involved with colleagues at WATG in some groundbreaking projects that combine natural and cultural heritage conservation, including:

• Pyramids Destination Tourism Master Plan – Memphis and its Necropolis:  The Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Mt. Kenya Safari Club + Conservancy Master Plan and Conservation Strategy – Mount Kenya UNESCO World Heritage Site (working on the conservation of the critically endangered mountain antelope, the shy and curious Mountain Bongo)
• Sharaan National Park Concept Master Plan and Guidelines (Saudi Arabia's first IUCN Green List inscribed site and the first National Park) – AlUla / Hegra Archaeological UNESCO World Heritage Site (al-Hijr / Madā ͐ in Ṣāliḥ)
• Zayed National Museum – the 7th gallery:  Al Masar Garden

What are you working on currently?

As I sit at my desk in my studio and watch the snow pile up outside my window, I am currently working on the final stages of a Tourism Master Plan for the Pyramids in Egypt, a shoreline planting strategy in Azerbaijan, and my taxes. The realities of running a small consultancy include necessary banalities.  

Working in private practice periodically requires investing significant time and effort to acquire projects through the preparation and submission of proposals and responses to inquiries. At the moment, I have just finished leading the preparation of a proposal for a project that combines biodiversity conservation, ecological restoration and the development of a sanctuary for threatened and vulnerable species within the Caribbean Islands biodiversity hotspot.

Have you any words of advice or encouragement for today's students who are trying to find their own place in the world?

When opportunities present themselves, say yes. But don't always wait for opportunities to find you – go out and find them.

Be curious. Never stop learning.  

Read. As much for pleasure as for work.

Notice and appreciate beauty and comedy in the minutiae of everyday life.

Follow your passion. And let it evolve. No one ever had any fun on a straight road.

Don't do it for the money. Measure success not in financial terms, but in the joy you have derived and the differences that you have made along the way.

In the words of naturalist and author Sy Montgomery, exemplify what it means to "be a good creature."