In Conversation with Christian Barnard

I had the opportunity to meet Christian Barnard almost a year ago when he approached Meade Design Group to design his new graphic identity. From that moment we established a professional relationship that later became a friendship. It was truly a pleasure to work for him and his portfolio was an amazing source of inspiration.

Landscape Designer, and overall naturalist Christian Barnard is one of the island’s most talented young people. Because I appreciate his talent I wanted to showcase him via a blog interview. I sent him some questions I always wanted him to answer and I wanted to share them with my readers.

Iván Meade – What was your first experience with design?

Christian Barnard – I spend a lot of time reading art, landscape and architecture books and magazines. Time away from the studio and travel is also important to stay fresh. The key is being mindful not to cling to the trends, to trust your instincts and create your own unique approach and style.

Christian Barnard – Absolutely Victoria is ready for a change. We are so lucky where we live and I feel the interest and appreciation for the west coast in a local and global sense is growing. In the years to come there will be a deeper understanding and commitment to the space we are given, and a greater need to utilize our outdoor environment. I feel the home in its context, the occupants and their immediate outdoor setting will need to be more environmentally active and balance harmoniously, both functionally and aesthetically.

Iván Meade – You received your education from London’s Inchbald School of Design and began your career in England; what has the European culture brought to your designs here in Canada?

Christian Barnard – Growing up on the Canadian west coast filled me with a deep respect for the land and its rhythm and allowed me a more sensitive approach to each project. Instinctively my designs reveal and agree with the deeper context and are more functional, economical and sustainable over time than designs that disregard it.

David Residence Plan View

Christian Barnard – It is critical for me to know how much time the client has to maintain my vision. I do not create complicated gardens; it’s just that a landscape or garden is not finished when construction has been completed. A garden takes time to shape, it needs to evolve and establish.

Christian Barnard – No request has ever been too unusual, the more unusual the better.

Iván Meade – What do you consider to be your greatest strength and weakness?

Christian Barnard – It is a garden I grew up shaping and working in from a young age. The client showed me the important aspect of the sense and history of a place, while creating your own unique style within its context. It is a garden where I learned through experiment, a space for work, play and relaxation. It has been an ongoing project now for roughly 16 years.

Iván Meade – What would be your dream project if you were given carte blanche?

Christian Barnard – Every site and project is unique with different requirements and I rarely, if ever, look at plant material for a singular quality. My plantings are created in a painterly fashion, using them en masse, or as “living sculpture.” I select plant materials for their structural character, mutual compatibility, and how they contrast together.

Christian Barnard – I am currently consulting and working on some very unique projects. What’s next? Well, it’s really about being open to each distinct challenge and opportunity and embracing the unknown.