Middle East & Africa Archives

Wadi Hanifah

A 7 km2 mixed-use historic, culture and lifestyle destination, Diriyah will express the Kingdom’s historic and cultural heart, showcasing and celebrating Saudi Arabia’s long history through heritage, hospitality, education, retail and dining experiences for residents, tourists and frequent visitors.

The design builds upon the existing Wadi terrain, long a sought-after destination in this arid region. Built elements follow a Najdi architectural style evoking authentic Saudi Arabian environments, offering a variety of premium guest experiences include hotels, integrated resorts, branded residences and venues for entertainment and diverse outdoor activities.

Photography by Alessandro Merati © Cracknell

Lovebrinth Agustin

Lovebrinth is a Senior Architect Designer with 13 years of experience in design development of both landscape and architecture projects across the Middle East and Asia. In 10 years of practice in the United Arab Emirates she has been involved in large scale projects that mainly focus on concept design development facilitated through high quality graphic masterplans, expert hand sketching and 3d model development. She is passionate about exceptional design, developing ideas and blending creativity to satisfy user needs and connect people with the environment.

Phil Black

Phil leads Cracknell’s Abu Dhabi studio with over 20 years’ experience as a landscape architect and horticulturist within designed and constructed landscapes across the Middle East, Asia and Australia. Phil specialises in landscape design and built environments with a particular focus on environment, art and cultural landscapes. Phil is passionate about all phases of the design process, from concept preparation to detailed documentation and project delivery taking pleasure in solving complex site issues during the construction phase of either small scale urban landscapes or large-scale public realm projects.

Hafez Orabie

Hafez is a Senior Landscape Architect with over five years’ diverse experience across various projects spanning the MENA region, particularly KSA. Known for his creativity, ambition, and dynamic approach, Hafez’s journey as a Senior Landscape Architect is enriched by his foundation as an architect, bringing a unique blend of creativity, precision, and holistic understanding to his work. His experience in landscape architecture has been marked by collaboration on prestigious mega projects throughout the MENA region, where he’s contributed to shaping iconic spaces that resonate with cultural significance and architectural excellence. Hafez continuously looks to incorporate the latest sustainability practices within his projects and to help drive sustainability initiatives within the Cracknell team.

Draginja Nikolic

Draginja is a Senior Landscape Architect with 13 years’ experience across the MENA region, Asia and Europe. A key design team member, she has wide-ranging experience covering many sectors and scales. With a passion for sites with heritage significance, she is an advocate for minimal design intervention to allow users to take centre-stage and tell the story. Taking cues from how people organically use an exterior space, she looks to embody culture and local vernacular in all her projects.

Leynard Vista

Leynard is a Senior Landscape Architect with 18 years’ experience in the landscape industry across the Middle East, the United States and Asia. He plays an important role in the design and construction phases and is deeply committed to prioritising human experience and sustainability within his landscape design work. His knowledge of building processes and attention to detail are key to delivering project excellence while maintaining the integrity of the concept design.

Swati Vacchani

Swati has 10 years’ experience in landscape architecture in the Middle East and India. She is passionate about creating functional, sustainable and aesthetically pleasing outdoor spaces. Her architectural background helps her to seamlessly integrate landscape design with existing structures/architecture, ensuring a holistic and cohesive design approach.

Managing complex projects from concept to completion, she understands the importance of balancing design principles, environmental considerations, and client requirements to deliver outstanding results. As part of the design team, she manages day to day co-ordination between multidisciplinary internal and external teams and stakeholders to deliver each project successfully.

Neil Munsornplang

Neil is an Associate Landscape Architect with 20 years’ experience in delivering outstanding design solutions across a wide spectrum of projects, ranging from public parks and residential spaces to high-end hospitality environments. He is recognised for an exceptional ability to seamlessly integrate natural beauty, sustainability, and functionality into every project. Adept at collaborating with various stakeholders, particularly within the hospitality sector, he creates captivating outdoor spaces that enhance guest experiences and elevate the overall ambiance of hotels, resorts, and mixed-use developments.

Alessandro Merati

Alessandro has 10 years’ experience as a design professional in the Middle East and Europe. As a Senior Landscape Architect at Cracknell, he plays a pivotal role in design for shaping the outdoor environment, enhancing communities, and contributing to sustainable and visually appealing landscapes. He is an experienced leader of design projects across many sectors and has a particular skill in encouraging the team to develop innovative landscape solutions. Alessandro approaches each project with a blend of creativity and practicality. His designs reflect a deep appreciation for the unique characteristics of each site, incorporating indigenous plants, sustainable materials, and innovative design concepts.

In addition, he is a highly skilled landscape photographer and uses his talents to record engaging imagery of many of Cracknell’s projects.

Eleanor Johnson

Ellie has 12 years’ experience as a design professional in Europe and the Middle East. As a Senior Landscape Architect, she is involved in all stages of design from Concept to Issue for Construction, developing design proposals and coordinating between disciplines to achieve timely project submissions.

Ellie is passionate about the finer details and strives to achieve well thought out construction detailing with consideration to choices of materials that work with both the landscape context and built architecture. This applies particularly to projects in the cultural heritage sector.

Working within World Heritage Sites and other sensitive zones, particularly in Saudi Arabia, has allowed her to develop engaging interpretation, restoring and expressing local vernacular to elevate the sense of place. Looking to tell the landscape story through place-making, Ellie helps to protect culturally important sites for the future.

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