Design under pressure: what Chelsea taught us about ideas, detail and collaboration

RIBA CPD Topic – Design Construction and Technology

Session Overview
What happens when an ambitious design leaves the drawing board and has to become real — under intense scrutiny, to an immovable deadline, on one of the most demanding stages in garden design?

Following Rob Hardy & Co’s Gold Medal-winning garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026, garden designer Rob Hardy returns to share what the experience taught the team about design, detail and collaboration.

Using drawings, prototypes, construction photographs and finished images from The Together Garden for Trussell, Rob will explore what survived intact, what had to evolve, and how contractors, craftspeople, growers and specialists helped shape the final result.

The talk will consider questions relevant to both architecture and landscape: How firmly should we protect the original idea? When should the process of making something be allowed to improve it? And who really authors a successful built project?

An open and visual reflection on creativity, craftsmanship and designing under pressure.


About the Speaker
Rob Hardy is the founder of Rob Hardy & Co Garden Design Ltd, based on the Harewood Estate between Leeds and Harrogate. The studio specialises in high-end residential garden design, known for its naturalistic style, timeless materials, and quietly confident approach. Rob and his team work exclusively as consultants, offering design and project monitoring services with a focus on integrity, quality, and connection. 

We hope you can join us and look forward to seeing you at the event.  

Each ticket comes with a tea/coffee. Please feel free to stay afterwards for a drink and more conversations in the bar.

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