About Me
Born and raised amid the lumpy red maple swamps of Massachusetts, longtime Californian, now living in London, I'm a measured optimist and an all-around enthusiast.
I have now enjoyed many years working with clients and teams on environmental design projects ranging from rooftop gardens to large multi-site river, chaparral, desert, and marine restorations, in the US, Asia, and the UK, as well as maintaining my own practices in fine art and community-based design for urban biodiversity.
I hold degrees in Architecture from UC Berkeley (1994), Landscape Architecture from Harvard University (2004), and Water and Environmental Management from Queen Mary University London (2025, pending). I have been a LEED AP since 2009, was a Licensed Landscape Architect in Connecticut and California, and am a current member of CIWEM, CIEEM, SER, and the Southwark Biodiversity Partnership.
Work
I'm interested in making our relationship with nature more sustainable, intimate, and reciprocal. I have particular experience in design for sustainability, climate resilience, novel and urban ecosystems, de-paving, play, sustainable urban drainage systems, active travel, working with self-willed planting, and other means of restoring healthy natural processes and biodiversity to the land.
Starting with stakeholder meetings and site-specific studies of landscape user occupation, biology, hydrology, and expected management/disturbance regimes, I always allow for some wildness in my work. Services include meaningful consultation, problem definition and risk assessment, creative conceptual design and drawings, policy and code research, compliance and advocacy, technical drawings, product and material research, communications, grant and report writing, and project management.
ANNA HWANG COLLIGAN, RLA, LEED AP
- Compassionate, creative solutions for complex problems
- Experienced environmental consultant, specialising in design for biodiversity and climate resilience
- SER, LEED-AP, US Green Building Council 2009, Registered Landscape Architect, CT, CA (prior)
- AutoCAD, Adobe, QGIS, SPSS, Procreate, visualisation
SELECTED PROJECTS
Southwark Environmental Scrutiny Commission, Co-optee, London, 2023-5
- Work with local authority to review environmental policy and practice, evaluating evidence of how policy is working with regard to biodiversity and active travel, with substantial inputs to recommendations report
Rouel Nature Play, Critical Friend, with Trees for Bermondsey and Rouel Garden Club, London, 2023
- Work with community groups to develop language, framing, and strategy to revise local authority project brief to include concerns for biodiversity and define local stakeholder role in process
- "Critical friend" role to advocate for project quality and community concerns in Council-managed project brief, designer selection process through GLA procurement framework, and project design development and implementation
Shuttleworth Park Revitalisation, with Trees for Bermondsey, London, 2022
- Graphics, language, and strategy successfully aiding community groups seeking additional funding
- Increasing biodiversity and climate resilience in a small urban park, while keeping maintenance costs low
The Octopus Garden, with Southwark Nature Action Volunteers and Trees for Bermondsey, London, UK 2020-2022
- Design, drawings, images, community participation, planning, and outreach to support and enhance biodiversity in an urban neighbourhood - de-paving, accessibility, wildlife garden, upcycled street furniture, grant application support, contractor coordination.
Camberwell Biodiversity Corridors, with Southwark Nature Action Volunteers, London, UK 2020-2022
- Working with estate gardening group and local parks friends groups, won £34K grant from Rewild London to support and enhance biodiversity in an urban neighbourhood. Connecting two Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation. Grant writing, visualisations, public consultation, wildlife gardens, signage, advocacy, website and social media development.
Elmington Estate SUDS, for Southwark Council, London, UK 2021-2022
- Design, drawings, community participation, coordination, planning, and grant applications, for de-paving and planting to reduce flood risk in an urban neighbourhood - working with residents, Council project manager and flood risk engineers to conduct resident consultations, wildlife-friendly planting, natural playground, bin and bike storage, concept through construction documents.
Project Duckling, with Friends of Burgess Park, London, UK 2019-2022
- Worked with Park Friends group on design, procurement, and installation of floating islands and bank revegetation to support water quality and waterfowl nesting in a heavily used urban park lake.
Multi-family LEED-certified residential projects, Berkeley and Oakland, California 2014-2020
- Landscape architect for multi-family residential projects in the SF Bay Area
- Design compliance with storm water regulations, including green roofs, permeable pavement, flow-through and infiltration bio-treatment.
The MA Centre, London, UK 2018-2019
- Worked with registered charity to develop new site including proposals for overall site design, including river easement, TPOs, natural assets research, accessibility, parking and transport, Amma’s Garden, woodland garden, and decorative designs.
Das Residence, Menlo Park, California, USA 2015-16
- Water-conserving garden design, heritage oak preservation
- Contractor coordination and permit package
Aga Khan University Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan, with Payette Associates 2006-2009
- Led small landscape design team as part of interdisciplinary in-house team
- Masterplan through design development of proposed 560-acre new campus in the Sindh desert.
- Research and design for desert arboretum, chaparral restoration, academic and residential courtyards, athletic, service, and transport systems.
- Design development of 18 unique water features, including biological filtration.
- Coordinated landscape architecture with team of engineers and other consultants.
- Coordinated training program to produce 30 new employee LEED APs and company yoga classes.
Ecological restoration projects, The Bioengineering Group, Salem, Massachusetts, USA 2004-2006
- Worked with multidisciplinary team and regulatory agencies
- Researched, designed, produced drawings for various restoration projects, including riparian, salt marsh, landfill, forest, and pond environments.
- Sustainable public transport corridors, bank stabilisation, bioswales, cycling paths, streetscapes.
- Conformity to public bid project standards and environmental planning requirements
National Zoo Asia Trail Exhibits, Washington, DC, for Coyle-Caron LLP, Massachusetts, USA 2003-2004
- Aided design development to meet both human and animal needs
- Red Panda, Giant Panda, Fishing Cat, Sloth Bear
- Translation of rockwork and barrier designs to CAD.
Architectural and Building Work, San Francisco Bay Area, USA. 1994-2001
- Architectural design, drafting, permitting, construction administration for various clients
- Mainly residential work
EDUCATION
Queen Mary University London School of Geography
MSc Water and Environmental Management, September 2025
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Master in Landscape Architecture, with Advanced Placement, May 2004
University of California at Berkeley College of Environmental Design
Bachelor of Arts in Architecture, with honours, May 1994