Few landscape architects have such diverse experience spanning multiple climates and cultures.

Qualifications

Educated in the USA, registered in both Hawaii and Australia and experienced through the creation of award-winning projects in more than twenty countries, few landscape architects have backgrounds comparable to James Nicolay.

As an undergraduate, Mr Nicolay was honored with multiple awards. In the early stages of his career he founded Belt Collins first international subsidiaries in Singapore and Australia, creating multiple award-winning projects across a broad range of project types.

He has operated his own practice for almost twenty years and now focuses his energies on only a small number of projects at any one time. Working closely with his clients to delve deeply into the demands of the market and the opportunities of each site his focus is to create unique, optimal design solutions for his clients

Global Experience

Few landscape architects have had the opportunity of working across not only a broad range of project types but also across a diverse range of climates or in places with differing levels of economic development. James Nicolay has worked on hotels in remote locations in developing nations to urban projects in modern cities. Experienced not only in landscape design in tropical climates but equally capable of designing in Mediterranean climates, seasonal and temperate climates in many parts of the world. From tropical lowlands to semi-alpine mountainsides, Mr. Nicolay has designed and built projects in a variety of settings.

Frequently helping clients create unique projects in developing countries and difficult sites, Mr Nicolay has pioneered landscape architectural designs across a broad area of asia, along both coasts of Australia and several pacific islands. Clients have taken him to Africa, Cyprus, Europe and the middle east.

Working internationally but also living outside of the USA has provided Mr Nicolay exposure and understanding of differing expectations of different markets and the artistry and skills inherent in each place. Rather than simply copying or importing design ideas from other places, Mr Nicolay's approach is to create custom, pragmatic, effective design solutions appropriate to each project's unique situation. 

Mr Nicolay 's design practice collaborates with many other professionals as cwell as clients directly and tailors its approach to each project individually.  Freed of the constraints of large, commercial design practices, his clients receive the full breadth and depth of James Nicolay's unique background.